Results 681-700 of 24,382 for speaker:Seán Barrett

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: Will the Government make money available to Anglo?

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: What about the €28 billion?

Leaders' Questions (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: The Minister for Finance was to blame.

Oireachtas Reform. (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: Why did we spend money restoring the lawn when we could have been establishing the Oireachtas channel? That is the sort of nonsense that has been going on here since the establishment of the Oireachtas Commission.

Oireachtas Reform. (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: One does not often get the opportunity to speak on the way in which the workings of this House should be amended or changed. As someone who was a Whip both in Government and in Opposition in the 1980s and 1990s, I have heard much over the years about Dáil reform. I can state honestly, however, that this place is not working any better today than it was 25 years ago when there was no...

Oireachtas Reform. (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: That is not happening. All the scandals which have happened down through the years were a result of the inability to get proper answers to parliamentary questions. It is a matter of this Parliament keeping a check on the Executive. Is the system we are using for parliamentary questions working? For oral questions, a spokesperson has half an hour, which is all right, and there are 45...

Oireachtas Reform. (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: I will do so. We can afford to run a commission costing millions of euro. What is the role of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges? That used to be the committee which decided many of these issues.

Oireachtas Reform. (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: It had a bi-monthly meeting where a group of representatives from all parties could agree on something, and the Clerk of the Dáil would proceed under the chairmanship of the Ceann Comhairle. Issues now go before a commission and unelected people are telling us how to run the Oireachtas. I fully support the work of committees but there are too many of them. These committees were set up to...

Oireachtas Reform. (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: Is the Minister of State considering that sort of reform? We are currently struggling to get the Lisbon treaty passed. A very interesting poll was carried out by Eurobarometer which showed that only 40% of the Irish people had any idea how the European institutions work. In other words, 60% of people openly admitted they did not have a clue how that system works. I would bet a similar...

Oireachtas Reform. (23 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: If I could interrupt the Minister of State, we ask a parliamentary question of the Minister and not the Department. It is up to the Minister to ensure that the quality of the reply is what it should be.

Departmental Funding. (24 Sep 2009)

Seán Barrett: Question 8: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism if he has received confirmation from the Department of Finance regarding the availability of national development plan funding for projects falling under the remit of his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32229/09]

Order of Business (6 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: On a point of order, changing the rota for parliamentary questions affects Deputies with regard to the day on which the questions were supposed to be answered. We should at least be given an explanation as to why the date is being changed. Parliamentary questions are a matter for the House. I ask the Ceann Comhairle to ensure in future that if there is an alteration of the rota, Members...

Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (6 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: Question 1197: To ask the Minister for Education and Science further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 408 of 3 February 2009, and 440 of 31 March 2009, if approval has been given for the construction of a replacement second level school (details supplied) in County Dublin to proceed to tender and construction stages in 2009; if the project architect's sketch design, regarding which he replied...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (7 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: Question 110: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs her views on persons travelling to other EU countries to seek employment, in receipt of jobseeker's assistance, who are being penalised for failing to comply with the instructions of social welfare inspectors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34232/09]

Defence Forces Property. (8 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: Question 10: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of overholders resident in married quarters of the Defence Forces; the rental charged to overholders for the use of the quarters; the average length of time overholders remain in Defence Force quarters following their discharge from the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34751/09]

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: He obviously did not read the proposal. I do not think he is capable of reading it.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: He should stay quiet for goodness sake.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: Did the Minister of State speak on the Bill himself? He should let the House hear his bright ideas.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: I love to hear lectures from people on the Fianna Fáil benches about the irresponsible attitude of the Opposition when we do not agree with their proposals, especially when they created the mess in the first place. Criticism should be based on facts. People should go to the trouble of reading or understanding the alternatives presented by our party and by the Labour Party. They should...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Oct 2009)

Seán Barrett: When I was a child I was warned that gambling was all right provided one gambled with one's own money and that one was given good odds. There are no odds in favour of the taxpayer in this proposal. We are in this mess because the banks and the bankers were gambling with borrowed money, contrary to any gambler's instinct. One never gambles with borrowed money. Now when things have gone...