Results 781-800 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Estimates for Public Services 2006: Statements (Resumed). (24 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and his contribution, which gives us confidence for the future and a great deal of pride in the success of the past ten to 15 years. I am fearful of being regarded as a Jonah if I express any criticism or concerns about the future. I am not. I travelled throughout the world this year and found myself being highly regarded as a citizen of a country that has set standards...

Seanad: Employment Rights: Statements. (24 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, of whom we have seen a lot lately. He is a good listener, as we have learned during the passage of recent legislation. I am also a good listener but was unaware of the story the Minister of State told regarding the Latvian workers on Colt Island, off Skerries. I grew up in that part of the world. In light of the Latvian workers' experience, I understand why...

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (30 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Norris for sharing his time with me. I add my words of praise for the work of Eddie Shaw, the former chairman of the National Safety Council. He resigned last week because of what I believe was his utter frustration at his inability to persuade the Government to do what he believed had to be done. I had the experience some years ago of meeting a man on the floor of my...

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (30 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: It would not cost money in the long term because it would be a good investment. It would save lives and save the economy a great deal of money.

Seanad: Road Safety: Motion. (30 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: We should cover the country in terms of the erection of such speed cameras. The investment would be worthwhile. Motorists would know they would be caught for breaches of the law. Speed cameras can identify what happens on our roads and the motorists who drive at speed. The use of such technology would result in what happened two and a half years ago when we reduced the number of deaths on our...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: For once the Leader will be pleased to know I am not seeking an urgent debate. That said, we should consider debating two reports. One report was issued during the week by the European Environment Agency which stated we had the second worst record for pollution and greenhouse gas emissions in the European Community. That should be debated reasonably soon. I read this morning of a report from...

Seanad: Transport Policy: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share my time with Senator Browne.

Seanad: Transport Policy: Statements. (1 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I enjoyed Senator Mansergh's contribution. He made a reference to when he was a young man, but I consider he is still a young man. If this were ten years ago rather than now, we would criticise the Government for its lack of planning. We stumbled into the Celtic tiger era without much planning or foresight and we are lucky that matters turned out as they did. Ten years ago the position was...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: My amendment was No. 17, and I gather that I may have missed it by a moment or two. I did not hear it called.

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for his coverage of what we are doing. I tabled amendment No. 17, which was not allowed and I have a confession to make in that regard. I knew when I was putting forward the amendment that it probably would be ruled out of order under the quaint rules by which we operate in this House. I persevered in submitting it because I got the strong impression in the...

Seanad: Irish Medicines Board (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2005: Committee Stage (Resumed). (6 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for his remarks and I thank Senators Henry and Browne for supporting me in that area. I am delighted to hear what the Minister of State said. His heart is in the right place. I hope the intention is to find a solution to the problem. I take the Minister of State's other point too, that this involves a cost not only to the taxpayer but also to the individuals who...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: Yesterday, five bombs exploded in Spain. I am pleased to note that no one was injured and that warnings were given by the Basque separatists. However, it is a reminder to us of the 30 years of similar occurrences in this country. Given that Senators Mansergh and Brian Hayes spoke today about the opportunity offered by events in the North, I believe it is time we once again had a debate on...

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements. (7 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share my time with Senator O'Toole.

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements. (7 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister to the House and join with Senator Callanan in congratulating her on her performance on television the other night, which was very good. I must criticise Senator Callanan, however, for referring to the gospel according to St. Peter — unless he was referring to himself — because St. Peter did not write a gospel.

Seanad: WTO Negotiations: Statements. (7 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I assumed he was referring to himself. I would like the Government to take a balanced approach in the forthcoming WTO negotiations, but from where I am standing, I am not sure that will happen. A balanced approach should reflect all the interests of the nation. We have three distinct interests and the Government's challenge is to reconcile all three in the stance it takes. I know the Minister...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2005: Motion. (7 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the opportunity to speak and welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, to the House. I have a suspicious mind and regard a budget to be part of a wider story. Sometimes its effect, if not its actual purpose, is to divert attention from the wider story. In most years, including this one, I regard the Minister as being akin to a baker who bakes a cake...

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Dec 2005)

Feargal Quinn: We are inclined to take things for granted and it was only when Senator Ryan and Senator Finucane called for a debate on the energy and electricity problems — I support that call — that I remembered it is not that long ago since the entire New York area experienced a blackout for a few days. Around the same time the lights in northern Italy went out for almost a week. We have come to...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Feargal Quinn: Senator Mansergh talked about leadership in regard to one area but there is little doubt that what we need is leadership in regard to the challenge of road deaths. A number of Senators spoke about the scandal of what has happened. This is one example of where we know we can identify the challenge. We know the answers but we have done very little about the problem. Northern Ireland was...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Jan 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to raise another issue which does not sound as exciting as the one to which I have just referred. We are losing ground in the area of information technology. Some figures were published in recent weeks which show that the commitment we need is not being adhered to. The European information technology scale, which identifies the gap between the skills we need and those we have,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (1 Feb 2006)

Feargal Quinn: Before Christmas, I asked the Leader to find time for a debate on energy issues. At that time I was talking about power and electricity and the fact that there were major power cuts in the north of the United States of America and Italy. Since then, I have been particularly reminded of a term used by President George W. Bush in his address last night, namely, "addiction" and how Americans are...