Results 821-840 of 9,753 for speaker:Terry Leyden

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: It is not an error.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: The Senator is a closet Fianna Fáil man.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: The country would fall apart.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: Was that when the national debt doubled?

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: I welcome the Minister and thank him for his excellent contribution outlining the exact position on appointments to State boards. I would like to point out that Senator Henry was appointed to Comhairle na nOspidéal by a Fianna Fáil Government and a Fine Gael coalition Government. I second the amendment to the motion. There is a great case to be made for suitable persons to be appointed to...

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: I mentioned that Senator Ross would have some involvement in the private sector. Quite a number of private sector companies have appointed people to their boards, but there is a golden circle as far as that is concerned.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: Senator Ross has not mentioned that when AIB lost $700 million in the US not one of its appointees had the grace to resign.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: I note with interest that not all the Independent Senators have contributed to the motion. Senator O'Toole is obviously not supporting the motion in the name of the other Senators.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: I am worried about that. I also note that Senator Quinn was appointed chairman of An Post by a Fianna Fáil single party Government in 1980 or thereabouts.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: He served with great distinction. This was a political appointment of a non-political person. I was Minister of State in the Department of Posts and Telegraphs in 1982 and Senator Quinn was the acting chairman of An Post. He waited patiently until the telecommunications Bill passed through this House in the 1983-84 period. He has placed his name on this motion as he has been converted on the...

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: We in Fianna Fáil have a great record in this area. For example, we appointed former Senator Maurice Manning as President of the Human Rights Commission. This is an indication of the standards we adopt when we are making appointments. We also appointed Richard Burke as Commissioner in Brussels in 1982.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: It was even bigger and better paid than any semi-State body appointment. On recent appointments, Alan Dukes, a decent man, was one of the best leaders Fine Gael ever had and was wrongly kicked out.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: Not yet, but we are working on it. He has a wonderful view of agriculture and was a well chosen appointment. Senator Ross may also make himself available for appointment in due course. I might send a letter of recommendation to some Minister because I think he would be a wonderful appointment and I hope he would serve.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: There is no barrier to appointing the Senator to a visitors' committee in a jail.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: I served with distinction and did not seek reappointment. It is very sobering for politicians to spend time visiting jails. An interesting appointment was also made by a Fine Gael Government when former Taoiseach Dr. Garret FitzGerald was appointed to serve in RTE. This was a wonderful appointment and he had no hesitations in taking the job.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: I am sorry to hear that as I could outline a litany of such appointments. The people we appoint are people of quality and ability. That they may have some distant connection with the longest ruling party in Ireland, the most successful in Europe and one of the most successful in the world, should be no barrier to appointment. I was a former Minister but I did not get many appointments between...

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: I have a lot of information here about Senator Ross who has been appointed to a number of boards on which he served with great distinction. I congratulate him on all of these good appointments. When Deputy Michael Noonan was Minister for Health in 1997 he appointed members to all the health boards and Deputy Brian Cowen later sacked them all and reappointed people like me to the Western...

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: It is good for the soul.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: Deputy Jim O'Keeffe.

Seanad: Appointments to Semi-State Bodies: Motion. (10 Mar 2004)

Terry Leyden: Exactly.