Results 1,241-1,260 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I will continue to attempt to find one.

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I listened very carefully to Senator White and must agree there is clearly an issue in this regard. His example of what happens is perfect, whatever about the example of going on holidays provided by Senator Ormonde. We have had a tradition of giving diplomatic passports to former Ministers and judges of the Supreme and High Courts, and I understand their need for them. Does the provision...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I will probably repeat the same question. I am fascinated by this matter and was not aware of the implications. In respect of somebody coming to Ireland with a diplomatic passport, would we recognise them as having some particular advantage, as Senator Ormonde has said? If someone who had a diplomatic passport ceased to hold that office for which the passport was used but continued to use...

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I am impressed. I introduced a passport Bill here some years ago which was aimed at avoiding the implication of the passports for sale controversy. From what the Minister of State has said, I have just realised that perhaps there are benefits in having a diplomatic passport and how they can be issued. I believe the Minister of State mentioned $60. I find the debate enlightening.

Seanad: Passports Bill 2007: Committee Stage (12 Mar 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I am not sure I understand. Can the Minister of State explain that in words I understand? I am sorry to show my ignorance.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Mar 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I was not allowed to discuss the Schengen travel area yesterday in the debate on the Passports Bill because that was not the correct forum, but we should debate it. We need to re-examine our relationship with the Schengen area, which comprises 24 countries, because we have attached ourselves to only one. While that may have been the correct thing to do in 1990, since then the British have...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Mar 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I am told I am correct.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Mar 2008)

Feargal Quinn: It certainly is.

Seanad: Address by President of the European Parliament (8 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I have been asked by my Independent colleagues to represent them here today. I am a member of the Independent group on the National Forum for Europe, to which the President referred, and of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Affairs. I am also chairman of EuroCommerce, based in Brussels, which represents retail, wholesale and international trade. I thank my colleagues for asking me...

Seanad: Address by President of the European Parliament (8 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: Belgium and France.

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty: Statements (Resumed). (8 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I also welcome the delegation from Algeria with whom I have had the opportunity to join today. Je souhaite la bienvenue aux membres de la délégation algérienne. C'est la première fois qu'ils nous rendent visite ici. Je veux souhaiter la bienvenue À tout le monde. This is a useful debate and I am delighted the Minister of State, Deputy Roche, is present. I have found the debate of...

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty: Statements (Resumed). (8 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: Whatever about that issue, I am more concerned that there is an agreement around Europe not to raise anything contentious until after our referendum because it might upset us.

Seanad: Lisbon Reform Treaty: Statements (Resumed). (8 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: Maybe so. The reason for this reform treaty — there is little doubt it came from the Laeken Declaration originally — and for the constitutional change is efficiency. Therefore, I have examined it to see if there are efficiencies, and some of them make a great deal of sense. I want the Minister of State to respond to this later. Ms Patricia McKenna made two points that I have not heard...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: Will the Leader arrange a debate on the number of universities we should have in this country? It obviously is our objective to take a leadership role in the knowledge society in the future. Until now the only voices we have heard in this regard have come from particular institutes of technology, which I am sure are very worthy. Waterford, Dublin and Cork institutes of technology are...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Death of Former President: Expressions of Sympathy (15 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I appreciate the opportunity to say a few words, as Senator O'Malley has done, about the private person rather than about Dr Hillery's wonderful record of statesmanship. He was a neighbour of mine for many years, as was his wife, Maeve. His children, particularly Vivienne, played in the pony club with our children. He was also a member of the same golf club as myself and on many occasions...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: The Irish people have had a strong record for many years in terms of assisting the Third World and of providing aid. As Senator de Búrca stated, today is Earth Day. We should take this opportunity to remind ourselves of the recently published statistic that more than 1 billion of the 6 billion people on Earth live on less than $1 per day yet food is increasing in price by approximately...

Seanad: Patient Safety: Statements (22 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I suspect the Minister has a death wish because anybody who undertakes what she has undertaken in the past few years and agrees to go ahead with it is pitting himself or herself against such an impossible task. In recent times in Ireland we have tended to turn the spotlight on the negatives rather than accentuating the positives. An enormous amount of good work is taking place with patients...

Seanad: Patient Safety: Statements (22 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: Yes, one is certainly concerned about that. There are many different kinds of patient care we can undertake. In the past, we assumed care had to take place in hospital and I am delighted to see the changes that are taking place in that context. I remember an experience I had in the former Hume Street Hospital. Staff at the hospital realised that large numbers of those patients who were...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Apr 2008)

Feargal Quinn: The Irish Association of Supported Employment is an organisation that encourages and promotes the development of people with disabilities into work. It has an interesting challenge. Some 800 members of the association work with 5,000 people who do not get the opportunity to work and today is their job shadow day. I have been involved with the association for some time and have a job...