Results 1,341-1,360 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2008)

Feargal Quinn: On a point of order, the Leas-Chathaoirleach decided earlier that it was not possible to move an amendment without the permission of the originator, yet earlier in this Bill I moved an amendment put down by Senator Alex White, and I did so without his permission. Does that mean the Bill as a whole is no longer valid, as we are already in breach of Standing Orders? Either the...

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2008)

Feargal Quinn: If I did not have permission I was unaware of the rules but the Leas Cathaoirleach accepted my moving the amendment at the time. Moving the amendment was either correct or incorrect. If it was incorrect we have been out of order today.

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008: Committee Stage (10 Jul 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I did not claim to have permission and I did not have permission at any point.

Seanad: Intoxicating Liquor Bill 2008: Report and Final Stages (10 Jul 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State and his officials for the time and attention they have given to this debate. I apologise and regret that they did not get an opportunity to get anything to eat since they came into the Seanad today. However, I must repeat what was said by others. It was unfortunate that such an important issue as public disorder resulting from alcohol did not manage to get the...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2008)

Feargal Quinn: Senator Fitzgerald called for questions and answers rather than the proposed statements followed by questions and I support that. Today is an important day with regard to the financial crisis. None of us in this country can remember a similar one. I wish to correct Senator Fitzgerald on one point. She said that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, had made a decision. I do not...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2008)

Feargal Quinn: Let us look at what happened in the United States where it was not just matter of a decision made by the Secretary of the Treasury. The Secretary had to go before Congress where, regrettably, the representatives turned down the proposal. Will the Leader tell the House what will happen in this regard? Is legislation needed as I assume it to be? If so, will the legislation come to the house...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Sep 2008)

Feargal Quinn: My arithmetic tells me that would be about 84% of where it had been. This is just a reminder that when we drop 40% we must rise by a much higher percentage to get back to where we were. I have a Bill before the House tomorrow and I hope it will get a good debate. The idea is to open the question of consent for organ donations. I have a session at 4.15 p.m. today and welcome those Members...

Seanad: Economic Situation: Statements (30 Sep 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State. Last night, I prepared a script which I intended to deliver today and which contained proposals which were identical to those announced by the Minister for Finance at 7.10 a.m. I will jettison my script, therefore, and deliver it during the debate that is due to take place later this evening. We must consider the challenges we face and the direction our...

Seanad: Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008: Order for Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I move: "That Second Stage be taken today."

Seanad: Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for attending the House for this debate. The objective of the Bill is to save lives. Ireland has a rate of organ donation approximately half that of Spain, which has had what is termed a "presumed consent" system in operation for some years. There is no legislative framework in Ireland governing the use or withholding of consent in regard to the donation of...

Seanad: Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008: Second Stage (1 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Wallace. I found this debate very useful and Senator Daly's last words were very close to what I would have said myself. The aim in introducing this Bill on behalf of the Independent Senators was to achieve shorter waiting lists and fewer deaths. I believe the Minister of State's comments that this Bill contains many useful elements and is heading in...

Seanad: Volunteering in Irish Society: Statements (14 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Healy Eames for sharing her time and I shall be brief because I know other speakers want to come in. I congratulate the Minister of State on this. There is a long and proud tradition of volunteering in Ireland, and I believe the Minister of State is encouraging that today. Senator Healy Eames talked about being in Australia or somewhere. I was in Beijing last month at the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I express my appreciation to the Leader for allowing a three hour debate on the budget within 24 hours of the Budget Statement. For this reason, I propose to be obedient for a change and avoid speaking on yesterday's events. Until yesterday, I had not heard of "egging", a form of anti-social behaviour engaged in, I gather, by people from all social backgrounds. I will cite an e-mail I...

Seanad: Unemployment Levels: Statements (15 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. We are seeing a lot of him in recent times. That is good news but, on the other hand, unemployment is not. I was a member of a partnership group which I had to leave when I was elected to the Seanad. I was concerned by a memory I had of previous times where groups were formed in different parts of the country to solve a problem. I thought...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2009: Statements (15 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share my time with Senator Ivana Bacik. Each year in this debate I usually act as a school teacher examining the pupil's examination results and say: "Could do better", but I will not do that today. Today I will regard the Minister as a grocer giving bad news to his customers and staff and saying: "We are having a tough time and we will have to make some tough decisions." That...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: It is difficult at a time when much attention is focused on financial matters to be reminded, as Senator Hannigan has done, of today's conference on world hunger which will be attended by Kofi Annan. Last night, I attended a function with Mr. Annan to mark the 40th anniversary of the foundation of Concern. The event provided a timely reminder that 850 million people go to bed hungry each...

Seanad: Report on EU Climate-Energy Package: Statements (16 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. I am glad he is in office at this time because of his commitment and enthusiasm for this topic. I was on "Tubridy Tonight" on a Saturday night a number of years ago. I was asked if I was going into business now, what business it would be? Would I go back into the business I started with at the age of 23? I answered that I would look at alternative energies. There...

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Act 2008: Motion (17 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State to the House to debate the scheme. I wish to share my time with Senator Bacik and ask to be told when three and a half minutes have elapsed. The Government took a correct decision on 30 September when it solved the liquidity problem. It avoided the danger of running short of money during that week, a move that was well done, as was the speed at which this...

Seanad: Child Care Services: Statements (21 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Bacik for allowing me to share time. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Barry Andrews, and I was delighted to hear his comments. I have found the debate so far very interesting, especially the passion of Senator Mary White in discussing a topic she knows so well, and the commitment of Senators Bacik and Fitzgerald shows how far behind I am on this issue. I do not have...

Seanad: Broadband Infrastructure Bill 2008: Second Stage (22 Oct 2008)

Feargal Quinn: I was disappointed to hear the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, say he was unlikely to accept the Bill. I congratulate Senator Shane Ross on introducing it. I, too, have introduced two Private Members' Bills to the House. While they were not voted down, I achieved what I set out to do. The Minister at the time said he agreed with what my...