Results 1,421-1,440 of 1,591 for speaker:Eugene Regan

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: I congratulate Senator Ross and Nick Webb on their book Wasters which highlights the issue of waste which has been highlighted in this House many times.

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: It is very relevant to the Order of Business.

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: I refer to waste in FÁS, the HSE and CIE, organisations to which the Government, under the Taoiseach, has made appointments and which share responsibility. We did not have to wait for Senator Ross's book, in that successive reports of the Comptroller and Auditor General highlighted the extraordinary catalogue of waste in public bodies. The problem is solved, however, because the Taoiseach...

Seanad: Order of Business. (6 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: Has Deputy Hanafin participated in these radio programmes?

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: The Government announced late last year or at the beginning of this year that €7.5 billion was the adjustment needed in the public finances between 2011 and 2014. The IMF has adjusted that figure upwards and there are further adjustments given the lack of pick-up in economic growth. What this signifies is the wrong moves made at every turn by the Government on economic policy, where...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: On another issue, when we talk about consensus, there was a vote of the Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food last week in regard to the Ombudsman's report on the lost at sea scheme. I hope there would be some consensus in this House and the Lower House in regard to that scheme, which was designed for two constituents of a former Minister with responsibility for fisheries. I call on...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: The investigation by the agriculture committee clarified each and every issue that had been raised in regard to that report-----

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: I agree. I am calling for a debate in this House. It was a very good investigation by the committee but it has drawn the wrong conclusions. Partisan politics was at play. We need a consensus on this issue.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: It was a proposal for a good bank-bad bank. Two years ago it would have cost us nothing.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: From the particular to the general, the ESRI report is unhelpful and its analysis is flawed. We are not in a situation where we are dealing with pure economics. We are dealing with political economy, which is what economics is about, and there are political and economic constraints on this country at present. On the political side, we have entered into commitments in Europe in the context...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: I refer to the comments of Senator O'Malley about the EU adopting a budget. The reality is that the European Parliament adopted its version of the EU budget, a budget not agreed to by member states and which must be mediated with the Council of Ministers. It is inappropriate to call this into question or invoke anti-EU sentiment at a time when the EU provides the lifeline to this country...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: If the Government gives leadership on the public finances, we know we are hitting the bottom and dealing responsibly with the public finances in the conduct of the economy, consumers will begin to spend again. There is no easy way out of it. The problem is that the systemic risk posed by the Government to the economy is destroying consumer confidence and until this is put right, we will not...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: I draw the attention of the House to a number of Bills that have been enacted during the years, the first of which is the Companies (Amendment) Act 1990 which was introduced by Albert Reynolds on examinership to benefit one individual in particular, namely, Mr. Larry Goodman, and his group of companies. Section 19 of the Finance Act 1994 was introduced by Deputy Bertie Ahern when Minister...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: These are matters of public record. The latter Act was specifically introduced at the instigation of Frank Fahey and designed to increase his pension entitlements-----

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: Yes. It is incidental that these Acts benefited other individuals during the years, but the reality is that they were introduced to benefit specific individuals and at their instigation. Given the tradition of Fianna Fáil Ministers for Finance to introduce legislation to benefit specific individuals, I believe Deputy Fahey, when Minister with responsibility for fisheries, found it quite...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: That is what I am coming to. The Ombudsman has issued a report on the scheme. She has found that it was flawed and ringfenced to benefit these individuals.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: It is for this House to take a decision on it and I am calling for a debate. I ask the Deputy Leader to accede to my request. The matter has been examined. The last time it was discussed in the House it was referred to the Joint Committee on Agriculture, Fisheries and Food which has decided that the Ombudsman's report should be rejected. However, it is for the House to decide on its...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: I ask the Deputy Leader to agree to hold a debate on the scheme when time allows.

Seanad: Macro-Economic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (28 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: It set up a lot of committees over the years. It was the standard practice of this Government to have a committee for everything.

Seanad: Macro-Economic and Fiscal Outlook: Statements (28 Oct 2010)

Eugene Regan: We are all agreed on the objective that must be achieved in terms of getting our public finances in order and that this is a prerequisite to restoring confidence of consumers and investors in the economy. We know the economy is in a perilous state and know the dangers we face and the risk to our sovereignty and that is the reason we are all resolved to work together to deal with the problem....