Results 1,541-1,560 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (29 Jan 2014)

Sean Barrett: The same is true of Senator Coghlan.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Sean Barrett: I join in the tributes to former Senator John Carty and the condolences to his relatives. I also sympathise with Deputy Michael McGrath on the passing this week of his brother in Cork. As my group leader is in hospital, he was not present yesterday during the debate to which Senator Ivana Bacik has referred. The Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe, spoke exactly as a representative of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Sean Barrett: The voting record shows it.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Sean Barrett: That is what the Members opposite did. How can they interpret a mandate they never got? The position they advocated was rejected, particularly in the Dublin area and overwhelmingly in all middle-class and working-class constituencies. The Senators opposite ought to reflect on that. It was an overwhelming rejection of the way the Dáil operates. Against us were Fine Gael, the Labour...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Sean Barrett: I echo the calls for debate. We must establish why the political parties, Government and opinion polls were so wrong. People wanted the Seanad's unique contribution to governance to be retained and not to have it dominated, as heretofore, by the political parties.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jan 2014)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Humanitarian Situation in Syria, South Sudan and Central African Republic: Statements (30 Jan 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State. I agree with all of what my colleagues have been saying on this topic and about the Minister of State. A few months ago, some students of mine and I met the Minister of State on the plinth and they received an instant tutorial on whatever he was working on. They will remember it for a very long time. I thank the Minister of State for that. His enthusiasm...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the holding by the Royal Irish Academy of a symposium on bicameralism today. I hope the House will be able to debate the papers and proceedings from this meeting when they are published. Senators Paul Coghlan and I have been to the wicket already. Senator Maurice Manning is acting as an umpire and Senator Zappone will speak later at this highly commendable endeavour. I am...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: It is reported that this week the IMF will declare that the Central Bank is, "materially non-compliant in its supervision of foreign banks". Parliament in its role as the watchdog must be concerned. Our banking problems started when the German authorities assumed that the DEPFA Bank was being regulated by us and we assumed that it was being regulated by the Germans. The Germans paid up but...

Seanad: Standing Orders: Motion (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe. I am glad that the position regarding the two CPPs has been clarified. Should the Oireachtas, in its wisdom, decide that this House and its Members should have a role to play in respect of this matter, then I would welcome that. I appreciate what Senator Byrne, who is a person with legal training, said. The Senator always places his...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 2:In page 7, between lines 3 and 4, to insert the following:“Amendment of the Act of 2010 6. Section 40 of the Act of 2010 is amended by substituting for subsection (4) the following: “(4)(a) Where a person of whom the production of a driving licence or learner permit is demanded under this section refuses or fails to produce the licence or permit there and...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister. The data prepared by the research service showed that 40% of accidents involved people with no licence, which is what made me believe there were flaws in the current system. I believe we handed that advice to the Minister at the end of the proceedings on the previous occasion. Is the Garda advice that 40% is not serious? I believe we found that 10% were novices -...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister. We also found that a high percentage of vehicles using the M50 toll were not on the books for road tax purposes. I will support the Minister fully in finding out these people and getting them within the law. I thank the Minister for his clarification on the 40% figure. I am not pressing the amendment. I thank the Minister for his replies.

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 3: In page 9, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following:“(iii) the driver of a mechanically propelled vehicle that is in a public place shall not hold or have on or about their person tobacco or a similar product while in the said vehicle except when it is parked. The penalties as for mobile phone use at subparagraph (ii) shall apply, (iv) in column (5), by...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: Evidence has emerged in Germany about the safety aspects of smoking in cars in the report, Rauchen in Autos. The state of North Rhine-Westphalia implemented legislation in this regard from 1 May 2013 but I accept we are evolving all the time. If our research does not indicate it is a problem in Ireland, we will keep in touch with what the Germans are saying. That is fine and the Minister...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 7: In page 16, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following: “14. (1) All mechanically propelled vehicles where the operator is—(a) the holder of a driving licence licensing the holder to drive a vehicle in the category C, C1, D, D1, EB, EC, EC1, ED, ED1 and W while driving, attempting to drive or being in charge of such a vehicle, (b) the holder of a...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: It is not. I thank the Minister. It was important that Senators had this discussion with him because we want to be on the frontier in terms of where these developments take place. We downloaded the information on Volvo airbags from the Popular Science website. Volvo will have them, and it has been the leader, as the Minister has said. We might ask other car manufacturers to examine the...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 8: In page 16, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following:“Safety of Road Infrastructure 14. In accordance with Section 17 of the Roads Act, 1993, the overall responsibility for the planning and supervision of works for the construction and maintenance of national roads shall include safety. The Minister may, by regulations request the National Roads...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (5 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister and I will comply. Some constituents of mine said they asked a local authority engineer if he had consulted the NRA but it did not seem to occur to him that he had to do so. I am very pleased the Minister has made it quite clear that he should have done so because my constituents were unhappy about it. I will withdraw the amendment.