Results 1,561-1,580 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

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

Sean Barrett: A suggestion made by Senator Sheahan the other day was that pedestrians on dimly lit routes should also wear those reflective jackets. When the Minister is discussing this with the key organisations, he might include that on the agenda.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: With regard to the Order of Business, I ask that No. 3 be taken at Committee Stage rather than continuing to Report Stage as is on the schedule of business circulated to us. We had a most valuable discussion on that with the Minister, covering issues such as the fact that the fatality rate on Irish roads increased by 17% in the past year. I am hoping it is not a trend away from a very good...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Leader.

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: Go raibh maith agat.

Seanad: Public Sector Reform: Statements (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: No, but I am ceding to Senator Feargal Quinn.

Seanad: Public Sector Reform: Statements (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister to the House and I wish him well in his endeavours. The Minister stated the pay bill fell from €17.5 billion in 2009 to €14.1 billion, and we have managed to do the job with 30,000 fewer people on the payroll. This reform deserves credit. We had to do it, and we still have a debt to GDP ratio of 120%. When we lobbied our way into this situation we used...

Seanad: Public Sector Reform: Statements (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister.

Seanad: Public Sector Reform: Statements (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: There is a fear every piece of paper will go through a massive building in Athlone and people will not be able to just go around the corner to get something.

Seanad: Public Sector Reform: Statements (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I am glad to have the Minister's reassurance on this. A series of public expenditure reforms have been implemented to bring greater structure, scrutiny and openness to budgeting and I support the Minister on this. He has made progress in his reports on getting outputs instead of the traditional budgeting, whereby spending more gives Ministers a speech to make when they are cutting the...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 10: In page 19, between lines 17 and 18, to insert the following: “23. Section 81 of the Act of 2010 is amended by substituting for subsection (7)(a) the following:“(7)(a) The Minister for Justice and Law Reform may by an agreement in writing entered into with any person, upon such terms and conditions as may be specified in the agreement, which shall...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (11 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister for his reply. We may have been reading different newspapers but there was one case where the rank of the garda who authorised the checkpoint was an issue. I am sure the Minister has access to more authoritative information on that. While I will not press the amendment, I am struck by how the Garda management structure is extremely narrow. As there are only 158...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I note that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport has said there is no justification for an aviation strike at present. This would do serious damage to the country as Cork, Shannon and Dublin airports would be affected. We are trying to revive tourism and business in the country and we are more dependent on air transport than any other member state of the European Union. The basis...

Seanad: Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (12 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome all Tom's friends and relations who are in the Gallery. In the university Senators' offices we have a fantastic connection with the Kingdom. These insights into Tom Fitzgerald come from Seamus, Dónal, Joe, Aoife, Frank and Norah. They said his character was moulded by two very strong women - his mother, Nell Brien, and his wife, Bridie. He was a strong republican who was...

Seanad: Recent Flooding: Statements (12 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State. We have learned much in this crisis which has been handled very well by everybody. Perhaps the economic problems since 2008 have stiffened our national resolve in these matters. The Minister of State referred to the works done in the past and theoretical work. A man called Colonel Rydell came to Ireland after the River Shannon floods in the 1950s. He...

Seanad: Recent Flooding: Statements (12 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: What happened in Limerick was an exceptional event, but there was recent flooding in Waterford which caused rail services to be withdrawn. Perhaps the Minister of State might take a look at that issue. He mentioned successes in Clonmel, Kilkenny, Fermoy, Mallow and Ennis. The Minister of State has made an important point, that coasts change. It would take an immense investment to change...

Seanad: Political Reform: Motion (12 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I second the motion and welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Paul Kehoe. I remember the first time he came to the House. We were talking about the Central Statistics Office and he praised its independence and professionalism, two good yardsticks. We will try to apply some of these criteria in this debate. The Minister of State is sitting beside a reformer. As the counter-motion shows,...

Seanad: Political Reform: Motion (12 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: Did we neglect Northern Ireland? Exactly 100 years ago on Friday, Edward Carson said to John Redmond in the House of Commons that Redmond was never interested in Unionists but was depriving them of their political rights. That was what was attempted during the recent referendum. We must also ask why some sectors have not been addressed at all in terms of reform. We must also ask how the...

Seanad: Political Reform: Motion (12 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: The losing side wants the political parties to take over our constituencies. That is not reform.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I note what is believed to be disputes among members of the Cabinet about health insurance. I suggest to the Leader that we have a Green Paper because there are issues about health insurance where a large number of people have medical cards, some have entitlements as taxpayers and others bought health insurance in what used to be a more competitive market than it is now. Perhaps there are...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (18 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 1: In page 7, between lines 19 and 20 to insert the following;"(c) in section 38(5) by the insertion of the following paragraph:"(c) a person who contravenes subsection (1) shall be liable to a fine not exceeding one thousand Euro, or at the discretion of the court, to imprisonment for any term not exceeding six months or to both such fine and such imprisonment," ".I...