Results 1,601-1,620 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: It shows the good work that we can do to make the country a safer place.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I join with Senator Darragh O'Brien in congratulating the Irish cricket team which is an all-Ireland team that has done very well. I presume that another all-Ireland team will do equally well in Twickenham on Saturday and we will be congratulating them next week. Go raibh maith agat.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: ESB (Electronic Communications Networks) Bill 2013: Second Stage (20 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister. I noted the reference to the Black Valley. It was former Deputy Peter Barry who was the Minister responsible for connecting the Black Valley with the system. It was one of the last locations to be connected, as Senator Mulcahy pointed out. I welcome the Minister here and I also welcome the Bill. The more competition in telecommunications the better. The networks...

Seanad: An Coimisinéir Teanga a Cheapadh: Tairiscint (20 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit. Déanaim comhghairdeas le Rónán Ó Domhnaill, atá ainmnithe ag an Rialtas le ceapadh ag an Uachtarán don phost mar Choimisinéir Teanga. Tá díomá orm, áfach, gur éirigh an Coimisinéir Teanga, Seán Ó Cuirreáin, as oifig. Dúirt sé agus é ag éirí...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: In view of the debate on post offices in the Dáil this week, I refer to the regret of the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, that the interest rate on savings paid by post offices was reduced because of pressure from the banks suggesting that post offices were engaged in unfair competition. That should be examined if we are trying to save post offices, because the banks were bailed out by the...

Seanad: Community Courts: Motion (25 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I agree with Senator Conway’s description of the community courts system in New York. I was learning all through Senator Bacik’s account of the system with anger management as an alternative to prison, bringing in more social science expertise and restorative justice. All the ingredients are there to reform the system. Senator O’Donovan said that in Norway 70% of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: Do I take it from what Mr. Wallace has said to my colleague that we will not see the PwC report?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I object to that and I want it noted on the record. Too many redacted documents are coming to committees of the Oireachtas, which is an elected Parliament. We have received them on health and on the insurance industry. We are a Parliament and a Legislature and I think it is unlawful for Mr. Wallace to refuse to disclose information to people who have been elected to represent the people in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: Did Mr. Wallace check if PwC was associated with the financial institutions at the core of this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: The conflict is that PwC was accountant for the governor and the company of Bank of Ireland and is being investigated by the Irish Auditing and Accounting Supervising Authority. Mr. Wallace went ahead anyway.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: Mr. Wallace should have ruled out all accountancy firms associated with the bankrupt banks for a start. Is that not a conflict of interest?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: With yourselves? With other accountants?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I do not accept that, given that the entire bill to the taxpayer is €64 billion and may end up at €75 billion. The same set of accountants were involved, with PricewaterhouseCoopers auditing the Bank of Ireland, Ernst & Young auditing EBS and Anglo Irish Bank, and KPMG auditing Allied Irish Banks and Irish Life & Permanent, Postbank Ireland Limited and the Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: People are their CVs. We had the same problem with Irish Water. An individual applies for a job and he is what is on his CV. When accountancy firms get together, they ignore what is on the CV.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: On the contrary, I think those companies are at the core of the collapse of Irish banking. At this stage, their advice is useless given the source. If they had been awake in 2008, along with other firms mentioned, we would not be in this situation. There are a lot of books to be written on the inner circle of closed accountancy firms in this city. I am appalled by what I hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Leader for arranging the debates on unemployment next week. I would also like to thank colleagues for supporting Senator Quinn's Bill yesterday. The advice communicated from the Attorney General is strange. It suggests that one form of property right - namely, rent - enjoys constitutional protection, while all other forms of income do not. All other forms of income have...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I also call for a debate on Northern Ireland. This is a critical time and the Northern Ireland Assembly may collapse. It is ominous that in February 1914, Edward Carson, speaking in the House of Commons, stated: I say this to my Nationalist fellow-countrymen [...], you have never tried to win over Ulster. You have never tried to understand her position.At that stage, we were on the brink...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Feb 2014)

Sean Barrett: I have sent correspondence to the Cathaoirleach regarding the fact that the record indicates that George Sigerson was the first Cathaoirleach of this House, if only for a few days, but he is not commemorated as such. Perhaps we might consider setting the record straight. Mr. Sigerson was a distinguished scientist and a promoter of the Celtic revival. Mr. John Grainger of UCC has...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Mar 2014)

Sean Barrett: I would like to express concern about the reports that the Government might be persuaded to take over Ulster Bank in this country. As per the current edition of The Economist, Ulster Bank is owned by the Royal Bank of Scotland which lost $13.7 billion in 2013 and paid out £576 million to its executives. We already have five zombie banks in public ownership - Anglo, EBS, AIB, Irish...