Results 1,821-1,840 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Leader. An bord snip nua proposed a number of cuts and pointed out the number of quangos that exist. A Minister told me that whenever members of one of those many hundreds of quangos want to see him, a public relations officer invariably would be appointed. Do we still have sound problems?

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I suggest that if we are asking citizens to accept cuts, some should take place in the Dáil and Seanad. While we cannot reduce the number of Senators without a referendum, Article 16 of the Constitution states there should be not less than one Deputy for every 30,000 in the population and not more than one Deputy for every 20,000 in the population. These can be fixed by law and not the...

Seanad: Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy: Statements (7 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I appreciate the words spoken by the Minister of State and compliment him on the talent and verve with which he expressed them. My daughter told me she was impressed by his attention to detail during his recent visit to France where he reminded his audience that Ireland has a 12.5% corporation tax rate. We also need to remind ourselves that while there are failures in boom times, there are...

Seanad: Trading and Investing in a Smart Economy: Statements (7 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: That is what happened at the time. We got into trouble because we had tried to create jobs that were not sustainable. The ideal course is to establish an environment, in which businesses and viable enterprises can create jobs. This means the State must create opportunities and reduce costs. During yesterday's debate on the economy I referred to energy costs. There is no doubt that we...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: It has been interesting to hear this debate and to hear Senator Norris say this House has little impact on budgetary matters. This House has the impact it deserves. If we are to impact on budgetary matters it will be because we earned that respect, interest and the notice we get. When a family runs short of money because its income is not as big as its outgoings or when a business finds its...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: Of O2's 1.7 million customers, 70% have switched to on-line or paperless billing. Vodafone has a similar number of customers and is now taking the same steps. That is a reminder of how easy it is for companies to save money with the consent of their customers. Sir Philip Green, when he identified the costs of running the United Kingdom at Government level, found that the amount of wasted...

Seanad: Public Service Agreement 2010-2014: Statements (13 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I would like to share time with Senator Doherty. I welcome the Minister of State. I am concerned about his words. They are not strong enough. If we were running a business and we found we were taking in far less than is going out, we would have to reduce our costs. We would go to our customers and employees and tell them we could not survive. Somehow or other we would find a way to...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: Senator O'Sullivan has referred to the fact that the Seanad received positive news this week because of his success last week. I have some positive news to relay also. On 19 May the Leader promised that I could introduce the Construction Contracts Bill today. He has kept his word and Committee Stage of the Bill will be taken today. This is very different from the situation in October two...

Seanad: Construction Contracts Bill 2010: Order for Committee Stage (19 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I move: "That Committee Stage be ordered for 24 November 2010."

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share time with Senator Norris, by agreement.

Seanad: Restructuring of Vocational Education Committees: Statements (19 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I always have a difficulty following Senator Ormonde on education matters because she has such knowledge, expertise and enthusiasm. In the way an actor is told never to share the stage with children or animals because one will always lose out, I always feel that way in this area. It is a delight to hear Senator Ormonde speak about these issues. One area where I have some knowledge is in...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: What is the position on the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Bill 2010? It is a Bill "entitled an Act to prohibit harassment or intimidation of members of the public by persons who engage in begging". I gather it has gone through some Stages in the Dáil, but it has not yet reached this House. I do not know what the experience of other Members is, but I have found that begging and...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: No, many other sports have separate teams. Let us see if we can find a way to get behind a single team. It may require consideration of the national anthem, the flag and the colours worn, but let us see whether we can use the good news to our benefit.

Seanad: National Housing Development Survey Report: Statements (27 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cuffe. As I listened carefully to the Minister of State, Deputy Finneran, I was reminded of how I had applied for planning permission in 1964 - none of the Members present was around at the time - to build a supermarket in Finglas. We were refused permission because, according to the planners, we had not allocated sufficient car parking spaces. The...

Seanad: Food Harvest 2020 Report: Statements (27 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share my time with Senator Mullen.

Seanad: Food Harvest 2020 Report: Statements (27 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: I was delighted to hear what the Minister was doing. Food Harvest 2020 is an admirable project. I had the pleasure of being a member of the expert group which established Bord Bia back in 1994, on which I look back as a great success. On that occasion I presented a minority report, although it was only half a page long, stating this new food business - it was not yet called Bord Bia -...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: As I gather we are to have a debate this afternoon, this is not the time to raise the issue. However, I would like to address one particular point that has been made on a number of occasions. This right-wing group in question has referred to as a "Catholic right-wing group". It cannot, in any sense, be held up as a Catholic right-wing group.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: It is very definitely, however, a right-wing group. Senator O'Donovan mentioned that someone had telephoned a radio programme this morning to compliment the group on the help it had given to the family. It did not help the family, rather it helped the parents to the detriment of the children.

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Oct 2010)

Feargal Quinn: We need to be very careful in the words we use on this occasion. Next week we shall all be sad at the loss of the extra hour of daylight in the evenings. I am sorry for repeating myself, but this is an old topic of mine. One of the reasons we have not changed is that the British have not changed and we do not want to have different times in Dundalk and Newry or Dublin and Belfast. The good...

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

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is welcome. It is an interesting time to have this debate but it is also an essential time. An recent article in The Economist entitled "Grow, dammit, grow!" referred to the need for the world economy to grow. We must be ready for that growth when it happens. By January, when the Government has to start borrowing again, we need to have done enough to convince the...