Results 2,101-2,120 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (5 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: What does the truthful, risk-free pricing Mr. Nava mentioned mean in application? How do we get better performance from bankers than has been the case heretofore?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (5 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: Why has it taken so long, given that the euro was established as a financial currency in 1999 and an actual currency in 2002? It is now 2015. Should these rules not have been in place when the currency was introduced?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (5 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: In the context of the 2006 capital requirements directive, we have heard evidence that by that stage in Ireland the damage was already done so the fact that nothing happened between 2000 and 2006 was very serious. In Mr. Nava's presentation he said, with regard to EU directives before the crisis, that "nothing in the directives prevented member states and their national supervisors from...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (5 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: Mr. Nava says that nothing prevented national authorities from taking appropriate measures. In retrospect and with hindsight, one might say that it is a pity that there was not somebody saying "By the way, you should ---

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (5 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: I am just acknowledging what the witness said, that it was a period during which the responsibility was national. Mr. Nava in his own book, Economics and Policies of an Enlarged Europe, has cast doubts on whether there were sufficient gains from a common currency, with the benefits to be a mere 0.5% of EU GDP in the mid-80s, while other authors put this figure at 1%. Ireland trades primarily...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (5 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Chairman and Mr. Nava.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Context Phase (5 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: I thank Mr. Nava for attending. In reply to Senator O'Keeffe's question, he said he was 90% happier than when he took up office. He then said it is presumptuous to claim that these reforms have consigned financial and particularly banking crises to history. He gave an optimistic view and I hope that will the case, but I refer to the legacy issues faced by the committee. Living standards...

Seanad: Irish Collective Asset-management Vehicles Bill 2014: Second Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State and assure the House that Senator Michael D'Arcy is a valued member of the banking committee. There should be no false modesty over there. I thank the Minister of State and his Department for the support they have given to the inquiry. I hope that he and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, will get something useful in return. I also thank the officials...

Seanad: Gender Recognition Bill 2014: Committee Stage (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: This is a major policy issue. The Irish Takeover Panel which advised the Department has two nominees from the Central Bank. I support the Leader today with regard to the Governor of the Central Bank, who wants to be in this House more. We are speeding up the legislation to allow him to appear. Also on the board of the Irish Takeover Panel are nominees from the Irish Banking Federation,...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the record level of applications to the Central Applications Office for third level courses which are to begin this autumn. I wish all the applicants every good fortune. This will be an exciting period in their lives. We are certainly excitedly looking forward to seeing them all when they enter as freshmen in the autumn. Think of that optimism and beware the prophets of gloom...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Proposed Sale of Aer Lingus: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: Could we have the answer to that question, if we may? It is important as we have to know who is representing Aer Lingus here this morning.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Proposed Sale of Aer Lingus: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: I welcome our visitors. The journal.ieopinion poll on this found 58% of respondents against the takeover, 6% against it at the price and 21% in favour. I find the comments of the industry representatives strange, given that they do not reflect what I am picking up. My constituency comprises a substantial number of the diaspora and they are appalled that this is getting such credence. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Proposed Sale of Aer Lingus: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: That is not what happened in Glasgow, Birmingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Belfast, Derry, Cork, Shannon, Knock or Kerry. I do not know where this British Airways growth engine is coming from because, as far as I can see, it is only in Heathrow. It is naive to put the future of a profitable and expanding airline at risk.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Proposed Sale of Aer Lingus: Discussion (Resumed) (3 Feb 2015)

Sean Barrett: Does that not assume we have a level of senior civil servant which simply does not exist at present, in terms of conducting slot negotiations with highly experienced international aviation business people and international airports? Let us be realistic. With the best will in the world, we are not in a position to do that at some theoretical point in the future. That is why I raised the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Proposed Sale of Aer Lingus: Discussion (29 Jan 2015)

Sean Barrett: I welcome our guests. There is strong and pretty much unanimous support in the Seanad - which does not get reported very much - as our guests will have heard from Senators Brennan and Mooney, for the case they have been making. The Minister came into the Seanad yesterday to announce the committee, and I note that there are some misgivings today that it is excessively focused on finance in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Proposed Sale of Aer Lingus: Discussion (29 Jan 2015)

Sean Barrett: I agree with what my two colleagues have said. I am surprised at the attitude of the chambers. That is fine if they got the guarantees. Aer Lingus is a profitable company that has done a huge amount to develop this country but when one looks at the performance of British Airways in its own market its consumer ranking is No. 17. It is not Singapore Airlines. It is substantially...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Proposed Sale of Aer Lingus: Discussion (29 Jan 2015)

Sean Barrett: It took about 40 minutes to say that. The point should have been made upfront.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Proposed Sale of Aer Lingus: Discussion (29 Jan 2015)

Sean Barrett: I tried to get the same autonomy for Cork Airport that was granted to Shannon Airport but there was no support coming from Cork. That is fine if one wants to run it as a suburb of Dublin Airport but nothing seemed to activate people. If one does not say things, it will not happen, so Cork Airport is still stuck in that situation and Shannon Airport is thriving. I have written a few...