Results 2,321-2,340 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: We look forward to it but perhaps without the same sprightly and innovative proposals that come from those seeking to evacuate this House to go to a different House following that election. The pharmaceutical regulation Bill is to be introduced at some point. Some years ago I pointed out that doctors in Britain find it difficult to prescribe non-branded, generic drugs that are dramatically...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: Practically every commentator on the Irish success story has referred to the education system as its main basis. Investment in education in the past 30 or 40 years has been responsible to a large extent for our success. The news today of a report from the Department of Education and Science which suggests that a third of primary school teachers leave college without sufficient ability is...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (15 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: Senator Norris has asked whether he can share some time with me. I believe I have 15 minutes. All he requires are the last three or four minutes.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (15 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and the Bill, although it is, perhaps, ten years too late. I am very impressed at what Senators Finucane and Kenneally have been able to determine from the Bill. I do not see myself as someone who is expert in this area, as regards going through the Bill and recognising the challenges it presents. I recall the time, 25 years ago, or more, when I became chairman of An...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (15 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: That is one of my main criticisms of what went wrong in those years. The fact that we have not managed the roll-out of broadband and that we still languish at the bottom of the European league table of broadband penetration is entirely due to the ability of the commercial interests involved, in particular Eircom, to go their own sweet way in clear defiance of the often repeated wishes of the...

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (15 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: That happened over those years. Let us not waste time blaming Eircom or others like it. It has only been doing what private sector companies always do, namely, looking after the interests of its shareholders. I have got great support from Senator Ryan on this. He does not hear me say those words often.

Seanad: Communications Regulation (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (15 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: That is exactly how it should be. The real people to blame in this matter are we, the legislators, who allowed this to happen by the laws we enacted ten years ago. If we did not foresee what would happen back in 1997, we have had ample opportunities since then to see the error of our ways. Despite this, we have been very slow to do what is necessary to impose our will in this area, even...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator Ryan's call for a debate on the competitiveness report, which I requested some weeks ago. I recently read a book by the husband of one Member, Senator White, and the father of another Member, Senator MacSharry, about the Celtic tiger and its success. It is almost essential reading because it tells what happened but also points to the dangers of what could go wrong. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: It does not apply to some streets, such as Grafton Street, but it applies to others. If we have that pride, this sort of thing will not happen.

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I appreciate the Minister's response to Senator Coghlan's proposal and I believe the idea of the good practice provider quality mark should be encouraged and taken into account. Senator Coghlan's amendment states: "The Director shall not be limited by national or currency boundaries in carrying out a price survey". It has concerned me in the past that taxes that apply in Ireland and that do...

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I accept what the Minister has said and did not mean to suggest that such an amendment would be easy but the exhortation mentioned might be sufficient. It may be that the onus is on the media to draw the public's attention to this matter, in which case responsibility lies with the retailers. The Minister may be a little unwise to raise the question of the groceries order in the House as he...

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator Coghlan, whose amendment seems very reasonable. It makes a lot of sense to substitute the small claim, which was originally £1,000 and now €1,269.74, with €10,000.

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I would like to hear the Minister's views on this as well, although I certainly do not support Senator Coghlan in this instance. It is interesting that he has limited his amendment to grocery goods only, so that if one is not a grocer, it does not apply to one. I do not quite understand that. Another concern I have is about the degree of envy that is evident if some successful retailer has...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to speak on the same UNICEF report as Dr. Mansergh and am surprised he seems rather proud that Ireland came ninth of 21 developed nations. Would such statistics not cause him to call on the Government for action in this regard?

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: Another measurement used in that report, referred to on British television, saw Ireland come last of 21 countries.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: Yes, it referred to standards of life for children in 21 developed nations. By one measurement we came ninth of 21, which is very disappointing.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: We came 21st out of 21 by another measurement. I mention this because addressing the matter is not necessarily in the Government's hands and a large amount of responsibility rests with parents and depends upon the jobs they do. We should not automatically say everything should be in the Government's hands. I have a knowledge of the food business and interesting research in the United States...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: Last night, we had a constructive debate on the national development plan. However, this morning the chairman of the National Competitiveness Council warned that policies on energy security are key to the longer term growth of the economy. I am unsure of the Government's policy on biofuels but I understand people who have invested in cars which can use biofuels have great difficulties...

Seanad: National Development Plan: Motion (7 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I appreciate the Minister's wonderful ad libbed speech. We can read the remainder of the script if we wish to do so. Several Members would like to speak.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee Stage (7 Feb 2007)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 32: In page 9, before section 8, to insert the following new section: "8.—(1) It shall be a duty of the Commission for Communications Regulation to arrange for the collection of the annual tv licence from all those liable to pay such a licence, and to make available promptly to the Minister the full proceeds of such collection. (2) In arranging for the collection of the...