Results 2,461-2,480 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business. (8 Jun 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I ask the Leader to bring to the attention of the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the question of the independence of the nursing home inspectorate. In May last year the Taoiseach stated, "The inspectorate will be independent of the HSE. Otherwise, the HSE would be referring patients and also examining [facilities]". In other words, it cannot do both. I refer to this matter...

Seanad: Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Jun 2006)

Feargal Quinn: May I share time with Senator Norris?

Seanad: Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006: Second Stage. (7 Jun 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. It must be somewhat embarrassing for the Government that, for the second successive week, this House is considering a Bill the purpose of which is to undo a mistake which could have been avoided in the first place. While I have no particular wish to create more embarrassment for the Government, I would like to focus my contribution on the somewhat...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Jun 2006)

Feargal Quinn: Those of us who saw the television programme last night on the death of Detective Garda McCabe were not surprised to hear the refusal to condemn such killing. What does astound me is that, according to Senator Minihan, an elected Member of the Oireachtas stated this morning on Kerry Radio that he would urge those who have knowledge of this matter not to go to the Garda. That is overstepping...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Jun 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I wonder to what extent it is possible to have this matter forced out into the open. If the electorate was made aware of this proposal it would change many attitudes. Having watched that brave lady, the widow of Detective Garda McCabe on television last night, I am saddened to hear of this report from Kerry Radio this morning. I ask the Acting Leader to draw the attention of the Minister for...

Seanad: Public Hospital Land: Motion. (31 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate Fine Gael on putting down this worthwhile motion. For two reasons, I am tempted to say that in an ideal world we would not allow private medicine to exist at all. The first reason is perhaps of lesser importance, but it is significant nonetheless. The existence of private medicine means that none of the movers and shakers in our society need...

Seanad: Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (23 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 11: In page 8, subsection (1), line 47, after "statistics" to insert "to international standards". I move this amendment on behalf of Senator Henry who is unable to be here. She has done a lot of work on this amendment, which is worthy of consideration by the Minister of State. The amendment is a simple one which seeks to insert "to international standards" after the word...

Seanad: Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (23 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I am disappointed the Minister of State will not accept this amendment. I know it is difficult for him to accept amendments. It is the only one that, perhaps, he would consider accepting because his heart is in the right place. I am fully aware of the commitment of the Minister of State and that of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Cullen, to road safety. I am fully aware also of the...

Seanad: Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (23 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: This is an interesting debate on an issue which has been previously discussed. When I first became a Senator some 13 or 14 years ago, I was stunned to discover that as I was a Member of the Seanad I had to resign from a couple of areas. I could not understand that. It seemed demeaning and suggested I could not be trusted. I have now come to a different conclusion. It is political parties...

Seanad: Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (23 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State answered a number of points Senator Paddy Burke has raised, particularly on driver testing. If the Minister of State had lost the last vote or accepted the amendment, I might have been willing to go this way. I would like to hold the Minister responsible but because the last amendment was not accepted, we would have difficulty holding the Minister responsible for some of...

Seanad: Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (23 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I support what the Minister of State is saying in this instance. In the past, the making of recommendations has not been strong enough. However, if the road safety authority, under its new chairman, makes a recommendation, the Department will ignore it at its peril. That is why I believe the choice of chairman was inspired. He is the type of person who will not brook any effort to ignore him....

Seanad: Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (23 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: There is a doubt in my mind as to the best system. The current system is very involved and Senator Burke has put forward a proposal that is worthy of consideration, although I have the same concern about the road safety authority being encumbered with other details such as those outlined. When will penalty points apply on an all-Ireland basis? Is there any talk of applying them on a European...

Seanad: Road Safety Authority Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (23 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I liked the element of Senator Paddy Burke's amendment No. 17 which states that no later than three months after the end of each calendar year the authority will report. The Bill provides a timeframe of six months. Will the Minister of State reconsider whether three months is better than six months? Unless matters have an urgency nothing happens. Three months at the end of the year gives the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (23 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: While the Garda Síochána is getting the benefit of the praise for resolving the situation in St. Patrick's Cathedral last week, controversy remains regarding the Garda reserve. I understand the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform will shortly attend the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights with proposals on how he hopes to resolve the...

Seanad: Energy Strategy: Motion. (17 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I thank all those who spoke tonight, and the Minister of State for attending the debate. I spent most of my life in the business world where, if one sees a crisis coming one panics and does something about it. I fear that I do not hear that sense of urgency coming from the Government. It happens that this motion which I put down over a week ago, overlaps with the headline in The Times today:...

Seanad: Energy Strategy: Motion. (17 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: He is still going although he is in his 70s. He advocates biofuels which he uses in his car and has started a company to produce them around the United States. There is a recognition of the problem and the opportunities but too few people are taking steps to deal with it. Three American states, Minnesota, Montana and Hawaii have legislated to the effect that 10% of all gasoline and diesel...

Seanad: Energy Strategy: Motion. (17 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I move: That Seanad Éireann recognises the need to develop a national energy strategy that will address Ireland's over-dependence on oil and replace it to the largest possible extent by energy derived from renewable sources. I deliberately worded this motion in what I call non-confrontational terms, in the hope that it would not provoke the usual knee-jerk amendment from the Government and...

Seanad: Energy Strategy: Motion. (17 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I appreciate the Minister's decision.

Seanad: Energy Strategy: Motion. (17 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: One of the reasons I like this House is because it avoids the confrontational issues that often occur in the other House. I went to some pains to word the motion in that manner. Energy is an issue that is far too important in national terms for us to allow it become a political football. We have a serious problem with energy and if we do not get it right we put at risk our entire future as a...

Seanad: Ageism Policy: Statements. (17 May 2006)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and the opportunity to speak on this topic, in which I have a personal interest. I am delighted to see the Leader of the House, Senator O'Rourke. Some 12 years ago, as Minister, she introduced a Bill on unfair dismissal. It had passed through the Dáil, and in my first few weeks in the Seanad I examined it and discovered that age had not been...