Results 2,481-2,500 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 8: In page 15, between lines 32 and 33, to insert the following:“(b) a local authority;”.I hope it is an omen for two days hence that there is a Kilkenny person in charge of these proceedings today. The purpose of my amendment is to include local authorities to rule out doubt.Having an explicit reference might assist the citizen in dealing with local...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I will not press the amendment. Suffice it to say that I have come across cases where people certainly have not entered into the spirit of what the Minister is saying. However, the law is in place and I thank the Minister.

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister. All public bodies should be included. We will discuss later some 38 which are exempt. In the case of voluntary bodies, are there rules of thumb? For example, a figure of 10% of a certain level funding or X thousands or hundreds of thousands of euro should mean that questions would have to be answered, but I will leave that matter with the Minister. I welcome what he...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 2: In page 11, line 15, to delete “or a prescribed body”.I welcome the Minister and thank him and the Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris, for their responses. I am on the Minister's side and hope that the amendments I have tabled will be of use in strengthening the Bill. That is the spirit in which they are offered. As stated in a previous discussion...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I bring to the attention of the House the calls by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and Nevin Economic Research Institute for restraint in the budget debates that are taking place. Senator Hayden referred to some of the points arising. The Taoiseach rightly raised the issue of the high tax rate, which is 52% for people on average earnings of €32,000. Since he rightly raised the...

Seanad: Betting (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (24 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Simon Harris, as the Minister, Deputy Michael Noonan, is otherwise engaged. From the point of view of economics, the first danger of a licensing system is that it is colonised by those with licences. We did that with taxis and pubs, and the licence becomes a piece of paper with a value attached to it because of the skill of insiders in keeping out new...

Seanad: Order of Business - Order of Business (24 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I extend good wishes to the new Ministers appointed to the Northern Ireland Executive yesterday. One of them, Mr. Jim Wells, is well known here because he is a member of the North-South Inter-Parliamentary Association and has spoken in this Chamber at meetings of that body. He states in a newspaper that he was once listed as the Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Health and...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: The Senator will not be mentioned in the Minister's next interview if he refuses.

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister.

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 16: In page 8, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following:“Amendment of The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (Charters Amendment) Act 2003 7. Paragraph (a) of section 30 is amended by the deletion of “determine;” and the insertion of “determine, subject to section 2 of the Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I accept the Minister’s decision. In the era of openness, transparency and accountability I would have thought she should have accepted the amendment. It might kill the section because if RCSI does not amend its charter to get permission to be a university outside, but not within, Ireland, it might not be able to go ahead. It is regrettable in a democracy to keep such a matter...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 18: In page 9, lines 18 and 19, to delete all words from and including “deletion” in line 18 down to and including line 19 and substitute “substitution of “authorised” for “administered”.”.Despite what happened to be in the previous section, this is an era of openness, transparency and accountability. While we have...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 15: In page 7, line 19, to delete “a special interest or” and substitute “an international reputation and”.I welcome the Minister back to the House. The Bill states, "The chairperson and ordinary members of an Appeals Board shall be appointed by the Minister from among persons who have a special interest or expertise in, or knowledge of,...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: A number of considerations arise. There should be some distinctiveness among the names of universities. We do not want confusion between the title of a new university and that of an established university. It would be useful to obtain the views of the universities and an tÚdarás on that issue. There are signs of such confusion in the Dublin area where there will be a...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister.

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I had hoped the amendment would be of assistance. However, as it is not required, I do not propose to press it. I will not move amendment No. 13 as the Minister has indicated she intends to consider it before Report Stage.

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 14: In page 4, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following:“(c) that the Minister is satisfied that the name of the proposed university is distinct from any existing university in the State.”.We have discussed this issue. The purpose of the amendment is to ensure there would be no confusion in titles. It is self-evident that there should not be any...

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister.

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister for her response.

Seanad: Education (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (23 Sep 2014)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 12: In page 4, line 15, to delete “within 3 months of” and substitute “upon”.As it stands the section states: "The Minister shall, following consultation with an tÚdarás, within 3 months of receipt of an application from an education provider under subsection (1), determine that application". I would like to give the Minister more...