Results 2,601-2,620 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, line 7, after "employment" to insert the following: "(excluding an individual supplied for the temporary use of an employer by an employment agency within the meaning of the Employment Agency Act 1971)". This amendment speaks for itself, the matter having been discussed on Committee Stage. We are talking about the agency worker being part of the original...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: The point I made on Committee Stage was that an agency worker is effectively part of the original agency and not the temporary employer. However, the Minister of State's explanation has put my mind at rest.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for this amendment, which covers the points that Senators Coghlan, White and I wished to cover, and appreciate the fact that he responded to us with this amendment.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for his response. It appears that he has dealt very efficiently with the issues in amendments Nos. 3, 21, 24, 25, 28 and 59.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to raise a minor point regarding the placing of the reference to the employee's representative in amendment No. 7. It seems to be in the wrong place. If amendment No. 5 does not resolve the issue we put the cart before the horse. I am being pernickety about this amendment because I would like the Minister of State to take note of it. While it solves the problem, it could be tidied up...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 10: In page 6, to delete lines 24 and 25 and substitute the following: "6.—(1) Without prejudice to section 11, and subject to subsections (3) and (4), the employer shall arrange for the election or appointment of one or more than one employees' representative under this section.". The point in this amendment is that employees' representatives are not read as mandatory...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I had not realised amendment No. 14 was included in the group but it might be superfluous because it is covered by section 15. It is very rare to prescribe findings for the Labour Court. Would the Minister of State consider that to be unnecessary?

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 16: In page 7, line 1, to delete "nominee" and substitute "a nominated officer". I am merely repeating the point made earlier with regard to the trigger mechanism, so that it can avert any mischievous action by a non-representative minority, and is therefore more representative of larger companies. My concern is that in this area, one crank could delay everything. If an...

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thought that amendment No. 16, which suggests deleting "nominee" and substituting "a nominated officer", would help to clarify the matter, but I take the word of the Minister of State if he believes it is covered. I am willing therefore to withdraw the amendment.

Seanad: Employees (Provision of Information and Consultation) Bill 2005: Report and Final Stages. (3 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for responding so accurately. I understand why he is using slightly different words. With regard to amendments Nos. 22, 23, 26 and 27, I appreciate that he listened to us and has taken our views into account.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Nov 2005)

Feargal Quinn: On many occasions I have raised the number of deaths occurring on our roads. Last week, however, there were four workplace deaths. Two people were electrocuted, one in Laois and one in Leitrim, and two drownings occurred at work, one in Donegal and the other in Carrick-on-Suir. Will the Leader establish that the Health and Safety Authority has enough power to influence this situation? If we...

Seanad: Child Care Services: Motion. (26 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Henry for allowing me to contribute to this debate. The motion emphasises the need to consider the needs of parents who choose to care for their children themselves. Senator Cox and others have spoken about this aspect of the matter. Tax individualisation, which was mentioned earlier, is one of the great injustices of modern times because it penalises families in which one...

Seanad: Lisbon National Reform Programme: Statements. (26 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State and his statement. We are discussing the national reform programme of the Lisbon Agenda and the Minister of State has explained very well what Ireland is doing. We have been told to take on board and adhere to this three year programme but it gives me no pleasure at all to say that the Lisbon Agenda is, to all intents and purposes, a dead duck. I say this with...

Seanad: Lisbon National Reform Programme: Statements. (26 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I had not realised it was possible to broadcast what happens in this House. Perhaps he is watching now. I am wearing a dull tie today. We have this ability. However, I am critical about what has happened to our position in the information society, the context in which we hope to compete in the future, the knowledge-based economy to which we referred in the Lisbon Agenda. We are failing to...

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: We were all horrified by what we read in the Ferns report. We need legislation in this area, but we must be very careful not to have a knee-jerk reaction. For many years I have employed people to look after children in what we call "play houses". Before employing these people we contact the Garda to check the applicants are acceptable for such positions. I have now learned that if allegations...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: When I first heard about the stories which were published following the death of Mr. Liam Lawlor, my thoughts were about how I would feel if my wife had to go through the same thing. My heart goes out to Mrs. Hazel Lawlor and the family of the late Mr. Lawlor. Not only have they lost a husband and father, they have had to deal with the publication of these outrageous stories. It is even worse...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: The word "inaccuracy" was used twice in the supposed apology. Can one use the word "inaccuracy" to compare what really happened with what the newspapers in question blatantly proposed and shouted from the rooftops? I agree with Senator O'Toole, who spoke about the establishment of a statutory press council as a way of getting something done in this regard. Senator Dardis suggested something...

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I regard myself as a Nationalist, a republican and a believer in Irish independence. However, I do not believe that has to correspond with militarism.

Seanad: Order of Business. (25 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: It reminds me of what we see in North Korea and what we used to see in the Soviet Union. I believe it is the wrong way to go. It will cost votes, rather than gain them. If it is intended as a vote-getting exercise, a rethink is needed.

Seanad: Animal Diseases: Statements. (20 Oct 2005)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I also welcome the Acting Chairman, whom I have not seen in the Chair previously. I asked for the debate last week because I had read an article about the avian flu and I was jolted by the statistics reported in it. I visited Thailand in February 2004 to speak at a food business conference. The issue of avian flu was high on the agenda but we...