Results 261-280 of 1,591 for speaker:Eugene Regan

Seanad: Order of Business (12 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I join in the call for a debate on the economy and the job creation strategy of the Government. We are coming out of a deep recession. We have problems in the public finances and an extraordinary level of unemployment. The situation is that the Government's policy to date has been, as the Taoiseach put it, to write any cheque that was necessary to save our banks. That policy has led us...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: It will not be accepted. They are outnumbered.

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I agree with Senator Bacik on this point. It is unfortunate that, although the Government made an amendment, it did not see fit to reformulate the wording in question. What is appropriate is what is proportionate, fair and reasonable. It is not to speak about what is "otherwise appropriate" and then make changes. I can see the intent. We all agree on that, namely, to provide for the...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I make a brief intervention. When the Minister quoted the judgment of Mrs. Justice Denham, he spoke about coming to determine the appropriate fine and that one should have regard to the financial circumstances. The way in which coming to a determination of the appropriate fine is formulated in this Bill, however, is that one first determines the appropriate fine and then juggles with it in...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (11 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I welcome the fact that the Bill which is long overdue is about to be passed. The first report on indexation was published by the Law Reform Commission in 1991. Fine Gael published a number of Bills dealing with this issue, but each of them was voted down. The Minister is correct to state the Bill contains a number of important innovations. The provision relating to a structured...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: When I consider the extent of the measures adopted by the European Union in solidarity with certain member states, including Ireland, all I can say is, "Thank God for the Lisbon treaty". The solidarity clause contained in Article 122 of the treaty states the Union can provide financial assistance for member states that are in difficulty as a result of exceptional occurrences. It is upon...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I do not know why there is such opposition to a debate on the Greek bailout and the situation in Greece. The debate should be welcomed because this clearly is a new financial crisis and we have lessons to learn from it. Potentially it has very serious implications for this country. I want to draw the House's attention to an article in The Irish Times yesterday, "State cuts fund to help...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I second the amendment. There is something odd about the wording which states that a person is in material breach if the clinical director believes that to be the case. There must be some objective grounds for that. It must be that there is a breach on the basis of some objective grounds, and the clinical director forms a view on the basis of those objective grounds. In supporting this...

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I second the amendment. I appreciate it would require consequential changes to many other Acts, but the use of the term is an anachronism and it is time we made the change. I am sure the Minister of State will consider it, given his responsibilities in the area.

Seanad: Criminal Law (Insanity) Bill 2010: Report and Final Stages (5 May 2010)

Eugene Regan: I thank the Minister of State for the time he gave to the Bill as it went through the different Stages in the House. He is familiar with, and in command of, this subject. His openness to amendments is appreciated, in particular, to the language we use in this area. I very much welcome his response.

Seanad: Communications (Retention of Data) Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2010)

Eugene Regan: I thank the Minister of State for outlining the position in respect of the Bill. He indicated that nothing new is created in the Bill and that it does no more than extend, with some changes, existing obligations relating to telephony and Internet data. He then referred to the infringement proceedings and suggested we should get on with passing the legislation. Those proceedings came about...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Eugene Regan: I move amendment No. 30: In page 10, subsection (1), lines 26 to 32, to delete all words from and including "or for securing" in line 26 down to and including "operation" in line 32. On Second Stage I mentioned the issue of delegated legislation. The Minister has said, regarding the amendment proposed by Senator Bacik for section 4, that he has concerns about overuse of delegated...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Eugene Regan: That is the language. The Bill states "such regulations may modify any provision of this Part" so the legislation adopted in the Oireachtas could be changed. My concern, given the precedent referred to of the British-Irish Agreement Act 1999, is that we will have another precedent and it will become a standard practice whereby primary legislation can be amended by ministerial order. That...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Eugene Regan: I move amendment No. 31: In page 10, lines 33 to 36, to delete subsection (2). In a way, this amendment goes with the previous amendment because-----

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Eugene Regan: Had the previous amendment been accepted, one would not have needed this provision, so they stand or fall together. I will not press the amendment, but I put it to the Minister that a reformulation of the term "modify any provision" could be considered for Report Stage. Some language could surmount the problem without necessarily deleting everything, but I will leave the matter with the...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Eugene Regan: I support the amendment and I accept Senator Bacik's observation regarding whether it should be included in this legislation. In light of the extent to which law is administered in the District Court and the Circuit Court, the matter to which the amendment relates is very important. A system such as that suggested would act as a guide to policy and would provide essential and useful...

Seanad: Fines Bill 2009: Committee Stage. (28 Apr 2010)

Eugene Regan: This is an important point. The Minister said the court has the latitude to impose a fine that it deems fit and what it would deem fit is what it would deem appropriate. This seems arbitrary. A judge could impose a fine that is more than appropriate. In other words, the judge would have come to a reasonable conclusion as to what would work, be appropriate and fit and could then increase...