Results 3,001-3,020 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business. - Sea Pollution (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (3 Dec 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I am delighted to hear credit being given to Senator Tuffy for this amendment. It is a reminder of how important it is that Bills going through this House are not rushed through, although on rare occasions, Report Stage is taken immediately after Committee Stage. I gather from what the Minister of State said that the Labour Party will approve this particular adjustment to its amendment. I...

Seanad: Order of Business. - Budget Statement: Motion. (3 Dec 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley. Last year I looked at the budget as a schoolteacher would and I gave the Minister for Finance, Deputy McCreevy, a low honours mark, somewhere in the upper 60%. This year, I am not going to be a schoolteacher but a cook, examining the cake the Minister for Finance has baked in this budget. Last year,...

Seanad: Order of Business. - Budget Statement: Motion. (3 Dec 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I felt sorry for Deputy Richard Bruton, who had to criticise it, because there was no meat and nothing tasty in it to have a real go. My main criticism is in the division of the cake. Did the Minister for Finance divide it fairly and equally? I agree with Senator Ryan on this issue. In the Book of Estimates two weeks ago we saw too many examples of financial nit-picking where cutbacks and the...

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I was struck, coming up to Christmas, with the number of fundraisers with open buckets on the streets of Dublin. I was reminded that the same fundraisers seem to operate with different charities. I am not sure what the position is in regard to our charity legislation. One wonders what proportion of a donation is received by the charity, given that fund raisers very often are paid on a...

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: Non-party members.

Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: On Tuesday I asked the Leader to come back with an answer regarding the handcuffing of a 79 year old man guilty of a serious crime. Who makes the decision about when we should adopt the policy of handcuffing criminals? I understood it was traditionally the case that four groups of people were not visibly handcuffed, namely, children, old people, women and soldiers in uniform. If that policy...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: Earlier on, the Cathaoirleach told Senator Leyden that Senator O'Toole could not reply to a point he made. While I do not often act as a mouthpiece for Senator O'Toole and will not attempt to do so now, I think what Senator O'Toole would have said to Senator Leyden would have been what we have just heard stated now on Senator Leyden's side of the House. There is absolutely nothing to stop a...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (25 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I second the amendment. Senator Henry explained the reason for the amendment. The objective of the Bill is to reduce the astronomically high cost of insurance and to ensure it is done legally and in a way which is acceptable to both sides. The PIAB probably will only accept the reports it regards as coming from legitimate sources. The danger is that the claimant may believe that he or she has...

Seanad: Order of Business. (24 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I add my voice to those who are concerned about the implications for bribe takers without it being recognised that to offer a bribe must, similarly, be a crime. I question the policy we appear to have adopted of handcuffing people. I understood that people who were charged before the courts were handcuffed if there was a danger of them escaping or running away. I was surprised to see a 79...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator Henry's concerns. I am not sure if the amendment is the correct one, but this issue appears to be a concern. We have established definite standards in Ireland over the years. One cannot build a hotel, for example, without certain stipulations. We passed legislation relating to opticians a couple of years ago. I am not sure what the answer is, but it appears Senator Henry's...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I do not support the amendment. I understand there is nothing to stop a claimant seeking legal advice. The Bill tries to avoid having another layer, with its implications for legal costs. If the outcome of the board's assessment is not satisfactory to the claimant, he or she can reject it and go back to the old way. If we set up the PIAB and then put legal representation back into the...

Seanad: Personal Injuries Assessment Board Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (24 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: There is nothing to stop a claimant having a solicitor to draw up paperwork for him. However, the communication will be directly with the claimant and not with the solicitor, in order to avoid the expensive fees that have added to costs in the past.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Funding) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (13 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister, who has obviously responded not only very favourably but entirely in keeping with what I envisaged. I greatly appreciate the fact that he listened to the point I was making and thank Senator Henry for supporting me in that. The Minister has accepted that this is the correct thing to do. The Bill will be the better for it. I appreciate the Minister's listening to my...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Funding) Bill 2003: Report and Final Stages. (13 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: May I congratulate the Minister not only on accepting the amendments, for which I am very grateful, but also on his grasp of this Bill? When I initially learned that areas like the marine, natural resources and communications were to be included in the Minister's remit, I felt that he was being burdened with such a wide range of matters that it would very difficult, if not impossible, for him...

Seanad: Order of Business. (11 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: Will the Leader consider holding an urgent debate on the pensions crisis not only here, but also in Europe? One of the proposed solutions, the extension of the retirement age to 75 years, has recently received publicity. The matter was brought to my attention by a direction emanating from the European Union this week – it is political correctness gone over board – that recognition should...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Funding) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I agree with the points Senator Finucane and Senator O'Meara made and I will not repeat them. However, when speaking about community media, Senator Finucane seemed to cover rural areas. I want to make sure we are not limiting this to rural areas. I also spoke to the Dublin community television people and they made a strong case that the difference between local and community should be...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Funding) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I am sure there is no misunderstanding between me and Senator Mooney in this regard. My point was that I do not want this money to be used entirely by RTE. I was hoping that it would be used by community broadcasters. We must find a way to encourage communities to become involved. That is why I supported the amendment.

Seanad: Broadcasting (Funding) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I was approached by Dóchas, representing such organisations as Gorta, Trócaire and Concern, which said there was a need to recognise the global picture. That is rather different from the multicultural attitudes of which Senator O'Meara has spoken. It is the concept of Ireland's experience in the international context. They suggested – there is something to be said for it, so I ask the...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Funding) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 7a: In page 5, subsection 9(a), line 45, after "made" to insert "or amended under section 2(6)(b), and the Minister shall cause to have published by electronic means all schemes which may from time to time be in effect". The purpose of this amendment is to broaden the scope of the disclosure requirements for any schemes drawn up under the Bill. The existing provision...

Seanad: Broadcasting (Funding) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (11 Nov 2003)

Feargal Quinn: I know the Minister's heart is in the right place and I agree entirely with him when he says that publication on the Internet is good practice. I know that this is done under his regime. However, it is not enough because he will not be in office for all time. It is important that others engage in good practice also. We should stitch my proposal into every Bill. When the word "publish" is...