Results 3,061-3,080 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: As stated by Compecon: "This raises the question of why the NTA has allowed a situation to develop where competitively tendered contracts cannot be introduced upon expiry of the existing direct award contracts." In this regard the NTA quotes a lack of staff and so on. I believe this provision is regressive. I support the Minister of State's proposals in regard to the rural transport...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State's remarks on those services. My amendment No. 25 would relax restrictions on the Minister regarding the period of time and the area within which the vehicle may be operated in providing the service. I would leave it to local community groups. I made my two suggestions to the Minister of State. I wish the scheme well. If flexibility is necessary, I will...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: There are serious concerns among economists about this section. There should have been separate legislation for buses. The fact that they appear on page 60 of the Taxi Regulation Bill demeans what we are doing. This is a major issue as far as economists are concerned. The end of page 69 and page 70 refer to the exclusive rights of Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann, respectively. This...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: The purpose of my amendment, Seanad Report Stage amendment No. 4, is to ensure that the authority ensures that passengers do not face a shortage of licensed public service vehicles thus reducing the potential market for unlicensed operators. It goes back to the earlier point that regulatory capture does take place. We put up bans on new entrants because the incumbents are always more...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: Is SI 250/200 now dead? The Minister of State said the authority does not impose any quantitative limits. Is the statutory instrument now finished? If the authority will take all qualified applicants, I am very pleased but this is the statutory instrument that stops it from doing so now.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: If the Minster of State insists that they must have wheelchair accessible vehicles, that involves a capital cost that is 71% more than that for the incumbents and running costs that are about 23% more than those for incumbents so it is a barrier to entry, which I am trying to prevent. I regret that we have not made progress on the removal of barriers to entry. Paul Gorecki correctly pointed...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for originally introducing the Bill in this House. We engaged in a number of very good debates on the relevant issues on previous occasions. I welcome to the Gallery the next generation of transport economists. Perhaps the Minister of State and I might have a word with them after this debate.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister of State. I will not be opposing the amendments in this group. However, where they are not issued in sufficient quantities, licences acquire a value. As the Minister of State is aware, licences are worth $1 million in New York and $400,000 in Boston. I understand that the former President and Prime Minister of France, Mr. Jacques Chirac, tried and failed to deregulate...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State's comments. On the previous occasion on which the House debated this matter, we were concerned with ensuring that the rights of part-time workers would be protected. In respect of both the Goodbody and the Gorecki reports, part-timer drivers fulfil a very important role in an industry that is heavily peaked at weekends. We were more pro-part-timers than the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: Five of the Gaeltacht constituencies - Donegal, Meath, Waterford, Galway West and Cork - voted to retain this House in the recent referendum, while the remaining two - Mayo and Kerry - did not. Our debate on democracy and participation began when the democratic elections to Údarás na Gaeltachta were cancelled against the advice of many people in this House. The Leader indicated...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: While it may seem harsh, there is a case to be made that people should not start their working lives on the dole. It would be a welcome development if the money saved from reducing the relevant rate could be spent on education or training. That would be better than just paying people to turn up on a Tuesday or whenever to sign on. I accept that it might sound harsh but perhaps the worst...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: Both.

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Brian Hayes, and thank him for his speech. The first point to make is that we are making progress. The situation remains difficult, however, and we are relying on luck that the 0.2% growth to which the Minister referred will increase to 2% next year. There are many imponderables, including what will happen in the United States and the rest of the...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: Yes, it is like a yo-yo. I hope the Government's strategy works. I welcome the comprehensive review of expenditure and am of the view that this must be maintained. I also welcome the cap on health insurance contributions. When the Minister of State brought the Finance Act before the House, we raised with him the fact that the Milliman report shows that people in Ireland spend up to 11.6...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: The schedule for tomorrow includes No. 2 on the Order Paper, amendments made by the Dáil to the Taxi Regulation Bill 2012. We had a very useful discussion on that legislation in this House, but I am concerned that amendment No. 71 introduces draconian regulations in regard to public bus services. These include exclusive rights-----

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: I thank Senator Norris. My point is that it is important that we discuss these two issues separately. Today might be a little soon for that, but the fact is that proposals regarding public bus services should not be included on page 60 of a Bill dealing with the regulation of the taxi industry. There is an urgency about this issue. The last time a similar proposal was put to the House, in...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: Senators should be alerted to the fact that hidden in a Bill on taxi regulation is a draconian measure to prevent competition in the provision of public bus services.

Seanad: An Appreciation of the Life and Work of Seamus Heaney: Statements (3 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: We honour the man from Bellaghy, Anahorish, St. Columb's in Derry, Queen's in Belfast, Berkeley, Carysfort, Harvard and Oxford, such a distinguished career. The Minister's proposal to celebrate Seamus Heaney will, I am sure, be unanimously accepted by the Houses and people throughout the country. It is a wonderful idea. I wish it every success. It is an honour to welcome Marie here and...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Oct 2013)

Sean Barrett: The Senator voted the wrong way.