Results 301-320 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Sustainable Agriculture and Dairy Price Outlook: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister is very welcome. Actually, I am not sure he is all that welcome, because I put some thoughts together before he came in and he must have read my speech - or at least, he said exactly what I had planned to say. I planned to start off by talking about the fact that the world's population would increase from 6.7 billion people to 9 billion people by 2050 and asking how we are...

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: This did not happen on the Minister's watch. It happened on the watch of many others over the years, but what is happening now is on the Minister's watch. Only a few days ago the situation at Waterford Crystal was solved. It was solved by having the taxpayers put their hands into their pockets for €180 million or so. Clearly, this is an occasion in which we face a challenge. I...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I would like to hold it for Report Stage to give the Minister of State time to rethink it.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: My concern is that the Minister of State said he intended to put a measure into legislation that the Revenue Commissioners did not intend to use. That may be okay for now, but we are putting down legislation that will last. At some point in future, whether next year or in five years' or ten years' time, someone will decide that this is what the law says and therefore there is licence to...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I move recommendation No. 6: In page 100, to delete lines 11 to 21 and substitute the following:“(i) the spouse or child of the disponer or of the civil partner of the disponer, or (ii) a person in relation to whom the disponer stands in loco parentis,”.We are back on this topic again. On Committee Stage in the Dáil the Minister introduced an amendment to section 82 of the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Cummins for explaining his concerns. The real competition for betting shops is not other betting shops, it is the Internet. One can bet online readily and easily and this legislation is aimed at protecting jobs and betting shops. It is logical to say that they should be allowed to open whenever they like if they can afford to do so. If they cannot afford to open at 7 a.m.,...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I disagree entirely with the State getting involved in things like this. I ended up in court in 1969, which is long before the Minister was born, because I opened a butcher shop after 6 p.m. There was a rule that said nowhere in Dublin could serve beef, lamb or pork after 6 p.m. I did not know that, introduced late opening until 9 p.m. and ended up with 38 cases against me. It did not...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I understand the point the Minister makes, although it appears to be quite complicated. The Minister of State is quite correct that we are only aware of the NUIG instance. The assumption was that it might apply in other cases, but the Minister has dealt with that effectively if it does apply. It involves very little cost to the State to do so. Also, it only applies to the few years we...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I agree. We have been unable to find any other instances as well, but we are just providing for it in case it happens. However, the Minister of State has answered that effectively.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I move recommendation No. 5: In page 27, to delete lines 18 to 38 and substitute the following:“ ‘Constituent University’ means a university specified in column 2 of the Second Schedule of the Universities Act 1997; ‘Trinity College’ means the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin established by charter dated the 3rd day...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for his detailed explanation. I was concerned when Senator Paul Bradford said the Minister of State was unlikely to accept anything until he got instructions from Beijing. I thought it was the Chinese Government to which he was referring but I recognise, of course, that the Minister for Finance is in Beijing at present. The Minister of State has explained very...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I move recommendation No. 2: In page 10, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following:“(b) in section 531AM(1)(b) to insert the following after paragraph (viii)—“(ix) where an individual is charged to income tax under section 112 in respect of a contribution to a PRSA (within the meaning of Chapter 2A of Part 30) by virtue of section 118(5), the amount of the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State alluded to there being other reasons for the fall-off in PRSAs. Having spoken to people in the business I am not aware of any issue that has negatively affected PRSAs compared to other forms of pension provision. This is an anomaly. I call on the Minister of State to give serious consideration to accepting this recommendation. It is worthy of consideration but when I...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: We are all shocked by last night’s “Prime Time” programme. It will be very hard to consider anything else while that is clearly in our minds. It is a reminder of what responsibilities we have. Senator Zappone has just touched on the legislation that we pass here, whether it is to protect whistleblowers or stop the actions we saw on last night’s programme. We...

Seanad: Intellectual Property (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (9 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, who comes to the House regularly. We miss him as the Chairman of the Joint Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation. This legislation arises from the Action Plan for Jobs 2012. I welcome the Bill. I note that the Bill deals specifically with medicines and veterinary products. Will this affect developments in other fields, such as health? If a company...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I add my voice to those expressing some concern about the reform agenda of the committee. As Senator Darragh O'Brien said, it should not be limited to the Seanad. We need reform of both Houses and I hope the committee will investigate the opportunity to do so. Some two years ago, the Government expressed concern about the colleges teaching English to non-European students. A number of them...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Second Stage (4 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Barrett for allowing me to come in at this stage. I wish to raise a number of issues, but before doing so, I welcome the Minister of State again. We seem to be seeing quite a lot of him, as he comes before us on a regular basis. I have raised before the many problems relating to pensions and what will happen in future. In particular, I wish to raise what has already been...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I agree entirely with Senator Bacik. Yesterday's debate on the Action Plan for Jobs was very useful and it covered a very wide area. We used up all the time and had to squeeze in the final speakers. Another document was published yesterday by the National Competitiveness Council. It contains a considerable amount. It describes what we can do to create jobs, help the economy and ensure we...

Seanad: Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (3 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is very welcome and I am delighted to see him in the House again. This short Bill, the Defamation (Amendment) Bill 2014 is worthy of consideration. I am delighted to see that the Minister of State will consider it. Senator Crown and his team have come up with very sensible legislation. I believe it is good for the customer, which is the taxpayer, who will not have to...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2014: Statements (3 Dec 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and it was delightful to hear him speak today. He did not read from any script and his speech came from the heart. His ability and control of his brief is very clear. Yesterday, I attended the innovation showcase and if anybody else had the chance to go, they know it was worthwhile. I only gave myself a couple of hours there but I could have spent much longer there....