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

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 33: In page 19, lines 35 to 38, to delete the subsection (2).

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I have difficulty with the Minister's views on my amendment. Section 32(2) is strongly worded. It states, "The chief executive shall not question or express an opinion on the merits of any policy of the Government". It does not merely state he or she should not criticise the policy. If I was on a committee that invited members of the National Tourism Development Authority to speak, I might...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I urge the Minister to reconsider the section.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I hope the Minister will reconsider it before Report Stage because I intend to push this hard. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Section 32 agreed to. Sections 33 to 35, inclusive, agreed to. SECTION 36.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (27 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share my time with Senator Norris.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (27 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. I also welcome the Bill and wish the new agency, Fáilte Ireland, every success. I am delighted to have a chance to speak on the Bill. I come from a hotel business background. Members, therefore, will have a job to stop me talking about this sector, about which I am so enthusiastic. I am also enthusiastic about the commitment of the Minister for Arts, Sport and...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Second Stage. (27 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I will give Senator Norris four or five minutes. I do not believe the boom will continue. What happened in 2001 in New York and this year in Bali or whatever other calamity may befall us in future, this is not just a blip on a steadily rising curve. It marks a change in the development of world tourism and we must plan for that change rather than hope it will disappear. Tourism will continue...

Seanad: Overseas Development Aid: Motion. (27 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Henry for putting down the motion and I have much pleasure in seconding it. Senator Henry concentrated on the area of health, in which she has so much expertise, but I intend to touch on the areas of food and trade with which I am more familiar. The motion contains the words "monetary and otherwise" in terms of aid to developing countries. We often talk about financial aid for...

Seanad: Book of Estimates, 2003: Statements. (21 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share my time with Senators Norris and Ross. I welcome the Minister of State. The Minister for Finance's paper and his speech were very interesting. I agree with much of it, particularly when he said that the Government has the courage to make difficult choices. I will concentrate on the areas where I disagree with the Minister. Margaret Thatcher said that there was no alternative...

Seanad: Order of Business. (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: We have often spoken about road safety and I have congratulated the National Road Safety Council on the advertisements it has placed. I was jolted when I learned that our public service broadcaster this week withdrew an advertisement from the National Road Safety Council because of an objection from one of its advertisers. The advertiser of the motor car which appeared in the NRSC...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. I had made my point with regard to corporate governance and will not repeat myself. The Minister understood the point made.

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister and understand the point he makes. I made my point because of what had happened in the past. I wanted to make sure a standard had not been set and to establish that, with State companies, a chairperson who is also chief executive would not be appointed, as has previously happened. That is a standard that should be avoided and I accept the Minister has achieved that on...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 19: In page 13, subsection (3), line 6, to delete "6" and substitute "5". This is a follow-up to my earlier amendments about the size of the board. With a board of 12, which is my preferred number, a quorum of six is too large. Five is an adequate number for a board of 14. It is often the case that, the larger the membership, the more difficult it is to assemble a quorum....

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I understand the Minister's point and will not press the amendment. On the tele-conferencing issue, the amendment states: (7) For the avoidance of doubt, any meeting of the Agency which is held in whole or in part by means of tele-conferencing shall be a valid meeting. As will be gathered from the inclusion of the phrase, "For the avoidance of doubt", I do not suggest and the Minister is...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 22: In page 15, subsection (1)(b), line 29, after "Oireachtas" to insert "or of a local authority". My amendment will probably shock some of my colleagues in the House. Our usual practice when faced with sections such as this in legislation establishing State companies is to argue against the ban on Oireachtas Members being members of the board. On this occasion, I...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I understand the Minister's point and the difficulty he would have in accepting this amendment. I made my point earlier and it was supported to a great extent by Senator Finucane's concern over what had happened in the past. This is a national venture but it is based locally. We have had examples where local authorities have allegedly been influenced by something other than the best interests...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 24: In page 16, subsection (1), line 14, after "Minister" to insert "and in any case within 3 months of the establishment day,". This is another example of my wanting to speed up the process. This is not a green field project; it has been in gestation for some time. Much work has been done – for which I congratulate the Minister – but three months seems more than...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 27: In page 17, paragraph (e), line 28, to delete "(in excess of €650)".

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister for his comments and I am happy to withdraw the amendment pending the outcome of his further consideration. I share Senator Kenneally's concern in relation to the wording of the Bill on this point. It refers to "gifts of travel, holidays, transport, money (in excess of €650) or other benefits.". As I interpret it, the €650 applies only to money and I feel sure that is...

Seanad: Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002: Committee Stage (Resumed). (20 Nov 2002)

Feargal Quinn: With regard to the provision that "the agency shall publish continuously by electronic means", I wish to touch on the point I made on amendment No. 6 about the difference between "compelling" and "enabling". Although the Minister has agreed to consider this matter further before Report Stage, I am concerned that I may not have made the case strongly enough. I am not seeking an amendment which...