Results 3,621-3,640 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: Again the Minister of State confirms my fears. When the Commission for Taxi Regulation was set up, it was to do the job nationally and remove the local authorities from the picture. We are now reintroducing local licences and once again these will be sold on the market in areas where there is a scarcity. I will not press the amendment but this is another defect in the Bill.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister of State and should have welcomed him to the House as I fumbled through some papers. While I accept what the Minister of State has said, I greatly regret it because the picture every economist in the country can see is an attempt being made by the licenceholders who occupied buildings and closed off the airport. Moreover, the Department has caved in to give them what...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (27 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 26: In page 19, subsection (1), line 41, after ?the? to insert ?quality?.This amendment seeks to allay fears that this is not the reintroduction of quantity licensing by other devices. It is important for it to be seen that this is not the reintroduction of the system which was overturned by the High Court in four decisions; the notable one was in 2000. We already have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Port of Cork Company: Discussion with Chairman Designate (27 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: Industry surveys confirm what Mr. Mullins says. The last ones I saw from Chambers Ireland found that the ports were the least complained about part of the Irish transport system. We can compliment the incoming chairman on inheriting that record. They are unsung but extremely valuable. I wish the chairman designate every success

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Port of Cork Company: Discussion with Chairman Designate (27 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I welcome Mr. Mullins and wish him every success in his new role. Deputy Dooley referred to the planning decision in Ringaskiddy and I share his surprise and bewilderment at it. There has not been a railway line anywhere near there for 60 or 70 years. It was bizarre. Even if it could be reinstated, how would it go through the city of Cork? Deputy O'Donovan mentioned the railway line in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Port of Cork Company: Discussion with Chairman Designate (27 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: An issue is how slow places in Cork Harbour are to change their use, for example, the Irish Steel site. Does the harbour authority have the power to develop assets? I am delighted it is getting one back from NAMA. Cobh has substantial railway frontage which is not really used. Is it of any use to the harbour?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Port of Cork Company: Discussion with Chairman Designate (27 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: Does it have scope for rail freight?

Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As stated by other Senators, the manner in which she presents her speeches in this House, the information therein and her attitude towards this House is most welcome. She will always be of interest to us as she updates us about the Presidency. I agree with other Senators - Senator Zappone has offered to act as an interpreter - that we should use...

Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: We are putting more in than we get back.

Seanad: Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: We are pretty near the equilibrium. We must ensure that what we get is not dissipated through bureaucracy. There are concerns, including among Government Senators, about projects such as Leader and so on. I share Senator Quinn's concern about the Common Agricultural Policy, CAP. It might have made sense a long time ago. If we have the same climate and environment as New Zealand why do we...

Seanad: Report on Child and Family Income Support: Statements (26 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister to the House and also welcome the report from Ms Ita Mangan. It is wonderful that we are discussing this today. I disagree with the principal of universalism and draw attention to page 74 of the report where it records people on a gross salary of ¤250,000 receiving ¤3,360 in child benefit. I cannot think of a less worthy use of ¤3,360 than to give it to somebody...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: We know that repairing the national finances requires us to address the two problems of debt and public pay. I commend the Ministers for Finance and Public Expenditure and Reform on showing no lack of effort in that regard. There remains, however, the problem of ensuring efficiency in public expenditure. Last week, the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform,...

Seanad: Democratic Republic of Congo: Motion (21 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I second the motion.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Leader and Senator Bacik for alerting us to the social entrepreneurs who will speak later. It is a commendable exercise. Yesterday the House was alerted to the imminent dangers of the practice of medicine by doctors without insurance, with all sides of the House agreeing on the urgency of the matter contained in Senator Burke's Bill. The only element not in agreement was, of...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: Shame on the Department.

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (20 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I also wish to welcome Senator Colm Burke's Bill. The Senator obviously did a great deal of work on the legislation and the explanatory memorandum to it, both of which read well. Of course, he brings a wealth of experience to this matter and it is an honour to contribute to the debate on his Bill. The annual report of the State Claims Agency for 2010 indicates that at the end of that year...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: Reference was made to this before. I understand the Minister of State has indicated that people made representations to him, and Senator O'Sullivan also commented on it. The section deals with the prohibition on the transfer of a licence. The representations made to the Minister of State related to what was deemed to be a family business, if I recall correctly. I imagine the Minister of...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: If I were a biscuit maker during the day, could I drive a taxi in the evening? Would I have to tell my employer? What business is it of my employer what I do after 5 p.m.? I appreciate that my employer would not want me to make biscuits for a rival biscuit maker but it would be none of his business if I were active and entrepreneurial enough to earn some money in an industry in which...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister. As we attempt to let bygones be bygones in respect of convictions, as the Minister for Justice and Equality was doing, it will be difficult for many of those people to get employment, so self-employment is very important for them. The Minister of State has shown himself to be fully aware of that. I will not be pressing my amendment. There must be some occupations in...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (19 Feb 2013)

Sean Barrett: No, I will not press it.