Results 3,941-3,960 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: This raises a major point which we do need to address, namely, the tax avoidance industry. As Senator Burke stated, it may be more appropriate to finance legislation, but the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, was particularly keen on targeting this when she was in opposition. A major scandal emerged in the UK where the head of the student grants agency had such an...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 24: In page 20, line 22, to delete "policies and".Perhaps the Minister will consider a small adjustment for Report Stage. It is proposed to delete where it does not accord with "policies and" objectives of the Minister. We should discuss "policies". One would appreciate that everybody involved has the objective of extending healthiness, life spans and so on. Some...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 25: In page 22, lines 42 to 44, to delete all words from and including ", in" in line 42 down to and including "to" in line 44 and in page 23 to delete lines 1 and 2 and substitute "have professional qualifications in auditing.".This relates to a consideration expressed earlier by Senator Burke. He is probably better equipped to deal with this matter than I. The...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister and look forward to hearing what he has to say on these matters on Report Stage. It is important this onerous task, in a sector wherein there was a tradition of auditing not being done by professional people, is undertaken by those with the best skills. In other fields, such as banking, the accounts were not very reliable either and those people had professional...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Senators for their views on these amendments. It is a pity that the occurrence of "or is likely to be" is widespread in legislation. We are facing a problem when so much public administration has failed. It gives a defence against answering questions and a considerable amount is wrong. While I do not have a background in the health service, in the area of economics, during the...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 18: In page 13, line 17, to delete ", or is likely to be".This amendment is to delete ", or is likely to be" from the line "The Director General is not required to give an account before any Oireachtas Committee of any matter relating to the general administration of the Executive that is, or is likely to be, the subject of proceedings before a court or tribunal in the...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: Amendment No. 8 substituted ?(3) A person? for ?(4) A person? and the Minister is seeking legal advice. As I am not sure my amendment contradicts what the Minister has said, I seek to indulge the patience of the House. I sought to delete the section stating: "A person may not be appointed as an appointed director unless he or she is a person who is an employee of the Executive holding the...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I agree with what Senator Colm Burke has said that the ratings which were published by the Minister show that we seem to think we are healthy but we have problems with the health service. I have made a proposition to the Minister and as I have heard his reply I withdraw the amendment and look forward to seeing it appear, under the Minister's name, in due course.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (10 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 1: In page 3, before section 2, to insert the following new section: "2.?The Health Service Executive shall cease to exist on 1 January 2014.".The Minister and I have had many interesting debates, including debates before he became Minister for Health and I became a Member of this House. The great Fintan O'Toole chaired one debate we had in TCD. It is a great pleasure...

Seanad: Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Statements (9 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State. I always enjoy his visits to the House because we have good debates on this important topic. We reoriented the economy too much towards construction and public administration. It is very difficult that correcting that orientation increases unemployment from 4% to 14.8%, as it currently stands. However, the Minister is moving in the right direction. We must...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: The general scheme of a universities (amendment) Bill 2012 is now in circulation. It is draconian and allows an investigator to take over many of the functions of a university for two years at the instigation of the Minister for Education and Skills. It is a time of excitable moods in the sector - excitable bureaucrats and so on. However, the implications are far reaching. There are...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I support the amendment.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 14: In page 5, line 40, to delete ?may? and substitute ?shall?.This concerns the use of the words "may" and "shall". Indecisiveness or conditionality surrounds the word "may". We are talking about an officer of the State charged with most important duties which are being exercised expeditiously. Why, therefore, do we use the word "may"? Why is there doubt or...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: My concern was that the word "may" could have provided a loophole by which people could escape scrutiny. I accept the response of my learned legal colleague and the Minister.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 7: In page 4, lines 21 to 30, to delete all words from and including ?means?? in line 21 down to and including ?excluded.?,? in line 30 and substitute ?as is defined in section 4;?.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 9: In page 4, paragraph (b)(i), lines 33 and 34, to delete ?or an exempt agency?.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: We did not reach some of the issues but I appreciate the Minister's sentiments.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: The Acting Chairman says that we discussed them but, with respect, we did not. My amendment deals with lobbying - a cause that is dear to the Minister's heart - where one considers that one has been damaged by the activities of lobbyists. That is what they are about and let there be no doubt about it. The lobbyist makes his client, the person himself or herself better off but who loses?...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (4 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister and my colleagues for a good discussion on exempt agencies. As I do not want to delay the Minister in his reform agenda I suggest that the Bill list the principles rather than the agencies, provided it does not require a vast amount of work. I have been fairly hard on exempt agencies and do not wish to press the point on amendments Nos. 2 and 4. Exempt agencies have...