Results 381-400 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I second Senator Crown's motion. He made a very strong case and Senator Keane has supported him. I did not hear her second the motion asking the Minister to come before the House today to discuss the new drug to which Senator Crown referred. He spoke on television about it very efficiently today. We should listen to him and be given the opportunity to consider the matter. I also second...

Seanad: Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Deenihan, as I know him as somebody who listens and pays attention. The arguments being made here are valid and Senator Norris has put significant work into this Bill. The argument has been made and I suggest we should accept the Bill on Second Stage. We can then correct any anomalies in it on a later Stage. Some Members have argued that the...

Seanad: Immigration (Reform) (Regularisation of Residency Status) Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (22 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I know such communication difficulty exists. Many of us get phone calls from India or some other place trying to sell us computer parts. In this Bill, Senator Norris is making the point that people waiting over four years should be allowed to engage in a normal life while waiting for their situation to be resolved. We need to look at this from a business perspective. Those people who have...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I also have a concern about this and I would like the Minister of State to put my mind at rest. I understand the point he is making and what is being aimed at. The idea is to render some types of plant and equipment, which the High Court recently found to be exempt from rates, again eligible for rates. The words used are such that plant which is "used solely to induce a process of change"...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for that explanation. I would be happy to have the matter re-examined before Report Stage because it should be possible to solve the problem. The Minister of State has gone some way towards doing so, but I would like to see him going a little further.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (22 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: While the Minister of State has gone some way towards meeting my concerns, he has not gone far enough. I would have liked an amendment that entitled an occupier or owner to seek a review of the rateable value of his or her property by the commissioner of valuation if, at any time, the value of the property changes. While the amendment moves in that direction, it does not go far enough. In...

Seanad: European Stability Mechanism (Amendment) Bill 2014: Second Stage (21 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister to the House. He seems to be becoming fond of the Seanad, given his regular visits to the Chamber. While this is a relatively technical Bill, the overall aim of the European Stability Mechanism is to provide an insurance scheme against future shocks to the financial system. The Minister explained the position very well. Unfortunately, we have still not separated the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Public Procurement Contracts: Discussion (21 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I am reminded of an experience we had in Superquinn where central buying took place for all goods for resale, but we did not have central buying for things such as first aid equipment, items for desks and so on. We decided to centralise that process and I could not get over the huge difference in price as against when we bought locally. We had 22 branches and our own managers said: "But...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome Senator Craughwell to the House. He made a very interesting election for us. It is not often that we have by-elections for this House but he certainly made it very interesting. I congratulate Senator Craughwell and look forward to a long and fruitful period serving with him in the House. I am concerned about competition. I am a great believer in it but I keep my eyes open....

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I have not spoken on this before. It relates to the management plan. I was delighted to hear what the Minister of State said earlier when he spoke about the potential for forestry and said that it was not all limited to Coillte and that the aim was to encourage private investment. That is what concerns me here. In respect of encouraging private investors, there seems to be much red tape...

Seanad: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (9 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for that answer, which has certainly put my mind at rest.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: There is a challenge to small towns and villages right around the country from the closure over the last number of years of post offices. I draw the Government's attention to a development in France where the French postal service, La Poste, has arranged that postmen will not just deliver letters and parcels but will undertake to visit homes, particularly the homes of the elderly, to check...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: Amendments Nos. 27 to 30, inclusive, are related and may be discussed together.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: Amendments Nos. 31 to 37, inclusive, are related and may be discussed together by agreement.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: We are discussing amendment No. 21, but amendments Nos. 21 to 25, inclusive, are being discussed together.

Seanad: Defence Forces Overseas Missions: Statements (8 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State. I also welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. There has been little discussion with regard to Irish troops serving in the Golan Heights. This matter is particularly important at present, particularly in light of what is happening on the border between Turkey and Syria. The situation in the region gives rise to great concern and I am of the...

Seanad: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (2 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Leas-Chathaorleach. In regard to the point made by Senator Norris on what is private, I do not understand why we are going to include it. One of the difficulties we have is encouraging people to enter politics, certainly people who would otherwise accept an invitation to join politics and play a role. If they feel this is another restriction on their lives then it is quite...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I agree entirely with Senators Barrett and Hayden. There is little doubt that we must invest. It has been interesting to hear the Government state for a number of years that one reason Ireland has had successful foreign direct investment is because of our high standard of education. Since the onset of austerity, as we call it, resources for universities have been reduced and this would...

Seanad: Fluoridation of Water: Motion (1 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: Thank you, a Chathaoirligh, and I thank the Minister of State for coming in for this debate which I think will be very interesting and one that I have not heard debated here. It was debated before in this House but it was quite some time ago. I, like Senator O'Brien, do not remember a big debate about this in 1963. It must have been a very emotional time when it was being done. It is...

Seanad: Fluoridation of Water: Motion (1 Oct 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I move: That Seanad Éireann notes the fundamental human right of every Irish citizen to choose whether or not they have their water medicated with fluoride given that they are, from 1 October 2014, paying for it.