Results 4,001-4,020 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Penalty Points System: Discussion (19 Sep 2012)

Sean Barrett: In the Seanad the enemy of people smoking in cars was Senator Crown and the matter he raised may be worth researching. His view is that brain damage will occur if one smokes in such a confined space and that is aside from the risk of setting fire to oneself or other people, etc. Perhaps the matter could be examined. The relevant Bill was accepted unanimously in the Seanad and, I think, by...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Penalty Points System: Discussion (19 Sep 2012)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Chairman and welcome the visitors. It was not today or yesterday that Mr. Conor Faughnan started to address this issue. I thank Mr. Noel Brett for his presentation and the invitation to visit the Road Safety Authority in Ballina. On page 3 of his presentation he stated that Sweden is the safest place but according to page 11 it does not have GPS. How is it that Sweden got to...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister. I support him today, as I did the last day when he referred to the use of the electoral register to form the citizen section of the constitutional convention. The Minister is correct to be strengthening and deepening Irish democracy. I had one regret when we were here in February that I did not put down an amendment to extend the provisions of this Bill to Údarás...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (20 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I am giving the benefit of my experience as someone holds the oxymoron title of Whip for the Independent university Senators, who are absolutely unwhippable. More free debate and democracy in the House would help the Minister in his goals. I commend him on his endeavours in that regard.

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Second Stage (19 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister. I always appreciate his visits here. He probably has the most demanding job in Irish public life. It was compared to a certain country in Africa at one stage. I commend the Department for the great documentation it sent us on key trends in health in Ireland. Towards the end of the document it is stated that per capita expenditure on the health service in Ireland,...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I thank Senator Conway for his kind invitation to Clare. Yesterday, I raised item 17 on the Order Paper, the Fiscal Responsibility (Statement) Bill 2011, with the Leader as it is overdue by many months. The Bill appeared in the afternoon and I compliment him on his superior efficiency compared to the Department of Finance. I hope that when the Taoiseach visited here he too noted the...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I support the Senators who have intervened on behalf of the trainee pilots. The State has a duty to pursue where the money has gone in this case and to consider some kind of loan finance so that they can complete their training for their careers and pay off their debts. I rose, in fact, to ask the Leader about No. 17 on the Order Paper. The Fiscal Responsibility (Statement) Bill 2011 was...

Seanad: Developments in the European Union and Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements with An Taoiseach (18 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I wish the Taoiseach every success when he becomes President of Europe on 1 January. People from the west already occupy the post of Taoiseach, Tánaiste, President and Cathaoirleach of the Seanad, and County Offaly barely managed to put its own man into the White House before the western wave of political talent took over. The Taoiseach will take over a Europe suffering mass unemployment,...

Seanad: Developments in the European Union and Ireland's Presidency of the European Council: Statements with An Taoiseach (18 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: Yes.

Seanad: Presidential Nominations: Motion (18 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I am proud to second the motion. I welcome the Minister of State, who is a regular visitor to the House. I agree with Senator Norris that we have been most fortunate with President Michael D. Higgins in the performance of his duties and, indeed, with all his predecessors. However, this is a time to look forward and I believe these issues should have been put on the agenda for the...

Seanad: Presidential Nominations: Motion (18 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: He would have been a very worthy candidate in view of his work for the Irish in America. At the very least, this issue should go to the constitutional convention. Senator Quinn and I received some briefings on the constitutional convention. I am not particularly worried whether the President serves for seven years. In fact, I am delighted the last three terms and more were served for seven...

Seanad: Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister. I support what Senator Clune said. Ultimately, we need a banking system in this country that will take on the role the Minister has had to take on today. All the evidence shows that in the period of massive lending between 1998 and 2008 hardly any of money lent from our financial institutions went into the manufacturing industry or the agricultural sector. Rather...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I wish to speak on the same topic raised by Senator Burke. I propose that the Leader send to the Cabinet a transcript of our debate on 16 November 2011, during which all the points we have heard today were made. All of the points we have heard today were put at that debate. There are two sides to this argument. The price of alcohol has not been falling, although consumption has done. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: Some countries that do not seem to have our problems consume 50% more alcohol. Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom consume approximately 20% more than us. Do we have a law and order problem or an alcohol problem?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: Let us consider the numbers. We have put them before the House but they may be misleading. There is a herd instinct in this debate. I have no interest in the drinks industry at all but one of the proposals on the other side of the House would enrich the drinks industry by giving it a minimum price for the product. I am sure the Senators do not intend this any more than I would.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Brendan Howlin. As is so often the case, I agree with much of what my colleague, Senator Feargal Quinn, has said. It is interesting to consider a number of the recommendations by an bord snip nua in the context of what is proposed in this legislation. In a period when the total number of public servants rose by 27%, the numbers in senior management increased...

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I can envisage a situation where successor Senators in the mould of Senator Ivana Bacik will argue for the raising of the retirement age past 70 as a human rights issue. The fashions in these matters tend to change. I support the measures the Minister is introducing in this Bill as a necessary correction to the public finances. I take this opportunity to warn against any future recurrence...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (12 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister and thank him for his presence. In many ways, this is an inspired Bill. What we are doing is getting to the person in Belmullet, the high unemployment zones in Limerick that we discussed with the Minister for Finance last week, or even in Knocktopher in the constituency of the Minister. Getting directly to the citizen through the electoral register is important...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I agree with the Minister. As Senator van Turnhout has said, citizenship is a vital part of the Bill. The experts have been in the media. They have written books and newspaper articles and have access to Deputies and Senators. It is the citizens that we want to target. The experts can help but the citizens, the sovereign people, are the kings and queens of the process. An important role...

Seanad: Industrial Relations (Amendment)(No. 3) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (12 Jul 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister. The worrying point made by Senator Cullinane was in regard to people not paying the minimum wage. Do we have any figures in that regard? Perhaps Senator Cullinane might inform me. The IBEC approach to the legislation was that we had a relatively high minimum wage and it had been defended by the Government. When the Minister of State, Deputy Sherlock, was in the...