Results 4,221-4,240 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: I support Senator Healy Eames's comments on education developments announced in recent times. We discussed in the House our problems with mathematics, which are very serious at second level, along our problems with what used to be called foreign languages. We also have a problem with economics in that the Wright report found that 7% of the senior staff in the Department of Finance had a...

Seanad: Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Bill and endorse what Senators MacSharry, Colm Burke, Crown and Kelly have said. The Bill has been recommended by the troika. When the troika visited Trinity College at 9 a.m. on a Monday morning - we tried to notify as many Senators as possible - one of its members suggested that the GP fee in Ireland is twice what he pays in Brussels. This the costly system we are now...

Seanad: EU Fiscal Compact Treaty: Statements, Questions and Answers (7 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State, whom I always admire when she comes in to address these sessions. We are honoured by her presence. I looked up the word "compact" in the dictionary to see what it is and one of the definitions was "a miniature flat vanity case or a refill for it". There are elements of that to this compact, because the miniature flat vanity case or refill is needed because...

Seanad: Order of Business. (7 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: I would like to welcome a statement that was made in one of today's newspapers by the Minister for Health, under the headline "Reilly wants VHI to drive down costs". That point has been made repeatedly from these benches in recent weeks. We have called for the Milliman report to be published in unredacted form. That would help us to make precisely the point the Minister for Health is...

Seanad: Priorities in Foreign Affairs: Statements (2 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: In welcoming the extension of the Tánaiste's Department to cover trade - we will wonder why we did not do that years ago - I question if there is enough economic expertise in the Department to assist the Tánaiste. The traditional division was that administrative officers did economics and went to other Departments and third secretaries tended to be in the area of arts and culture. I...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: Returning to the theme of employment, in The Irish Times of yesterday there is a headline that I found astonishing. "New rules to see serious exit from the taxi sector". The Minister of State has said that numbers in the taxi industry should be reduced by between 13% and 22%. The headline should instead read that the Minister of State wishes to see the abolition of 4,900 to 8,360 jobs. The...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: I am looking for the Leader to highlight our view that it is not the role of Government to reduce employment in any sector and nor is it the role of Government to create new sheltered sectors. I ask why the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport, in its Neanderthal economics wishes to announce that it would like to abolish up to 8,360 jobs in the taxi sector. It is bizarre and it...

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (1 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: It is always a pleasure to hear the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, and his knowledge and wit are welcome in any debate. The Taoiseach, in the competitiveness challenge report for 2011, stated that renewed international competitiveness is central to any Irish economic recovery. This is the problem I have with the Irish energy sector. It is not competitive and it is not thoroughly enough...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Jan 2012)

Sean Barrett: I support the Independent Senators on the other side for the work they put into this and support what we have heard from the Government benches, from Senator Conway and his colleagues. I am not skilled in matters of procedure, but No. 19 on the Order Paper is a Bill on fiscal responsibility put forward by me. When I put that Bill forward, the Leader said he would adjourn it and keep it on...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities: Motion (25 Jan 2012)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Education (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (25 Jan 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister who has taken an interest in education throughout his political career. I note the number of vocational education committees is to be reduced from 33 to 16 and commend the Minister on going further than the recommendation by an bord snip that it be reduced to 22. One of the challenges facing Irish education is to reduce bureaucracy and spend resources in the classroom....

Seanad: Water Services: Statements (25 Jan 2012)

Sean Barrett: I wish to share time with Senator Norris. I welcome the Minister of State. His debate in Irish with Senator Ó'Clochartaigh and others has gone into the annals of the House and I compliment him on that. The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform stated when he examined these issues when he served in the Department of the Environment, he found engineers much more interested in building...

Seanad: Water Services: Statements (25 Jan 2012)

Sean Barrett: We have to make vital decisions and we should have access to complete reports. I hope the Minister of State can use his influence with the Department of Health and others to ensure elected representatives have the full information. The word "redaction" should be removed from our vocabulary. My other fear is that the reforms slated for the Department and local authorities in the McLoughlin...

Seanad: Suicide Prevention: Statements (12 Jan 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State, as I always do when she attends the House. I have a few thoughts on the issue before us. On the first quarter numbers for 2011, while I do not know what role seasonality plays in the incidence of suicide, the figures from January to March 2011 indicate some improvement. During this period, the number of recorded suicides stood at 95, which would produce an...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Jan 2012)

Sean Barrett: I would like to express sympathy to the widow and family of the late John Ross, a former Member of this House, who died during the Christmas vacation. His son, Shane, is a current Member of the Dáil. Mr. Ross represented the Dublin University constituency in this House for three years. The 40% increase in the levy on private health insurance is a problem that has arisen. During our...

Seanad: Recent Developments in Eurozone and European Council: Statements (16 Dec 2011)

Sean Barrett: I warmly welcome the Minister of State for her commitment and enthusiasm on these issues and she is a most welcome visitor to the House. Towards the end of her contribution, the Minister of State referred to lightening the load on Ireland. In taking my cue from Senator Quinn, this might be something the Seanad will address, as it will be important for Members to assist the Government in...

Seanad: Recent Developments in Eurozone and European Council: Statements (16 Dec 2011)

Sean Barrett: In conjunction with John Esmond Birnie, former member of the Northern Ireland Assembly, I wrote a pamphlet on the reason I thought that jurisdiction should stay out of the euro and I believe the decision made by Mr. Gordon Brown to stay out was correct. Moreover, I heard the Swedish Minister for Finance speak on BBC Radio 4 yesterday when he stated that opinion polls suggest 10% of people...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2011)

Sean Barrett: Guim Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise ar gach duine. I join with my colleagues in extending Christmas wishes to everybody here. I thank the Cathaoirleach for his very judicious choice of Leas-Chathaoirleach and Acting Chairmen, who are in the same tradition of himself in their courtesy and fairness. I also thank the Leader. This House could not operate without the wonderful work...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2011)

Sean Barrett: This morning, the chairman of the fiscal council stated that he hoped to have his proposals on the promised fiscal responsibility Bill ready by February. Yesterday, we learned that the Department of Finance hoped to have its proposals ready by April. With the agreement of all speakers, we had a wide-ranging and superb discussion on fiscal responsibility yesterday, some three months ahead of...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2011)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the announcement that the Minister will convene a forum with health insurers to address the issue of the excessive price increases they seek. He is quoted as saying that in some cases he feels 4% would be adequate while some of the companies are claiming as much as 25%. Last week we referred to our wish that the regulation of the health insurance sector should be moved to the...