Results 4,341-4,360 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (27 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I join other Senators in welcoming the Minister. We have made great strides, for which I commend the Minister and his predecessors. However, if we were starting from scratch and knew an activity would entail the deaths of nearly 200 people every year, we would be stopped in our tracks. We have ignored this problem. As the Minister pointed out, the figure used to be over 600 people killed...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (27 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An Bille um an Tríochadú Leasú ar an mBunreacht (Fiosruithe Thithe an Oireachtais) 2011: An Dara Céim / Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries) Bill 2011: Second Stage (22 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: An Bille um an Tríochadú Leasú ar an mBunreacht (Fiosruithe Thithe an Oireachtais) 2011: An Dara Céim / Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Houses of the Oireachtas Inquiries) Bill 2011: Second Stage (22 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: As the Minister came to the House early I might finish early and donate some time to other Members. I agree with virtually everything that has been said on all sides of the House on this matter, where people have caveats and where they strongly support it. My heart is enthusiastic, my head supports it but my wallet is a bit worried and if I wore a wig of the legal kind I would be delighted...

Seanad: European Financial Stability Facility Bill and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I echo Senator O'Brien's thanks to the Minister for his response to the issues raised. The term "eurosceptic" is an issue. There should be two definitions for that term. One should relate to being eurosceptic with regard to the currency - I am in that category - and the other to being eurosceptic with regard to the European Union. I am not in that category but we must distinguish between...

Seanad: European Financial Stability Facility Bill and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: That should include the ability to leave it.

Seanad: European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (22 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: It is only a small difference between Kerrymen and Dublinmen this week so we understand.

Seanad: European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (22 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for his speech. It was terrific to have a copy of it. He stated: "Now is a time for euro area member states to contribute to ensuring financial stability within the euro area." Reading the Bill, all I could do was to assent grudgingly. I realise opposition might be futile, but we will return to this in a few months because we are papering over...

Seanad: Twenty-Ninth Amendment of the Constitution (Judges' Remuneration) Bill 2011: Second Stage (21 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister to the House. I do not claim any expertise in legal matters but I do have some questions to pose. Could the legal advice that the referendum is necessary be placed in the Oireachtas Library, as constitutional lawyers may wish to consult it at some future stage? In his speech the Minister said he was not aware of any judge making a voluntary contribution in respect of...

Seanad: Reporting of Lobbying in Criminal Legal Cases Bill 2011: Second Stage (21 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: We are approaching the third anniversary of the most successful lobbying ever accomplished in any country, namely, the bankrupting of this country by the banks. I would like to see the Government treat the matter more urgently. We cannot allow that to continue, given the damage it has done to everybody in society. This Bill attempts to bring situations like that out into the open. We do...

Seanad: Reporting of Lobbying in Criminal Legal Cases Bill 2011: Second Stage (21 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Arts Plan: Statements (21 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister. He is bringing the great work he does in County Kerry to a national scale. One must commend the Taoiseach on his choice of Senators, for example, Senator Mac Chongail.

Seanad: Arts Plan: Statements (21 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I have many important matters to raise, but I will try to adhere to the six minutes the Acting Chairman has given me. In the college where I grew up, the two people we most admired were Brendan Kennelly and Brian Boydell. Other people had fancier titles, but those two gentlemen's representation of the arts inspired us all. Consider the North-South problems we have dealt with in recent...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I strongly support the efforts of the Cathaoirleach and Leader to reform the House and make it more relevant and meaningful to citizens. Innovations such as the questions and answers session are commendable. I propose two addendums to that agenda. The first concerns the fact that the Government Publications Office no longer sells the printed versions of the debates in this House. One can...

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: On the "Today in Parliament" programme on the adjoining island, Mr. Sean Curran presents in the morning an account of what the UK Parliament is doing. Such a programme would be most useful. We should reach out to people who require a printed document and to morning people, whom I am sure would be delighted to be informed about the deliberations in this House and the Dáil.

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill, 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister. I do not welcome the Bill because I believe the Minister is better than this Bill would have him appear. It has the look of a Bill that has been hanging around Marlborough Street for a long time. There is a recent tradition of hostility to university autonomy from Marlborough Street and I regret that. On 17 September last year, the Comptroller and Auditor General...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's remarks about the Dubs. He did not mention that north Dublin is also good at cricket.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: One of his constituents in Balbriggan defeated England. That was an achievement. Regarding Senator Bacik's comments, universities and the points mechanism comprise the subject of a statement today that has been covered widely by the media, certainly the broadcast media. The statement was made by seven people who all happen to be men. I am a member of a university governing body, but this...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I agree with the proposals from Senators Healy Eames and Conway to invite the Minister for Education and Skills to come to the House. The problem of mathematics in Ireland, which was first raised in this House, has been promoted heavily in one of the national newspapers. My fear is that it may be even bigger than has been stated so far. The expert group on future skills needs estimates...