Results 421-440 of 1,591 for speaker:Eugene Regan

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: I am asking the Leader and I will come back to this question. What is in that scheme?

Seanad: Haiti Disaster: Motion (Resumed) (27 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: I thank the Minister of State for his comprehensive report on what has been done thus far by Ireland and the EU to deal with the Haitian disaster. Haiti is a unique state with a long history of political instability and natural disasters, of which this earthquake is the most dramatic instance. That the country's plight has given rise to extraordinary generosity in a time of recession in...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: We adopted legislation on NAMA in this House on 12 November, at which point I indicated that this did not mean it was a done deal in that it had to be approved by the European Commission. I also asked the Leader if we would be kept informed in respect of the notification of the scheme to Brussels and whether it would diverge from the business plan of which the House was informed in October....

Seanad: Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security: Motion (21 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: It is strange that we are having a debate on establishing a committee in the European Union. The reason for doing so seems so self-evident. As the Minister of State said, the European Union has an important role to play in bringing together the actions of member states in this area aimed at promoting and ensuring internal security and police co-operation. The reason we are doing this is...

Seanad: Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security: Motion (21 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: It involves reconfiguration of existing committees at Council level. It is important that the Minister set out his agenda and that we establish what we want to prioritise through co-operation with other member states at EU level. I fully support the choice to opt in to this decision. We should participate fully on the committee.

Seanad: Order of Business. (21 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: The action of the air traffic controllers is purely and simply economic blackmail because air traffic control is a vital service that is essential to the economy. Damage has been done to the 20,000 travellers, tourism, our exports and the image of the country. We have no chance to secure economic recovery unless it is on the basis of a competitive economy. To give in to this economic...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: There were many events during the Christmas and festive season which warrant comment today, one of which I would like to mention, namely, the death of Mr. Jens Bang, a Danish citizen and former EU Commission official and my father-in-law. I have a specific reason for mentioning this event. In Denmark, when a person dies, the death is recorded in a central register, thus ensuring all public...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2010)

Eugene Regan: That is not true.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: While it is a hopeful sign that GDP increased by 0.3% in the third quarter, the real measure of national wealth and our standard of living is GNP which has declined by 1.4%. There is no question that we are not yet out of the woods. When we discuss the state of the public finances and the economy which is expected to contract by 7.5% this year, we must consider that throughout the year...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: On the Minister's admission, the scheme cannot take effect until it is approved. The delay is down to the Minister and the Government. I ask the Leader to explain.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: I wish to make two essential points on the legislation. Fine Gael has supported the economic discipline that is required to get our public finances in order. It has encouraged action to be taken on the expenditure front. On the specific proposals which are the subject of this Bill, Fine Gael produced an alternative budget which was fairer and more even-handed in regard to public sector...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: What about the €2.5 billion in consultancy fees in the case of NAMA?

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: I asked a few questions.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: We are debating the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill today and tomorrow. This is one of the measures the Government has chosen to introduce to get the public finances back in order. The one major issue which will come back for debate in this House and the Lower House is NAMA. I have the raised the issue previously as to when the Government will formally...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: ----where we facilitate cover up and acquiesce in the crimes that take place in our society.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: I welcome Senator Ó Brolcháin to the House. I wish him the very best as he pursues his deliberations and debates in this House. I would like to speak about the unanimous judgment that was delivered today by the five Supreme Court judges in a case relating to the protection of human embryos. They decided that human embryos do not constitute the unborn within the meaning of Article 40.3.3°...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: A motion in my name on the Order Paper states "Ireland has one of the highest levels of alcohol consumption in the world" and mentions problems such as "alcohol related violence" and "anti-social behaviour" which are associated with alcohol. Given that a headline in one of today's newspapers reads, "Irish among top alcohol consumers in OECD - report", it is incongruous that the Government is...

Seanad: Criminal Procedure Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: I thank the Minister for spending his time in the House on this Bill. I was not happy with the responses to the different amendments I had tabled, both on the rights of victims and on the double jeopardy rule, so I shall wait for the next Bill to see whether any amendment I put forward might be accepted by the Minister. None the less, I thank him for dealing with the Bill from beginning to...

Seanad: Criminal Procedure Bill 2009: Report and Final Stages (8 Dec 2009)

Eugene Regan: The Minister has his mind made up on this matter and perhaps it was made up before the debate on the Bill commenced today. The Minister is making the wrong policy choice. I have attempted not to be political about this issue. Following on from the Committee Stage debate, I returned to the authorities on this issue. The Minister is wrong to attempt to adjudicate on these constitutional...