Results 601-620 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Higher Education and Research (Consolidation and Improvement) Bill 2014: Second Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, to the House and I am particularly delighted he is using modern technology in giving his speech and finding Leinster House today with GPS. I also welcome the decision of the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, not to oppose the Higher Education and Research (Consolidation and Improvement) Bill 2014. I want to touch on a couple of...

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister of State for that explanation, but I am not at all happy, in particular with the concept that it is not the intention to use this provision but that the Minister wants to include it because we may use it at some point in the future. The Minister of State is correct that a regulation would have to be presented to both Houses of the Oireachtas, but we never see them, as...

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I appreciate the fact that the Minister of State and the Acting Leader have delayed the taking of Remaining Stages to give us a chance to look again at the Bill.

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I understand what the Minister of State says, and the State should do its best to get back the money it is owed. I am trying, however, to avoid placing more burdens on businesses. Every big business starts as a small business. If we place more burdens, difficulties, barriers and red tape on businesses it is less likely they will get off the ground. The person fined should pay. We should...

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 9: In page 27, lines 5 and 6, to delete all words from and including “Protection,” in line 5 down to and including line 6 and substitute the following:“Protection.”.This section provides for the sharing of data and exchange for the "purposes of assisting the courts in the collection of fines." It details how the Revenue Commissioners, the...

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I would like to speak on sections 14, 15 and 16, as they all cover the area of deductions from earnings. I have concerns with regard to the State interfering directly in a person's personal finances. However, this has been done already in some areas - for example, where the State has imposed the pension levy. My real concern is that the court may make an order directing the person's...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Acting Leader for that. It puts my mind at rest. It is very considerate. We will not oppose the Bill now but can debate it between now and next week.

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I will withdraw the amendment for the time being and we will have a look at it again on the next Stage.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: On a point of order, the Order of Business today refers to Committee Stage of the Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013. I am now told we are planning to take Committee and Remaining Stages. Is that correct? This certainly is not on the Order Paper.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: That is a change from what is on the Order Paper. I did not realise that.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I accept that; I misread it.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I accept that; the point I made was that I did not realise it. It was not on the Order Paper. I missed the statement that all Stages would be taken today. Senator Barrett has outlined an option. I would like these matters debated today and to give the Minister a chance to consider them overnight. Perhaps Remaining Stages could be dealt with tomorrow.

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I am opposed to section 8 in its entirety. The whole section, including subsection (3), sets out the powers of the receiver in regard to the seizure, holding and disposal of the property of a person in respect of whom a recovery order is made by the court — for instance, in respect of the non-payment of a fine. The receiver has the power to enter a premises, including a dwelling,...

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: My mind is not put at rest at all because if somebody's home is not going to be taken from him or her, the legislation should state that. I acknowledge the fine may be €300, €400 or €500 and a house is more valuable than that but if that is so, constraint should be provided for in this section. It is said an Englishman's home is his castle but it is going too far in...

Seanad: Fines (Payment and Recovery) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 6: In page 11, to delete all words from "receiver," in line 35 down to and including "amount of—" in line 38 and in page 12, to delete lines 1 to 4 and substitute the following:"receiver.".The ability of a court to seize a person's property and to sell it in the event of non-payment of a fine is going overboard, is not necessary and goes too far. With this...

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: Like everybody else, I extend my sympathy to Senator John Kelly on the death of his father. Coming so shortly after the deaths of Nicky McFadden and Edward Haughey, it is a reminder of how short life is and how we must fit as much as we can into our lives. I am sure we will get the chance to talk about Nicky McFadden and Edward Haughey at a later stage. I second Senator Barrett's amendment...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the delegates, particularly my ex-colleague, Mr. Joe O'Toole. I remember very well how he held our hands. It does not seem ten years since the legislation was finally passed, but it took a number of years to get it through.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: What a great success story. Doing something in a period of seven months rather than what it used to be, three years, is deserving of congratulations. My query concerns negligence cases. In my experience in the supermarket business, there were a number of occasions when people sued us because they had fallen on the floor in the supermarket. They assumed that, because it had happened in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Functions: Personal Injuries Assessment Board (1 Apr 2014)

Feargal Quinn: What needs to happen for this development to take place?

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2014)

Feargal Quinn: We had a very good debate here on the amount of food we waste as a nation. I am delighted that Foodcloud has launched a pledge to reduce food waste. It has given some figures showing what can happen. Despite so many people around the world starving, we waste a colossal amount of food. The Foodcloud campaign is to get us to reduce 1 kg of the food we waste each week. It is aiming to get...