Results 721-740 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Critical Utilities (Security of Supply) Bill 2013: Second Stage (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Deputy Richard Bruton. I hope the debate will be an interesting one and one in which I hope there will be an exchange of views. There are a couple of points I wish to explain at the beginning. This Bill was prepared over a number of weeks. There are those who think I looked...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is very welcome. He seems to be getting fond of this House, but I hope he does not get too fond of it and end up planning to return here.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Coming late to a debate can be quite interesting, as I must try to avoid repeating what others have been saying. The Bill includes a proposal for a start-your-own-business scheme aimed at those who have been unemployed for 15 months. That is very worthy.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: It will include a two-year exemption from income tax for qualifying unemployed people. I am a great believer in not spending time looking for new customers but, rather, spending time with existing good customers. I suggest that if people have been running or working in a business and they decide to set up their own business, the scheme should also apply to them. Will the Minister of State...

Seanad: Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Normally, when I stand up speak on any of the steps that have been taken, I support the Government because I want the economy put back on a sound footing. However, I have a problem with this measure. I mentioned last week - Senator Fidelma Healy Eames has tabled an amendment on this which has not been allowed - the medical card income limits of €500 for a person living on his or her...

Seanad: Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Those who are elderly seem to be a soft target - Senator Colm Burke spoke on this very well - as they are being targeted in so many different ways. I am sorry to see this happening and urge that consideration be given particularly to older people. I can understand if a person over 70 has a certain income and certain assets, but that lady of 91 years of age needs to be treated with sympathy...

Seanad: Credit Reporting Bill 2012: Second Stage (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and thank him for his explanation of the Bill. I conducted some research on the subject and was surprised to find that we were way behind other countries in this area. Many other countries already have a system like this in operation. I hope it will be one tool that will prevent reckless lending in the future. We should look at the Bill from the perspective of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to correct something Senator Cullinane said earlier. While I am delighted that he will speak on my Critical Utilities (Security of Supply) Bill 2013, it is incorrect of him to suggest that it proposes to make it a criminal offence for utility workers to strike. I was delighted to hear Senator Keane raise the issue of food waste and the efforts to reduce this in Cork, as well as the...

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: That is incorrect.

Seanad: Critical Utilities (Security of Supply) Bill 2013: First Stage (10 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the security of supply of critical utilities, those being water and electricity and for that purpose to make it an offence for a person to induce another to cause an interruption to the supply of a critical utility and to also make it an offence for a person to engage in industrial action which causes an...

Seanad: Critical Utilities (Security of Supply) Bill 2013: First Stage (10 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Tomorrow, Wednesday, 11 December 2013.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, namely, that No. 14, the Critical Utilities (Security of Supply) Bill 2013, be taken before No. 1 today. A surprising figure I saw during the week concerned a reduction in the number of turkeys produced in Ireland. I gather we will import 1.7 million turkeys this year. Six or seven years ago we were producing 3.5 million turkeys, but the...

Seanad: Health (Alteration of Criteria for Eligibility) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (5 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State. I do not envy him his job of balancing the books, as it is never easy, but it must be done. The State is still spending more than it is earning. We must find a way. Some of the figures provided by the Minister of State mean that we will need to make some difficult decisions. It was easy to be generous during the good times. I will not attempt to cover all...

Seanad: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Fifth Stage (5 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I congratulate the Minister on the work she put into this Bill as well as those behind the scenes. The agency needs a lot of preparation and much preparation has gone into this. I mention the efforts the Minister showed by her attendance here - the Bill was not delegated to somebody else - and her real interest in every aspect of the Bill. I congratulate the Minister and the House on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 13, the Critical Utilities (Security of Supply) Bill 2013 - First Stage, be taken before No. 1.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (3 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I second the amendment. They say an actor should never follow children or animals on to the stage. I feel the same following Senator Barrett because he covers and explains everything so well that there is almost nothing more on which I can touch. I have some knowledge of the administration costs. I refer to the list the Senator gave which should be included. The first is administration...

Seanad: Order of Business (3 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator David Norris when he talks about the great work Alice Leahy is doing in TRUST, particularly her effort to get the cold weather hostel off the ground. If there is anything the Leader can do to draw attention to this, it is an issue worthy of support, particularly at this time. Senator Norris has spoken about it very well. I would like to draw attention to what is happening...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Creation Initiatives: Discussion with ConnectIreland (3 Dec 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the witnesses for an interesting explanation. I have been involved in the tourism business for some time to the extent that it is interesting how individuals can do the same for tourism. What the witnesses are doing is admirable. Some ten or 15 years ago I was bringing a congress from around the world to Dublin. Some came a few months early before they had made a decision. They...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Senator Mary White has raised the issue of Russian adoption again and I have also discussed the matter. Yesterday I discussed the problem with the Minister. Clearly, her heart is in the right place but, as Senator White has said, that is not enough. We must encourage the Minister to find a solution. I gather that the matter is in the hands of the Attorney General and that is where the...

Seanad: Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (27 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I second Senator Barrett’s amendment. The point he makes is that anyone can make a mistake. We had an interesting visit today from scholars benefitting from the George Mitchell scholarship. I remember when the Bill setting up the scholarship was going through the House. The purpose of the scholarship was to enable students to study in the State, the main objective which was peace....