Results 741-760 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

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

Feargal Quinn: I second the amendment. It has been explained very well by Senator Barrett. We live in a democracy in which the Oireachtas is elected. We have neglected the supervisory role that the Oireachtas should play. This amendment is an ideal way to address that issue. I served on a previous finance committee approximately five years ago. If we had this power then we would have ensured that the...

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

Feargal Quinn: I second the amendment. I cannot improve on what the Senator stated except to state that the words we used on Second Stage and Committee Stage were a reminder of the need for this legislation. We noted the need for this legislation. It is not enough to be reminded unless we are also reminded of the savings that are anticipated. The amendment states, "The Minister shall submit to the...

Seanad: Child and Family Agency Bill 2013: Second Stage (27 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, back to the House. Before she was demoted to the Lower House some years ago, she played an active role here. All Members support this Bill. Senator Jillian van Turnhout said she planned to improve it on Committee Stage. I look forward to seeing her proposals. I commend the work done by the Government in this area and this landmark...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (27 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome to the House three Mitchell scholars, Harold McNamara, Lucas Mason-Brown and Emily Fritze. We are delighted and honoured to have them here and wish them well.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: A few weeks ago I raised the issue of an Irish student living abroad with his parents who wishes to attend university in this country. He was told he would be treated as a non-Irish citizen. It seems outrageous that he would have to pay very high fees on the basis of being considered a non-EU citizen. The same situation has occurred again. I am sure it is an anomaly and that it was not...

Seanad: Report on Grocery Goods Sector: Motion (20 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: In my first year in this House, on St. Valentine's day I brought in a special kind of apple for each of the ladies in the Seanad and I was very strictly ticked off for gender discrimination. I think it was called a Love apple. I welcome the Minister of State. I am very honoured that both Senator Mary White and Senator Mary Ann O'Brien had nice things to say about me. Like the Minister of...

Seanad: Companies (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2013: Second Stage (14 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, who must be getting fond of us in this House. I am delighted to see her back here again wearing a hat that is different from her normal one. I welcome the basis of the Bill, and the most interesting figure given today is Senator White's claim that Circuit Court costs are 30% less than High Court costs, which means a lot to small businesses ending up in...

Seanad: Electricity Transmission Network: Motion (13 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. I also welcome the debate because it is a topic worthy of discussion. I second Senator Mullen's motion as it is an area that needs more debate. We must go beyond the status quo whereby we are told that placing electricity lines underground is just too expensive. That seems a simple approach and Senator Mullen has explained it well. We must consider the benefits...

Seanad: Science Week: Statements (12 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I am delighted that science is part of his portfolio. I was very fortunate to attend Newbridge College, back in the 1950s, where we had a marvellous science teacher, Fr. Michael Casey. Everybody did science. We had a great laboratory and a great teacher. Later on, Fr. Casey became a professor of science in Maynooth. We studied physics,...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I understand the accounting problems being experienced by RSA are not as a consequence of fraud or anything like it but stem from a misjudgment of the number of injury claims. It is only ten years or so since the legislation establishing the injuries board was passed in this House; it was meant to solve the problem of the large increase in the number of injury claims. In this case, however,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Progress Update: Discussion with Microfinance Ireland (12 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: The witnesses are very welcome and I thank them for teaching us about this initiative area and telling me a great deal that I do not know already. I have been judging the Entrepreneur of the Year for Business & Finance magazine in the past few weeks and we have come down to the final decision. There were 32 entries. They were bigger operations than the ones Ms Murray mentioned but...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Report Stage (7 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I had forgotten that I moved it. I have listened carefully to what the Minister has had to say. I must say I cannot disagree with her worthy commentary. I have some difficulty with the numbers and figures that have been mentioned. Senator Norris has given us different figures. The Minister has clearly explained the basis on which her figures were compiled. I fully support the concept...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Report Stage (7 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I will move that.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Report Stage (7 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Yes. I move amendment No. 9:In page 11, between lines 22 and 23, to insert the following: "10. The Minister shall, as soon as practicable, lay before each House of the Oireachtas a report on the measures taken to ensure that the €32 million being deducted through reduced social welfare payments for the 18 to 26 year age group would be ring fenced and re-invested in productive...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: There has been a very good campaign to promote safe food in recent times. Another food-related issue is food waste. It is a matter that is in our own hands to a very large extent so I am not sure that we need legislation. We must encourage whomever, perhaps the Department of Health, to convince the public to reduce food wastage. I do not have the figure for food wastage in Ireland but the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2013: Committee Stage (6 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Everything I intended to say has been said already by the previous two speakers, particularly Senator Cullinane. I have travelled around the country a good deal in recent years and seen the challenges facing the large number of small businesses, many of which employ only half a dozen people or fewer. Expecting them to bear the cost of this measure will be a major burden. We are hearing all...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I propose to share time with Senator David Norris.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: The Leas-Chathaoirleach was very generous yesterday. Senator Norris is allowing me to go first today.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I must be careful not to waste my four minutes. The Minister is very welcome to the House to discuss this legislation. I particularly commend the proposals in regard to severance payments. It is absurd that the pension levy does not apply to ministerial pensions. Indeed, it only applies to private pensions, which creates inequality in society. The Government has raided people's private...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Nov 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Since the referendum a few weeks ago Members of this House have faced a challenge, how to make ourselves more useful so what we are doing is appreciated. I suggest that we establish a small team of four or five people, not necessarily in this House but somewhere in the Oireachtas, to look at international developments and international legislative measures. Very often there is a tendency to...