Results 781-800 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I did not get a chance to welcome the Minister of State earlier and do so now, but I cannot welcome the words he used. I quote one particular sentence from his script: The proposals advanced by this Bill have the potential to reverse the gains which have been made and to create negative ripple effects in the wider economy which will not do anything to promote confidence and recovery in the...

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Tom Hayes, and his officials. We are getting to know the Minister of State quite well again. He was, of course, a Member of this House some years ago. I was delighted when he was appointed to his current position. I have been concerned about the matter with which the Bill deals for some time and I had understood that Government legislation was to be...

Seanad: County Enterprise Boards (Dissolution) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 Oct 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and the Bill. I believe we will get involved in many opportunities to enable us operate successfully. I wish to speak about SME access to funding. Access to funding is a massive problem for SMEs, an issue to which Senator White referred earlier. The Government is providing additional back-up funding for people who have been turned down by the banks and other...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Oct 2013)

Feargal Quinn: The Joint Committee on Health and Children yesterday decided to accept a proposal to have presumed consent for organ donation. I mention it because we should urge the Government to move on that legislation as quickly as possible. That is a matter that was introduced in this House almost five years ago. It has come back on a number of occasions and is a reminder of the work that goes on in...

Seanad: Protected Disclosures Bill 2013: Second Stage (25 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. I welcome the Bill and agree with the comments just made by Senator Higgins. I welcome any Bill in the area of whistleblower protection. I particularly welcome the fact that workers who are victimised for whistleblowing could receive up to five years pay in compensation under new legislation. However, what goes unsaid in many whistleblower cases is that employers...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I will follow up on Senator Noone's comments on defibrillators, and she has described a perfect example of what can take place. We have passed First and Second Stages of the appropriate legislation in this House and I ask the Leader to urge the Minister to see if there is any reason we cannot move on with that Bill. There are many other issues that have been mentioned by Senators Keane and...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I do not know about having tap water at that price but it would certainly not be helped by a VAT increase on that basis. I have the same feeling as others that this House should be debating the budget prior to the budget and prior to the making of the decisions before it is announced. I do not understand why, to the best of my knowledge, we have never had that debate. I imagine the Minister...

Seanad: Directive of European Parliament on Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children: Statements (19 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State back to the House. I have often stated that I value someone who has experience of working in business before entering politics. The Minister of State has that experience and remembers it well. That he was in a business that was actively involved in detergents means that he has probably come to clean up things. I do not just mean this House, but the entire...

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: First Stage (18 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to provide for the unenforceability of clauses which are contained in, or review processes which derive from, a contract concerning the tenancy of business premises and which were executed prior to 28 February, 2010 and to provide for related matters.

Seanad: Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013: First Stage (18 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to propose an amendment to the Order of Business, namely, that No. 14 be taken before No. 1. This refers to the new Upward Only Rent (Clauses and Reviews) Bill 2013, which I hope will be passed. We have been saddened to see throughout the country thriving successful properties, in particular businesses in the retail trade, which have failed, not on account of any failure on the part...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Retention of 9% VAT Rate: Discussion with Restaurants Association of Ireland (17 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome our guests. I know something about the tourism business because my father ran Red Island holiday camp in Skerries. In those days there was, certainly at a higher level, a degree of snobbery in respect of the profession. Those to whom I refer did not really want people to come here to stay in a holiday camp. Rather, they wanted them to come here to hunt, shoot and play golf....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Recession on Low-Paid Workers: Discussion with Mandate (17 Sep 2013)

Feargal Quinn: It is good to meet Mr. Light again. I must explain to everybody that Mr. Light and I sat on opposite sides of the table for many years and always got on fairly well together. I believe we managed on that basis. I was pleased with the way he concluded his presentation, talking about the need to lift consumer confidence in spending into the domestic economy. That reminds me that he and his...

Seanad: SI 325 of 2012 - European Union (Quality and Safety of Human Organs Intended for Transplantation) Regulations 2012: Motion (20 Aug 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I second the motion. I am always puzzled that it takes so long to get anything done in the State bodies. I come from a business background where things seem to happen much more quickly. I am just stunned. The debate on the Human Body Organs and Human Tissue Bill 2008, which I introduced, was adjourned in October 2008 because the Minister of the day wanted to consult more widely on the...

Seanad: An Bille um an Tríú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Cúirt Achomhairc) 2013: An Dara Céim - Thirty-third Amendment of the Constitution (Court of Appeal) Bill 2013: Second Stage (24 Jul 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and this legislation. I am in awe of the fact that there are so many lawyers in the House. I am not a lawyer, but I have had the honour of defending cases - 37 on one occasion - against me in the High Court. I won and the State appealed that decision against me to the Supreme Court. It was a long time ago and I doubt that anyone who is around would remember that...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jul 2013)

Feargal Quinn: There was some criticism of the Meath East by-election in the opening hours of the polls on that occasion.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jul 2013)

Feargal Quinn: There was criticism. I want to inquire of the Leader about the likely hours the polls will be open for the referendum on the abolition of the Seanad. We should make sure that a healthy vote takes place and that whatever are the correct hours of opening that criticism will not be levelled at the referendum for abolition of the Seanad, as happened during the Meath East by-election. Senator...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Jul 2013)

Feargal Quinn: I want to thank the staff of the House for their work in the past year and wish them well for the summer. I include in that all the other helpers, including those in the Library and elsewhere. It has been a tough session. I think we deserve a break but I hope we will come back invigorated, enthusiastic and ready to fight for the survival of this House. I refer not just to the retention of...

Seanad: Construction Contracts Bill 2010: [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil] Report and Final Stages (23 Jul 2013)

Feargal Quinn: The House gives an opportunity to Independent Members to introduce legislation on their own. The Government is prepared to accept good legislation and to help those proposing it to forge really good legislation that will help the community. I believe, as Senator Norris has already stated, that if we had been able to get this Bill enacted ten years ago, a number of jobs would have been...