Results 9,401-9,420 of 9,753 for speaker:Terry Leyden

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: I have great sympathy with Senator Quinn's submission which has a lot of merit. It seems logical. The legislation is becoming cumbersome and will be difficult to operate. Does the Minister of State envisage having a separate professional group for the professional directors of 30, 40 or 50 companies? There is no restriction confining them to that role in only one company. One possibility is...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: I agree with the Minister of State's amendment. For far too long there have been too many golden circle directors who seem to go from one boardroom to another for a glass of brandy and a chat. Look at the AIB. It did not seem to care what was happening in America and none of its directors resigned or took responsibility for it, yet when I go to that bank, it is overcharging me for services. I...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: I would have scrutinised their affairs honestly. I got one offer from an organisation and perhaps I was wrong but I was too conscientious to get involved with it. I would not take responsibility for its activities. If one saw a full list of directors, there are about ten people in ten different companies in Dublin. They should do their jobs and resign from five or six of the companies...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: So be it, if I am. Too often I have heard directors say they did not know the company was involved with the Mafia in New York, that it was polluting in Colombia or cutting down forests in South America, yet they have never said they would not accept remuneration or trips to the K Club or wherever they hold big events. This measure proves that Fianna Fáil is the real socialist party.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: The party does not get enough credit for taking action and ensuring the big fat cats are dealt with. They can telephone me at any time because I never got any votes or contributions from fat cats. I am not appearing before any tribunal after my years as a Minister of State with responsibility for trade.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: I did not go around with a begging bowl trying to get support to get re-elected to this or the other House.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: This is relevant from the point of view that I was never a director of any company. Those directors will have to take responsibility. The amendment tabled by the Minister of State is quite clear and nobody in this House is going to change it. I thank the Minister of State for being so strong on this matter.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: I thought we had dealt with this before during Private Members' time. I remind the House that professional directors seem to go from boardroom to boardroom and from one insolvency to the next but never resign or apologise to the public. They merely collect their fees. Some of these directors appear to have no shame. The AIB was ripped off to the extent of approximately $670 million in the...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: Excellent. The Minister of State has raised my expectations.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: May I ask Senator O'Toole, through the Chair, to give us the name of the person from the United Kingdom who is advising him about the threshold? We are also getting submissions from Irish accountants and there is no reason—

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: I do not understand her involvement in the Irish economy.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: Why did she not put the same point to the British regulatory authorities? I do not understand why she is asking us to have a low threshold of €300,000 and she has not advised the British Government to increase its threshold to Stg £4.5 million. It appears to be a contradiction, if the Senator does not mind my saying so. I was impressed by the Senator's speech on 11 April in which he told...

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: We should allow the matter to be considered overnight. The Minister of State and the Leader are reasonable people. Report Stage has been provisionally scheduled for tomorrow as we want the Bill to pass through the House as quickly as possible. The Senator's points are relevant. However, I ask that the Minister of State and the Leader consider the matter overnight and early tomorrow morning.

Seanad: Companies (Auditing and Accounting) Bill 2003: Committee Stage (Resumed). (28 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: It is the best one can expect at this point.

Seanad: Order of Business. (27 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: I ask the Leader to provide time in early July to debate in detail the Forfás consumer pricing report of 2003, which places the Republic of Ireland second highest in the euro zone, next to Finland. Increases in Irish consumer prices in the past five years have sharply outpaced those of our European neighbours. To gauge reaction to the high prices, I am launching a "name and shame" consumer...

Seanad: Sustaining Progress: Statements. (27 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon, and I congratulate him on the tremendous work he is doing in the Department. I look forward to some wonderful decisions in regard to decentralisation. I have, for the first time, had the opportunity to vote for an agreement as a member of SIPTU. I am in the House as a SIPTU member and nominee of professional...

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: It is not true.

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: On standby but not true.

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: The dual mandate is back in place.

Seanad: Order of Business. (22 May 2003)

Terry Leyden: Senator Coghlan referred yesterday to the groceries order and the suggestion by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment that it may need to be removed and that the regulations governing the size of large supermarkets or hypermarkets should be reviewed. To my recollection, An Agreed Programme for Government makes no reference to these suggestions.