Results 81-98 of 98 for echo speaker:Sean Barrett

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Seanad: Order of Business (7 Nov 2012)

Sean Barrett: I echo the Leader's sentiments about the talk to be given in the House tomorrow by Professor Christopher Pissarides. He will be the first Nobel laureate to address the House since W. B. Yeats. He is from the small island of Cyprus and has obviously acquired sufficient standing in his subject to be awarded the Nobel Prize. He will talk about youth employment and afterwards the young people...

Seanad: Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Second Stage (2 Oct 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister. I echo and support everything said about her in bringing forward this legislation, including her clarity, thoughtfulness and coolness in the way she has presented it. This debate could become somewhat fraught, but I do not think it will under the Minister?s guidance. The Minister was a Member of this House, as was the late Mr. Gordon Wilson. At the time when he...

Seanad: Life-Limiting Health Conditions in Children: Motion (26 Sep 2012)

Sean Barrett: ...hopefully will be put towards patients in the new Department of Health. The Minister strongly expressed the view that patients be put first. While I support and will be voting for the motion, I echo the point made by Senator Leyden and ask the Government to take on board the sentiments, rather than hitting the motion for six out of the Chamber. Some compromise should be found because...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Sep 2012)

Sean Barrett: I echo the comments by Senators Coghlan and Ó Murchú. We do not come here for a Punch and Judy show and to have produced articles with lines like "Ashen-faced Minister will have to answer to the junior Minister because he was defeated in the Senate". We come here to serve the country and we should look at motions in that spirit because the previous type of politics led us to where we are...

Seanad: Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Sep 2012)

Sean Barrett: I echo those sentiments. An article in the American Journal of Health-System Pharmacy states, "To be effective, drug-cost management efforts should be planned and executed as a continual process, not just as a brief annual exercise when the budget is prepared and provided to hospital administration". We are embarking here on something that is very important and I commend the Minister of...

Seanad: National Cultural Institutions: Motion (27 Jun 2012)

Sean Barrett: ...are all interested in directly productive cultural activities, including all the work the Minister did himself for cultural activities in County Kerry such as raising money abroad. The situation is echoed in local government, the health service and in universities. If we keep going, there will be a small number of people giving lectures but there will be an increased number of strategic...

Seanad: Euroscience Open Forum 2012: Statements (14 Jun 2012)

Sean Barrett: ...a quote from Rutherford who was his helper in that great project and joint winner. He stated that in times of austerity in the United Kingdom, as they had no money, it was time for ideas. This echoes very much what the Minister of State seeks to accomplish. Other speakers mentioned linking literature and the arts, in which we have a great track record, with the new developments in...

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (25 Apr 2012)

Sean Barrett: ...was in the House the previous day was that he was taking on board many comments. They were all good, but he should do more. I was disappointed to see the same Bill come back to us and I would echo those sentiments. Perhaps the Minister of State should relay them to the Minister and the Department. This is a serious problem. The sheltered sector is targeted by the troika and the IMF and...

Seanad: Thirtieth Amendment of the Constitution (Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (24 Apr 2012)

Sean Barrett: I echo much of what has been said. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, and thank the Ministers of State, Deputies Róisín Shortall and Fergus O'Dowd, who stood in for him yesterday. Some 90% of the content of the treaty has been agreed to already, as Senator Ivana Bacik pointed out. Is that not the problem? Take the situation in which Greece, Portugal, Spain, Italy,...

Seanad: Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Sean Barrett: I welcome the Minister to the House and echo the Leas-Chathaoirleach's condolences to him at this sad time for him and his family. Yesterday there was support in the House for the Minister's efforts on the promissory notes and I hope that reassures him and Governor Honohan. I welcome the 10,000 jobs the Minister mentioned in his speech. It is a sign that we are turning the corner and we did...

Seanad: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: ...system from France and Germany in particular? The 100 basis points reduction in interest rates is very good news in a country where 20% of tax revenues are paying interest on the national debt. I echo the comments of Mr. Colm McCarthy on RTE radio this morning that running down the debt is useful and should not be perceived as a waste of money. If we can reduce the tax burden, industry...

Seanad: Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Feb 2012)

Sean Barrett: ...achieving value for money. The OECD recommended the end of grants for off-shore windmills and the phasing out of grants for windmills on land. It also has doubts about tidal and solar energy. To echo what Senator Daly said, as a legislature, we need to keep in mind whether a proposal is cost effective or just possible in engineering terms. The advice of an bord snip (nua) is that energy...

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Sean Barrett: I echo what other Senators have been saying, namely, this is a difficult time. The table on page D.18 of the documentation attached to the Minister for Finance's presentation in the Dáil this afternoon shows that tax revenue will rise from €34 billion in 2011 to €43 billion in 2015. This amounts to €9 billion over the five-year period. As Senator Gilroy said, these burdens will come...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Nov 2011)

Sean Barrett: I wish to raise two issues. The comprehensive public expenditure review will only be published within two working days of the announcement of the budget. I echo what Senator Mary Ann O'Brien said that this is what should inform our discussion rather than letting it be turned into a hectoring session. The review will provide valuable information. I understand the opposition to its...

Seanad: Address by Dr. Mary Robinson (24 Nov 2011)

Sean Barrett: I echo the Cathaoirleach's words of welcome and those of Senators Maurice Cummins, Darragh O'Brien, Ivana Bacik and Jillian van Turnhout. Mary Robinson was elected to this House on 2 August 1969 and President 21 years later. Next Saturday week, 3 December, marks the 21st anniversary of her inauguration as President. I wish the party every success and I am sure it will be most enjoyable....

Seanad: European Financial Stability Facility Bill and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages. (22 Sep 2011)

Sean Barrett: I echo Senator O'Brien's thanks to the Minister for his response to the issues raised. The term "eurosceptic" is an issue. There should be two definitions for that term. One should relate to being eurosceptic with regard to the currency - I am in that category - and the other to being eurosceptic with regard to the European Union. I am not in that category but we must distinguish between...

Seanad: Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (8 Jul 2011)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister of State for returning to the House after lunch. I echo Senator Burke's concern about the two-year period. The five-year period for introducing competition in health insurance should come prior to this in order that hospitals will be competing and freeing up resources that are necessary. If these posts end after two years, the health insurance market has not been...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Jul 2011)

Sean Barrett: Some of my contribution will echo what Senator Zappone said. Today, the Troika is here. One of the key parts of the agreement of 1 December last is an examination of the costs of doing business in sheltered sectors in Ireland, including legal costs. That is what we were trying to debate yesterday in our amendments before they were guillotined. The cost of doing business in Ireland report...