Results 1,001-1,020 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business (11 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator van Turnhout for referring to the Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2012. I am not sure that the Bill will go any further because the Minister intends to introduce his own Bill next year. I suppose what frustrates me about that is it will take at least eight or nine months to be introduced and enacted whereas the Bill initiated here could have done something much more...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: As I came into Leinster House this morning I could hear all the shouting emanating from this Chamber. A group of schoolchildren were in the hall. We are doing ourselves a great deal of harm in this House when we shout and raise objections. I heard Senator Mooney say that when the Cathaoirleach is on his feet, it is expected that the speaker should resume his or her seat. Certain behaviour...

Seanad: Budget 2013: Statements (5 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Norris for giving me some of his time.

Seanad: Budget 2013: Statements (5 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I know it was never going to be easy to take ¤3.5 billion out of the economy. However, in this case the Minister, Deputy Noonan, listened to the voices that said we must prioritise jobs. He spoke about their being the lifeblood of the future. He listened and took a number of steps in that direction. He also recognised the importance of the SMEs and a great number of the steps he has...

Seanad: Order of Business. (5 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I am concerned about the length of time it takes to get anything done in the State, particularly in Government areas. The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, was in the House some months ago and said that before he came to office, provision was made for the introduction of a post code system. To the best of my knowledge that has not happened, at...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I accept what the Minister said and Senator David Cullinane has confirmed that view. We discussed the credit union legislation about an hour ago. I do not see credit unions mentioned in the Personal Insolvency Bill. The debt relief discussions take place with the banks. Perhaps there is oversight or credit unions have been mentioned, but I would like to ensure they were not excluded from...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 37: In page 32, between lines 14 and 15, to insert the following subsection: "(12) The debtor is guaranteed the right, at all times during the insolvency process, to open and operate any bank account (including online banking facilities) provided by a banking institution registered in the State.".This amendment relates to the right to open a bank account. The reason I...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (4 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I appreciate the Minister's sympathy with the issue raised. I recognise it would be difficult to compel a bank to open accounts. However, I appreciate the Minister's offer to consult the Attorney General about whether it is possible to use debit accounts. Banks cannot be forced to automatically grant overdraft facilities to somebody who is insolvent and I hope the Minister can come up with...

Seanad: Credit Union Bill 2012: Second Stage (4 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is very welcome to the House. He seems to be getting rather fond of us because he is here every second day.

Seanad: Credit Union Bill 2012: Second Stage (4 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I am pleased to see the Credit Union Bill before the House. I had not realised the extent to which I was connected with it. My father was actively involved in the first two credit unions in Dublin. I looked up the Internet today and discovered that he was actively involved in 1955, 1956 and 1957 when the Dún Laoghaire credit union co-operative was established. I believe the Donore Credit...

Seanad: Order of Business (4 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator Leyden's comments about Ireland West Airport Knock. I have had reason to go there a number of times recently. What impresses me is that this is not an area that said "The Government should do it for us". The people got up and did it themselves. There is a levy for every customer leaving and they have managed to succeed. However, they have put it to the Government that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Forthcoming Competitiveness Council: Discussion with Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (4 Dec 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister who seems to be getting very fond of us and is coming before the committee on a regular basis. I am concerned about subsidiarity. It seems to me that more and more power is going to the centre of Europe rather than being delegated outwards. I wonder to what extent we are very good Europeans compared to others. A lot of the regulations that are made - not just...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Some people got engaged recently.

Seanad: Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I understand the reason Senator Byrne is putting forward this amendment but I also understand the explanation the Minister has given. This issue is not easy to resolve but the Minister's comment that he will try to resolve it on Report Stage satisfies me because I can understand the difficulty. There was an article about a Chinese item in the newspaper yesterday that was expected to be sold...

Seanad: Europol Bill 2012: Second Stage (29 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, to the House. The Bill is certainly welcome. I cannot see how anyone would have any objection to it. I had a friend in the supermarket business in Holland some years ago who was kidnapped and I was impressed at the speed at which the local police were able to move across borders to see if they could identify the criminal....

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I travel around the country frequently and I am struck by the number of closed shops in the main streets of many of our towns. In recent years we have heard how tough business is. As mentioned by Senator Harte, Judge Kelleher recently stated that 170 shops that had been unable to pay their rates to Cork City Council were on his list. He said that he expected a further 200 on his list...

Seanad: Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (28 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, was not present earlier when Senator Harte spoke about the Irish, particularly from Donegal and the west of Ireland, who went mainly to Scotland over the years and the way they were exploited on many occasions. Senator Mooney has just spoken in a similar manner. Given that the Irish have had such experience of being exploited in the past, there is a...

Seanad: Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (28 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I welcome the Minister of State, who I hope will make this Bill welcome. It addresses a discreet issue that has as its basis the High Court decision of Mr. Justice Gerard Hogan in Hussein v. the Labour Court & Anor. [2012] IEHC 364, which was delivered last August. Mr. Justice Hogan is well known to Senators as having been a leading...

Seanad: Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (28 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I know. Perhaps I could urge with more vigour, but I would have loved it had the Seanad been able to agree the Bill quickly and pass it to the Dáil. I have spoken to members of the Technical Group in the Dáil and they are agreeable to taking over responsibility for the Bill when it is before that House. In this way, Government time might not be required to pass the Bill in the Dáil. I...

Seanad: Transport (Córas Iompair Éireann and Subsidiary Companies Borrowings) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State. I know he has listened very carefully to Senator Barrett's comments in the past and will do so on this occasion as well. I come from a business background where we did not understand the distortion of the market through subsidies to competitors. We can consider the example of air traffic. I have often said how we remember what used to happen with the...