Results 1,021-1,040 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Some 26 years ago Sir Kenneth Cork, the leading expert in Britain on companies that went into receivership, wrote in an article that he discovered that companies that were going to run into difficulty often had built a new office, but the sure sign that it would go out of business was if it put a fountain in the foyer. The reason I bring it up is the Central Bank is moving from its offices...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Information and Communications Technology Skills: Discussion with Ministers (27 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I found both Ministers' contributions very interesting. Large employers get a lot of publicity when somebody goes over to the United States and brings back an employer who provides hundreds of jobs. Small start-ups, however, do not seem to get anything like the same amount of publicity, yet there are hundreds of them. In addition, every large business started as a small one. Could we have...

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I congratulate Senator Mary White who has opened a discussion of the kind we do not have as often as we should. When I first came to the House, almost 20 years ago, within a few weeks the then Minister, Mrs. Mary O'Rourke, had introduced an unfair dismissals Bill. For a number of months beforehand she had raised the subject with trade unions and employers to discover what they would regard...

Seanad: Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and I appreciate the detailed explanation in his speech. There has not been enough recognition of entrepreneurship in Ireland. Senator Lorraine Higgins touched on that point. If Lord Alan Sugar lived in Ireland, he would not have been able to get out of bankruptcy. F.W. Woolworth went bankrupt three times before he built up his huge empire. There is a need for...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The horror of what is happening in the Holy Land is affecting all of us. However, I am rather surprised that I hear no support for the problems faced by Israel itself. Imagine being in a situation in which bombs and missiles are being continuously loaded onto your cities and you are expected to sit back and do nothing. We want peace in Israel and Gaza, but we expect and only hear...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (20 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: If we are trying to create jobs and attract investment, one sure of way preventing success is sending people out of the country.

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (20 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Ownership is a production factor. Entrepreneurs are a production factor. These people are indeed rich and one can argue that we want to encourage social cohesion but it is also problematic if entrepreneurs are driven out of the country because they are the source of job creation. In terms of social protection, we must think of other innovative ways to get people back to work. I have...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs: Statements (20 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. It is always a joy to listen to somebody with good news and certainly the Minister has brought good news today. The Minister is also hearing great things today. Even members of the Opposition are saying nice things about him. It certainly appears that there is progress and that things are heading in the right direction. We have become more competitive in recent...

Seanad: Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2012: First Stage (20 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to protect national workers from exploitation by providing a due diligence defence for such workers and also to preclude employers from avoiding liability through reliance upon the illegality of a contract of employment and for that purpose to amend the Employment Permits Act 2003 and to provide for related matters.

Seanad: Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2012: First Stage (20 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: On Wednesday, 28 November 2012.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to move an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 14, the Employment Permits (Amendment) Bill 2012 be taken before No. 1 today. I hope there is consideration of that. It is time for us to ensure there is a discussion on what is happening in Israel and Gaza at some point, but sooner rather than later. It seems to me that we must find a solution to the horror and terror that is...

Seanad: Chalara fraxinea (Ash Dieback Disease): Statements (15 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I had done some work on this very serious problem and had intended to call for an action plan from the Minister of State, but he has already done a great deal of work and I am very impressed. This work has included meeting the Minister in Northern Ireland, Michelle O'Neill, MLA, because it is an all-Ireland problem. It is also an all-Europe...

Seanad: Chalara fraxinea (Ash Dieback Disease): Statements (15 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I suggest that questions be kept until the end of the debate when the Minister of State can answer all of them.

Seanad: Chalara fraxinea (Ash Dieback Disease): Statements (15 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: We now have statements on the discovery of Chalara fraxinea, ash dieback disease in the context of the importance of forestry and forestry products industry. I welcome the Minister of State to the House.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Tackling the Black Market and Retail Crime Report: Discussion (15 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I apologise for being late. I had to attend another function and I could not get here until now. I can remember walking through Talbot Street 15 years ago when tobacco was openly sold but that problem was solved. I do not go down Talbot Street much now but I do not believe tobacco is sold as openly as it was then. However, illegal diesel and petrol is now coming through on that basis....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Tackling the Black Market and Retail Crime Report: Discussion (15 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: That trade was done very openly and it was stopped.

Seanad: Measures to Address Bullying: Motion (14 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister and this debate, which I have found very educational. I am pleased the Minister is in the chair and believe he can make something happen. Could we introduce some new ideas in schools? Could we ask a group of students to act as safety teams in order to teach other students about bullying and its dangers. They rather than the teachers could set parameters and decide...

Seanad: Fiscal Responsibility Bill 2012: Second Stage (14 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister is welcome to the House. I was impressed by the words he used. He talked about the need for sensible, prudent responsibility. These were exactly the words we used last year when Senator Barrett proposed exactly this theme and I was very happy to support it last year. The objective of this Bill must be accepted by everybody, I cannot believe anybody would disagree with it....

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (14 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister for Health was in the House yesterday but I would like him to come back shortly. Yesterday's short debate was good and I was delighted that my colleague, Senator Crown, had the opportunity to influence the Minister regarding the new children's hospital. He encouraged us all to support the Minister wholeheartedly to ensure the hospital is built as a matter of urgency. I refer to...

Seanad: The Economy: Statements (13 Nov 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State and, in general, the speech is welcome as well because it contained positive news. It is fair to say that some developments have been very worthwhile. I disagree entirely with Senator Michael D'Arcy, who said that people need certainty while indicating that we should play with corporation tax. If we are to give investors certainty, we must make it very clear...