Results 10,441-10,460 of 13,254 for speaker:Seán Sherlock

School Transport (4 Jul 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Deputy Smith takes an innovative view of how the Topical Issues debate should be utilised in respect of lobbying for the new school.

Leaders' Questions (21 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Deputy Boyd Barrett is exploiting those people.

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: There is no precedent which would prevent the scheme, once it is up and running, being debated by the committee. There is no lack of clarity on my part or that of the Minister, Deputy Bruton, in respect of that matter. The Bill before the House is enabling legislation and the scheme is the subject of a procurement exercise. There were actually two such exercises carried out in respect of...

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Without being disingenuous, I apologise to the Deputy if he found my remarks personally hurtful, although an element in my brain tells me his skin is thicker than he might let on.

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The Deputy knows that when I say we know how the game is played, I mean there is a process and a system in place. I was speaking in a metaphorical sense. We are moving to ensure we can put the scheme in place and expedite it as quickly as possible. The scheme must be targeted towards commercially viable businesses. We are conscious that businesses have failed in the last while. That is...

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: It is important to answer the point. A charge had to be made under State aid rules. We all accept that premise. That is fact. The decision was for 0.8% upwards. The Government chose 2% as the most appropriate rate because one must allow an appropriate figure to be able to cover losses contributed to by administrative and other costs. One must factor that in. We are dealing,...

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I understand the Minister, Deputy Bruton, has already given a commitment that there would be a review of the scheme after a year of operation. It would be right and proper that a review would take place. As a matter of course one would have to review the scheme and I believe the Minister's commitment is sufficient. One could argue that there may not be sufficient data, patterns or trends...

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I acknowledge the Deputy's point which has been made in good faith. A scheme of this nature will be vital in providing the credit necessary to fund businesses which are the backbone of the economy. In this light, it would be ridiculous not to review the scheme after a certain time. It is important that it be reviewed.

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Before continuing, I would be obliged if, in accordance with Standing Order 140, the Chair would direct the Clerk to make a verbal correction to the text of the Bill. It relates to the ordering on page 4 of the Bill of the definitions of "participating lender" and "participating borrower". I request that the order of these two definitions be changed in order that the definition of...

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The scheme will not be debated. Best practice is to lay schemes before the Oireachtas and not to engage in debates on individual schemes. I cannot accept amendment No. 2, the purpose of which is to have the scheme debated. On Committee Stage, the Minister, Deputy Bruton, clearly indicated he was unwilling to engage in a further full-blown, policy-based discussion on the temporary partial...

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I do not know if Deputy O'Dea is playing politics with this issue-----

Credit Guarantee Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Report Stage (20 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: -----but I suspect he is doing so.

Written Answers — Small and Medium Enterprises: Small and Medium Enterprises (19 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: The recently announced New Frontiers Programme replaces the Enterprise Platform Programme and aims to raise the number of business start-ups and to increase the pipeline of HPSUs and other sustainable businesses. This new programme forms part of one of the action points set out in the Government's Action Plan for Jobs. New Frontiers is a national programme delivered in 9 regional locations...

Seanad: Míbhuntáiste Oideachasúil (19 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: Let me first state that I apologise for not being able to engage with the Senator as proficiently as possible through the medium of Irish. Perhaps that is a reflection on the rota of Ministers who reply and perhaps he should have been afforded the opportunity of a full reply as gaeilge. I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the Senator about DEIS status for Pobal Scoil Gaoth...

Seanad: Míbhuntáiste Oideachasúil (19 Jun 2012)

Seán Sherlock: I acknowledge the point made by the Senator but there cannot be a geographical bias for bursaries either. We must have regard for the economic circumstances that we find ourselves in.

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

Seán Sherlock: I am delighted to be here to speak about this important year for Irish science and, most particularly, the Euroscience Open Forum, ESOF, 2012, which is being held in our capital city this summer. The programme for Dublin City of Science 2012 has been up and running since its launch on 26 January. This is very much an historic year for science in Ireland. We have already seen the science...

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

Seán Sherlock: I thank Senators for their good wishes. There is always a great welcome in the Seanad.

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

Seán Sherlock: I do not want to sound patronising, but there is an eclectic knowledge in the House, given its economists, musicians, food technologists and educators. The debate is more lateral and sometimes more interesting.

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

Seán Sherlock: We have all bought into the concept of ESOF and everyone acknowledges the positive role it can play. Given our aims for research and innovation, we need to be able to measure impacts more accurately. The prioritisation action group follows on from the research prioritisation exercise and was instigated by Mr. Jim O'Hara. It was concluded that the State would focus its research on 14 key...

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

Seán Sherlock: That is one possibility. With regard to the public and political engagement with science, we are talking about an apolitical space, which I mentioned before. Professor Mark Ferguson, the new director of Science Foundation Ireland, has engaged with the Oireachtas through breakfast briefings. If there are specific ideas that must come from this forum, we should try to facilitate it. That is...