Results 11,301-11,320 of 12,886 for speaker:Paul Coghlan

Seanad: Control of Exports Bill 2007: Second Stage (22 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern. I also welcome the Bill. I thank the Minister of State for his general overview of it and the detailed outline of what the various sections contain. I reserve the right to strengthen the proposed legislation through amendments on Committee Stage. The Bill has many worthy aims. It will regulate arms brokering in Ireland and by Irish...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I welcome the content of a letter I received this morning from the Minister of State with responsibility for housing, Deputy Noel Ahern. It informs me that the practice of stage payments in the purchase of houses in housing estates will officially end from 30 June next. No new contracts after that date will permit it. This is a voluntary code, of course, rather than a legislative...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: Albeit for another——

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I ask the Leader whether the Control of Exports Bill will be still taken at noon.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I will need to be ready in a quarter of an hour if it still stands.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (22 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I will be on standby.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (21 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: The Leader would not know anybody down there.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (21 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: He is from Kerry.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (21 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: Some months ago the Government announced its intention to increase the number of High Court, Circuit Court and District Court judges. I believe it was proposed to add two to the High Court and three or four in the District Court, but nothing happened. We now have the Courts and Court Officers (Amendment) Bill, which allows for an additional four judges in the High Court, three in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: Senator Brian Hayes raised an important matter today, namely stamp duty reform, which is long overdue. The Exchequer does well from receipts from stamp duty but it needs to be reformed quickly. As Senator Brian Hayes said, the fact that the Government parties significantly diverge on the matter is dangerous for the stability of the market and has huge potential to inflict continuing damage.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I do. That is the purpose of my remarks. We are all concerned about first-time buyers who are crippled by huge mortgages. The Leader agreed with us twice but still voted down the Housing (Stage Payments) Bill in this House which would have done so much to alleviate the situation for first-time buyers.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: Of course I want a debate but perhaps the Leader could tell me something because now there is a divergence between the Government parties. Maybe the Fianna Fáil element of the Government will come up with something. The Minister has written to me about stage payments but nothing has been delivered.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: We have the highest inflation in Europe and the worst value for money. Prices have risen 26% faster than in the rest of the euro area, inflation is close to 5%, there are approximately 50 stealth taxes and the price of electricity and gas has risen considerably and is probably still rising. IBEC has stated that the price of basic food products, such as bread, cereals and canned foods, will...

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I thank the Minister for his acceptance of, if not the exact wording, the spirit of so much of what was contained in my amendments. A number of my amendments were not discussed because they were ruled out of order on the grounds that they involve a potential charge on the Revenue. I accept the points made by the Minister with regard to my other amendments. As this is a Seanad Bill and it...

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Report and Final Stages (14 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: It is a reputation I must not hold up.

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I am happy to accept the assurance of the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment that this power already exists for the director of the new agency and that, without the legislative underpinning, it is happening already with price surveys. I also accept his assurance that he will have an amendment to the appropriate section on the issue of provider quality marks.

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: The jury is still out and Senator Quinn is very diplomatic. In view of the Minister's assurances, I will withdraw the amendment.

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: I move amendment No. 19: In page 58, before section 72, but in Chapter 2, to insert the following new section: "72.—Order 53A of the District Court Rules, 1997 (S.I. No. 410 of 2001) is amended— (a) in Rule 1, by the substitution in the definition of "small claim" of "€10,000" for "€1,269.74", (b) in Rule 3, by the substitution of "€10.00" for "€9.00", and (c) in Rule 7, by the...

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: It is too low.

Seanad: Consumer Protection Bill 2007: Committee Stage (14 Feb 2007)

Paul Coghlan: The higher courts are being clogged as a consequence. The limit badly needs to be increased.