Results 1,121-1,140 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I enjoyed listening to Senator Norris because he speaks with such strength and ability to express his view, but I do not agree with him.

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I got involved in a European organisation in 2006. When I went to Brussels, Paris and other cities, I found that we were regarded very highly. We had been at the bottom of the pile and had come up to have the highest GDP per capita along with Luxembourg. We had more people employed - with 2 million employed compared with 1 million 15 years earlier. Everybody asked how we did it. We did...

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: No, anything but.

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Clearly, other countries have not been able to do that. Whether one runs a family home, a business or a country-----

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: -----one must get one's figures right. One cannot spend more than one takes in. One can for a short period. During a tough time one can borrow, but during the good times one puts one's money aside.

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: That is happening. This stability treaty tells us that during the good times the EU wants us to allocate some money for the rainy day, but during the tough times it will allow us to borrow. What it and we do not want to do is to find ourselves in a situation where we have no banker, have thrown the key of the bank away and have no chance to go back. It is essential that during the tough...

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Cooperation and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Yes, he certainly has views about it. He predicted that Spanish and Italian depositors will try to move money to Germany, forcing the ECB to intervene or accept the end of the euro. There is a danger that we could see the end of the euro, and I accept that. However, I believe the eurozone, and Ireland being part of it, is of huge benefit to Europe and us. I have no wish to throw that...

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister to the House. I found the Minister's figures interesting, in particular those from the World Competitiveness Yearbook 2011. I am impressed to hear that Ireland ranks first in respect of corporate taxes, business legislation, foreign investment and availability of skilled labour, second for consumer price inflation and third for direct inward investment and financial...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: We have been talking today about anniversaries and dates. Later this year, the date of 11 December, is the 90th anniversary of the establishment of the first Seanad on 11 December 1922. I ask if we should recognise that event. That Seanad was abolished in 1936 but came back into being in this present form in 1937. The original Seanad was very effective in much of its work. I suggest the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: A number of us attended the commemoration at Arbour Hill of those who died for Ireland in 1916. I mention this because of the pride I have in our Army. The professionalism on display when the President laid the wreath this morning leaves me with little doubt that the Army deserves huge respect. Over the weekend the Irish Pharmacy Union issued a statement about fatalities from cardiovascular...

Seanad: Statute Law Revision Bill 2012: Second Stage (16 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State to the House again. He is obviously getting very fond of us. Touching on something Senator Sheahan said, I remember a similar Bill to this just a few years ago, in 2009. Review is ongoing and we need to do it every so often. It was interesting to hear Senator O'Donovan talk about learning Latin. I met an American lady the other day who asked about my...

Seanad: Mortgage Arrears: Statements, Questions and Answers (15 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, who seems to be getting fond of the House, as we see him here quite a lot. The major issue in dealing with mortgage arrears is making exceptions for one group but not for another. It will never be easy to strike a balance. If somebody decides to enjoy himself and have good time while his neighbour balances his budget and pays as much as he can, his neighbour...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Five years ago the European Union established a missing children's hotline and we debated it here last year. The EU urged every one of the nations of Europe to introduce the hotline 116000 and it can be contacted immediately when a child goes missing. A few minutes ago I telephoned the number and it still has not been set up in Ireland even though it has been set up in most European states....

Seanad: Order of Business (10 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Several steps are being taken by the Government that seem to be working in the direction of job creation, something to which Senators O'Keeffe and Bradford have referred. Another step was yesterday's announcement of Springboard's plan for this year. Springboard is a scheme whereby the State allocates a considerable sum of money to develop people who already have qualifications, but not...

Seanad: Qualifications and Quality Assurance (Education and Training) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (10 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is very welcome to the Seanad for this debate. I add my voice to those of both the previous speakers. The evidence is that Trinity College has existed for, I think, 420 years and is managed very well. The other universities have been there for well over 100 years. Not only have they succeeded for that length of time but, as Senator Crown has said, they have enjoyed...

Seanad: Review of White Paper on Irish Aid: Statements, Questions and Answers (9 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State, Deputy Joe Costello, is getting fond of Members and comes quite regularly to the Seanad. I am delighted he is wearing his current hat because his words give us confidence that we can achieve far more than we might otherwise have done. A billion people fall asleep hungry every night. That is a major challenge. As Senator Lorraine Higgins has said, while we may argue...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I seldom support Sinn Féin but I support Senator Cullinane's call for a debate on the stability treaty. Every time people who advocate a "No" vote in the referendum opens their mouths, they lose support. There is no case whatsoever to be made for a "No" vote. The fact that four Members believe they should vote "No" means it would be worthwhile to have a debate. We probably should have...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 May 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Leader will be aware of the concern I have expressed for a number of years over the number of organ donations in Ireland. There was great news yesterday when Facebook announced it would provide a facility to allow its users in Britain and the United States to declare whether they were willing to donate organs. This means that if somebody dies it will not be necessary to check if he or...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Apr 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I am very pleased with the Minister's amendments. The word "comparator", mentioned on Second and Committee Stages, was not one I had heard before. We were concerned about its use and I am pleased it has been removed. Concern was expressed by us over the fact that the directive we are supposed to be following was changed considerably. We have now returned to a position in which we are much...

Seanad: Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Apr 2012)

Feargal Quinn: This was a particular concern of the unions. The Minister and his officials have listened to their concerns. Neither do I believe it poses any threat to employers. I can understand in the case of a person who works for a year, is gone for a month, returns to work for another year and is gone again for another month, that on his or her next return for the third assignment, the person is...