Results 1,161-1,180 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: It is fair to say that while we do not particularly welcome the Bill, it is better to get it in and out and behind us. I have a real difficulty with the legislation and the tax system in regard to cars. I am delighted the Minister intends to look at this area as it needs examination. I cannot believe gardaí, who decided on a vocation to protect the nation, have to spend so much time...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Last year 70 million Chinese people travelled abroad and 10,000 of them came to Ireland. The Italians looked at the figures and wondered what they could do. They always issued visas in Beijing and Shanghai, but its Ministry of Foreign Trade established about 30 mobile offices to issue visas around China and the number of Chinese visitors coaxed into visiting Italy increased by 100%. That...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: When the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade came before the House a few weeks ago I raised the question of an Irish citizen who has been imprisoned in Sri Lanka for quite some time. This Irish citizen has been locked up for four and a half years, which is 1,674 days to date. He has not been charged. It is fair to say he is kept in desperate conditions. I am not sure...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State to the House and I welcome the Bill. My daughter, Gillian, studied under Senator Barrett in Trinity College and graduated in 1988, one of a group of 38. The day after her graduation, 37 of the group emigrated. Those who talk about how difficult times are now - I agree times are difficult - should be reminded that we have gone through difficult times in the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: We do not always agree on everything, even though he educated my daughter very well. Surely with agriculture, we should not outsource.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: There are approximately 44 other things I wanted to say but I will touch on one thing I brought up before, namely, crowd-funding whereby people pledge investments online to new start-ups. That has a great future. It is now worth $2 billion per year in the United States. I called on the Government to set up a new national network which could tap into the great finances available from the...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator Healy Eames on her proposal. For several years I have had the pleasure of awarding prizes to transition year students from a local school. I am constantly amazed at the amount of work they do over the year. The Senator referred to the valuable life skills they develop. It is mind boggling to think how much can be achieved by youngsters at the age of 15 or 16.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: They cover such a wide range of activities that it makes sense to make everybody take transition year. A considerable number of schools do not offer transition year, which is a shame.

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: Transition year is very worthy and we should give more attention to it. It is a topic that deserves to be debated in this House. I read in yesterday's newspapers that the household tax leaflet will only be delivered to between 86% and 94% of homes. Apparently it was never the intention to deliver it to every home because the Government reached a deal not with An Post, which it owns, but...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: To follow Senator Colm Burke's comments on third level education, let us not limit ourselves to third level education provided in universities. Let us remember that there are job possibilities in other areas. I am thinking, in particular, of the hospitality sector and the great work being done in that regard by a number of third level education facilities. I was in the Cathaoirleach's...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I received a great welcome at Ireland West Airport in Knock. I was very impressed by its plans for the year and the number of aeroplanes that will fly to the west from various European countries. This is the first time the airport has had such large numbers arriving. Clearly, it is gearing up for a huge increase in the number of tourists from the Continent this year. I mention this...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: There is bad news for smokers who are football fans because I note that Ukraine is going to introduce a ban on smoking. I mention that because we introduced the smoking ban ten years ago and were the first to do so. I was struck by figures which were published last week and shown to me during this week which highlight that the percentage of the population who smoke has decreased...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I do not want to talk about smoking but to talk about lobbying and the discussion we will have on it. I support entirely that we should have that discussion in this House-----

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: -----before a Bill on it is introduced because when it is introduced, particularly if it is introduced in the Dáil, it will be very difficult to get changes made afterwards, regardless of how convincing an argument we make. There is a need for a debate on lobbyists and how we regulate them. A former Minister with responsibility for the health portfolio, Mary Harney, told me some years ago...

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (14 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I became chairman of Eurocommerce, based in Brussels, in 2006 and held the post for three years. That meant I spent much time not just in Brussels but in each of the other 26 member states as well. The respect for Ireland in 2006 was significant and everybody told us how well we were running the economy and what a success we had been. People noted our achievements. By 2009 and 2010, we...

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (14 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I appreciate Senator Bacik's clarification and I am pleased to note the rapporteur is taking a note of our comments. I was unaware the Minister would not be present as I did not understand the procedure that had been agreed. Nevertheless, I am pleased to have had an opportunity to debate the treaty.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The integrity of the broadcasting system has been highly valued for many years, but it has been damaged recently by the Fr. Reynolds case and now by the Seán Gallagher case. I support Senators D'Arcy, Paschal Mooney and Rónán Mullen who have all called for an investigation into the matter. It is not enough to have a debate on it in the House; there must be an open investigation into what...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: As a result of the many crises facing us, whether financial, banking or jobs-related, there is a danger that we do not allocate sufficient time to discuss some of the other things in our lives. I hope we can find time to discuss the environment at some stage. I have in mind particularly the diversity of our birdlife. We are experiencing a serious threat to our birdlife, especially...

Seanad: Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: The Senator may not come in again at this stage.

Seanad: Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Feargal Quinn: I am a believer in competition and have been all my life. In general the Minister has got the balance right in this and it is not easy to achieve what he set out to do. In 1936, my father opened a grocery business and fell out with his father, who was also in the grocery business, as my grandfather thought it unethical to cut the price of groceries; he believed people should compete only on...