Results 1,281-1,300 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Infrastructure and Capital Investment: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: Can the Minister provide a likely date?

Seanad: Infrastructure and Capital Investment: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: Before calling the Minister I welcome a visiting party of economics students from Trinity College. I welcome the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin.

Seanad: Infrastructure and Capital Investment: Statements, Questions and Answers (22 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister, please.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: The very survival of this House is under threat. I suggest that our behaviour here last week did not enhance our chance of survival. The way we behaved was not acceptable and we need to be very careful in future that we earn the respect of those who are going to make that decision in the future. Following Senator Norris's plea to the Committee on Procedure and Privileges to give serious...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: Last night Sir Richard Branson called on the British Government to introduce legislation for organ donation with an opt-out clause. A Bill was introduced in this House three years ago which had a very good debate on Second Stage. Then I was asked whether I would adjourn it with two or three minutes to go so that consultation could take place in regard to the opt-out. It was not just an...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements, Questions and Answers (17 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. I am full of admiration for her grasp of her brief. Much of what she said was spoken off the cuff, rather than read from a script. I now better understand her proposal about sick pay. That does not mean I support it because I was even more impressed by Senator Healy Eames's contribution. I understand that the Minister's objective is to reduce absenteeism. However,...

Seanad: Overseas Trade: Statements (17 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is very welcome. She knows this House well. We spent a number of years here together and it is great to see her in her new job. She has obviously taken it on with enthusiasm and is full of the necessary confidence. I spoke this morning to former MEP Eoin Ryan, our representative on the board of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. He told me not...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I have long argued that if we are going to create jobs, they will not be created by Government. Governments do not create long-lasting jobs. What must happen is that we must encourage industry and business to create jobs. One way to do this is by helping those in transition year, as mentioned by Senator van Turnhout. I have always had students on work experience in my office here and I am...

Seanad: Community and Voluntary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (9 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share time with Senator Crown.

Seanad: Community and Voluntary Sector: Statements, Questions and Answers (9 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister to the House. I appreciate all he has said and is doing, in particular in regard to the forum on philanthropy and fund-raising referred to by Senator Zappone. In regard to the philanthropy problem, it appears to me that the reason we do not have a high target is the use by wealthy people of tax breaks to avoid paying tax. The introduction of tax breaks has affected...

Seanad: Reform of Junior Certificate: Statements (8 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: May I share my time with my two colleagues Senators Crown and Barrett? I will take four minutes and they will take two minutes each. I am being very generous. I am delighted to see the Minister here, not just because we have a blood relationship but because he is a breath of fresh air, not only in the House but in that seat. He has hit the ground running and come in with enthusiasm and...

Seanad: Reform of Junior Certificate: Statements (8 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: That was to do with the leaving certificate applied. It impressed me no end. Charles Handy, on the other hand, talks about ten different intelligences. The word they use is "intelligences". How do we encourage this intelligence? It is not a matter of skills. I know the leaving certificate applied is not the junior certificate, but I urge the Minister to keep an eye on that and to do...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Nov 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I would also like to welcome Senator Norris back to the House again. Many here are disappointed that he is back in the House; not because he is not welcome, but because we thought he might be in a different house on this occasion. I would like to add my words of welcome to the President elect, Michael D. Higgins. He will add great stature to that house. He is following in the footsteps of...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2011)

Feargal Quinn: It will not be easy. I was in Greece a couple of weeks ago. There was no doubt that a lack of belief in themselves was contributing to what was happening in Greece. We must make sure that does not happen with us. It is important that we have established a name for ourselves by the time we go back in 18 months' time or whenever we need to borrow again. I congratulate those who have...

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2011)

Feargal Quinn: On a point of order, the answer to this is that Sinn Féin should have five people elected and then they will have permission.

Seanad: Order of Business (27 Oct 2011)

Feargal Quinn: When I was starting in business, my father told me that when one is in business, one's good name is much more important to one than almost anything else. He mentioned the effect of not paying one's debts. The deal that was made in Brussels during the early hours of this morning seems to suggest that Greece will not pay its debts. Some people are saying we should be treated similarly. The...

Seanad: Gender-Based Violence: Motion (26 Oct 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Perry, to the Chamber. I enjoy doing The Irish Times crossword every day because I am interested in vocabulary. Many of the new words I have heard in the past year are not very pleasant. I did not hear the word "gendercide" until last year but as Senator Mullen pointed out, it was used in a book title as far back as 1985. It really is a nasty word....

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2011)

Feargal Quinn: We have had a constitution since 1937 and it has worked very well for us. If we are to tamper with it, we should do so with very delicate fingers and thoughts. We should be careful about how we do it. A clear objective of the Government side should be to say why we want these two amendments to be made. The discussion we need to have has not nearly taken place. A debate today and tomorrow...

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Oct 2011)

Feargal Quinn: Therefore, I support Senator Darragh O'Brien's call for the Minister to come to the House, although I appreciate it would be at short notice. It seems this debate has been superseded by the Presidential election debate which has taken prominence from it. The vast majority of the public do not know enough about it. People have not had time to consider it. This is an occasion for us to do...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Oct 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I was impressed by Senator Leyden's reference to the ability of both Houses to scrutinise European legislation. In the past, we had a Joint Committee on European Scrutiny but we do not have that any more and I am not sure whether that legislation is being scrutinised. The House could well play an active part in this. The reason I raise this is comments yesterday by the British Lord Chief...