Results 1,381-1,400 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: On the point made by Senator Martin Conway, I know the sign in Ballyvaughan to which he referred, which is wonderful. Anybody who has not seen it should have a look at The Irish Times today which carries a great picture of it. I agree with the Senator. For 20 years or more there has been very serious concern along the east coast from County Down to County Wicklow about the Sellafield...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

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

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State and this debate. The concept is good but I have some reservations that it could mean that the Seanad could become a giant committee. We have to differentiate ourselves from a committee system. There is an obvious appetite for more engagement with the general public and that is what the motion is trying to achieve. In terms of this, perhaps a better way of...

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (15 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I have only four minutes so I am going to keep going. On the other hand, the Australian Senate is wholly different and is probably the third most powerful upper house in the world. Its 76 members are elected by the same method used in the Seanad, namely the single transferable vote. However, as many have argued for, the vote is open to all adults and is not limited to politicians and...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I have been a Member of this House for 18 years and do not remember ever having a husband and wife team in front of me. I congratulate the Acting Chairman, Senator Paul Bradford, on his position in the House. I also welcome his wife, the Minister of State, Deputy Lucinda Creighton.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I am not sure how the Acting Chairman will contain the Minister of State if she is considered to be out of order and misbehaves.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is most welcome. I welcome the objectives of the Bill, although I am concerned about some aspects of it. In 1989 I had the opportunity to visit Leningrad, then part of the old Soviet Union. I asked our guide, Ludmila, if I could visit a supermarket. The one to which I was taken was very dull and plain and did not offer a great range of goods. When I asked the...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: It is an honour to follow those words of Senator McAleese. I will not touch on the words except what he said about "fresh thinking". I would love to instill the idea that this House can create fresh thinking. This is approximately the 70th anniversary of Dunkirk in Britain. Let us remember what happened in Dunkirk. The people of Britain were on their last legs and suddenly a degree of...

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister on his first visit to the new Seanad. I am glad to see him here.

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: That is not a point of order. It is a point of debate.

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: That is not a point of order but the Senator will be able to make that point later. If there is no speaker from the group of Taoiseach's nominees or the university Independent group, the Senators from Sinn Féin may make their contribution. I believe the party will be moving an amendment.

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: No interruptions, please.

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: Senators should address the Chair.

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: Unfortunately, because of a technicality, the Senator cannot move the amendment at this stage. It can only be moved after amendment No. 2 has been decided.

Seanad: Water Charges: Motion (8 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I had the opportunity to visit Chile some years ago. Anyone who wants to know something about conservation should consider the history of Easter Island. Every Member should do so, if only on the Internet for ten or 15 minutes. The island is so interesting. It had a very established civilisation 500 years ago but the inhabitants did not understand conservation. They cut down its trees for...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: While offering best wishes to those doing their examinations, I remind the House that the leaving certificate applied examinations are also taking place today. I mention this because a number of State bodies do not recognise this curriculum and there is a necessity to debate this issue. Every Member received a copy of the Order Paper in an envelope in his or her pigeon hole. I do not...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: Last year criticism was expressed about newspapers that printed only bad news. A few of us said that we would make sure we have good news. I came across some good news today. NUI Maynooth has become the first and only university outside North America to be included in the 2012 edition of The Princeton Review, a guide to the best 376 colleges. It is good news. Let us ensure we look for...

Seanad: Fourth Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection: Statements (7 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Rónán Mullen for sharing time. I welcome the Minister. When she demoted from this House to the Lower House, I thought we might not see her again, but then she was promoted to this position. I was pleased by her contribution and I am pleased we have a Department of Children and Youth Affairs. As she demonstrated in her contribution, she will grab the opportunity to...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: Will the Leader organise a debate on the Prison Service, a subject about which Senator Bacik has spoken eloquently in the past? It is some time since we had a debate on the service and several changes have occurred in the past several months. I would like the position regarding the development at Thornton Hall to be confirmed. Recent figures showed a rise in the number of people in prison...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jun 2011)

Feargal Quinn: I am also concerned about the level of early releases. The European Court of Human Rights has issued instructions as to what we have to do with our jails. I accept a debate on the Prison Service would be very wide but it would be useful to have the views of the new Seanad. It is essential it gives this topic the attention it deserves. Food exports have been successful in recent times....