Results 1,541-1,560 of 1,886 for speaker:Fergal Browne

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2004)

Fergal Browne: Will the Leader invite the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to the House to outline the position of the Progressive Democrats on motorways? I asked about this issue more than a year ago. There have been reports in the newspapers recently that the Cabinet is split on the issue and the Tánaiste has now written to the Minister for Transport. Why is she doing this seven years later?...

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2004)

Fergal Browne: I want to finish my point.

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Mar 2004)

Fergal Browne: The up-to-date figures clearly indicate that the volume of traffic will be greater than a single lane carriageway could cope with. What is the Government's position on the issue? A dual carriageway is proposed. There is nothing in between a single carriageway and dual carriageway; it must be either one or the other.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I mentioned past members of local authorities and pensions for them in our previous debate on this Bill. This is loosely relevant to section 12 of this Bill and I hope the Minister of State will consider it again for people who served on local authorities when there was no salary. They spent many years, sacrificed a great deal personally, commercially and financially, to give public service....

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Report and Final Stages. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I thank the Minister of State and his officials for their courtesy and help today during the discussion on various amendments and points of clarification that we sought. Some valid points were raised on this side of the House and I hope the Minister of State and his officials will reconsider them before the Bill goes to the Dáil. If such amendments are made and the Bill comes back to us, it...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: It is worth noting that the average length of the career of a politician at national level is only 11 years. I know the Minister of State comes from a very distinguished family. His grandfather, father, brother and aunt have all been in the Dáil. His father had the unique distinction of having been in the Dáil before his grandfather. This family is an exception to the rule. The days of...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: The Minister referred to current public and civil servants. There are also retired public servants who are willing to return to their profession. The Minister for Transport spoke in the Seanad about creating a dedicated Garda traffic corps composed of retired gardaí. How would they be affected? I am aware retired people may earn a certain amount of income without an effect on their pension....

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: There is a huge shortage of teachers in the teaching profession and many unqualified teachers have positions in schools. Some teachers who retire on age grounds would love to return to the profession and continue teaching, although this might be the exception rather than the rule. When this Bill is passed, how in light of the shortage would a teacher who retired at 60 or 65, who now wanted to...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage (Resumed). (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I am wondering and thinking of the context when the Bill is passed. Take for example a teacher who retired last month because he or she was 65 years of age. When the Bill is passed, it will remove the cap on the maximum age for retirement. If that teacher decides next September that he or she wants to return to teaching, he or she is still entitled to the pension because of having worked the...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I agree with Senator O'Toole. Unfortunately, a B.Ed. degree is of no use outside of the teaching area. People who have committed themselves to teacher training colleges will be snookered by this. If an exception is made for trainee gardaí, the same should be done, on the grounds of equity, for students who have committed themselves to the different colleges of education, whether Froebel,...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I want to move from that point to teachers. In fairness to them, does the Minister of State know of any case of a newly qualified teacher walking into a job unrelated to education on the day after qualifying with his or her B.Ed.? I do not know of any. The qualified B.Ed. must also spend the first year after qualification doing a diploma before being recognised as fully qualified.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: Did the Senator hear what I said?

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: My point was that 99% of graduates with a B.Ed. go into teaching, because unfortunately, the B.Ed. degree is not useful for getting jobs in areas outside of education. That is the specific point I made. I genuinely do not know of anyone who left college with a B.Ed. who entered a different area of work without having to do some other course. My point is that a B.Ed. degree is specific. It...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: The possibility is there for a garda also.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: As Senator O'Toole pointed out, the principle of an exception has already been established in terms of the gardaí. All this side of the House wishes to establish is that it be extended to new entrants in the colleges of education. In response to Senator Ormonde, far more gardaí are involved in other duties outside the force than teachers working outside of teaching. The point I made was...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I thank Senator Fitzgerald for his contribution. He has certainly reconfirmed my beliefs and has certainly made a valid point about existing Higher Diploma in Education students. They could be included also. There is an exception being made regarding gardaí. If a survey was carried out on the number of people who trained as gardaí but who are no longer in the Garda and the number of...

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I did not say that.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I referred to those doing a Higher Diploma in Education. I actually stated that a BA gives a wider qualification.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: I was talking about a B.Ed.

Seanad: Public Service Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2004)

Fergal Browne: It is fair to say that 100% of B.Ed. graduates will end up teaching at primary level or in another area. I am sure that if a survey was conducted in the college of education and asked B.Ed. graduates why they were taking a course, they would respond by saying that it is because they want to teach at primary level. It is disingenuous to introduce the BA argument. I picked up Senator...