Results 1,641-1,660 of 1,886 for speaker:Fergal Browne

Seanad: Order of Business. (2 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: It would be more effective with resources.

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I wish to query the Government's road building capability. The national development plan was launched with great fanfare a few years ago and we were told we would have dual carriageways everywhere by 2006. We were promised there would be no more delays and that our infrastructure, which the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment described as being of Third World standard, would be...

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: A lot done, but more to do.

Seanad: Road Network. (2 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: The Minister of State mentioned 16 major projects in construction or due to start shortly and the commencement of a tendering process on ten further projects. Will he give details of those projects?

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I move amendment No. 1: In page 9, subsection (2), between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following new paragraphs: "(i) to establish a 24 hour free phone line to report complaints, (j) to introduce a central taxi monitoring and booking system with a single taxi contact phone number and electronic identification of the nearest available taxi,". My amendment is simple. Section 9 sets out the...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I move amendment No. 2: In page 9, before section 10, to insert the following new section: 10.(1) The Minister shall establish a register of accessible vehicles. (2) Every State funded hospital and school requiring the use of an accessible vehicle, shall in the first instance seek the availability of a vehicle on the Register maintained in subsection (1).". The amendment requires the...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: In the budget last December the Minister for Finance announced a cap on recruitment in the public service. We ask the Minister of State to clarify the exact level of resources and staffing the commission will get, in light of the statement of the Minister for Finance that there will be a cap on recruitment. We are concerned that there might only be a skeleton service.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: With all due respect, the commission can only work within its budget. If it is not given the money in the first place, a problem may arise. I accept the Minister of State's comment and look forward to a decent allocation being made in the Estimates.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: We are concerned at the Government trend to engage huge numbers of consultants, on whom it is over reliant at times, on every matter. We would prefer to see action being taken rather than to see beautiful reports, which are over time and over budget, being put on the shelf. I hope that will not happen in this case.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I am concerned, and my colleagues who hold the transport brief will agree with me, that there seems to be a lack of accountability in this area. We are not allowed to ask the Minister questions about roads or Luas, rather we are told to ask the NRA or the Railway Procurement Agency respectively. Extra layers of bureaucracy seem to be put in front of us all the time. We are concerned that the...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I move amendment No. 3: In page 18, subsection (2)(c), line 22, after "Oireachtas" to insert "within 3 months". I will not repeat myself. The issue here is one of accountability and the fact that, as parliamentarians, we should be able to get answers from the relevant agencies. Unfortunately, this is not forthcoming at times.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: The Fine Gael Party is concerned about the exact timeframe for the appointment of the new regulator. The autumn has been mentioned, which includes three months. Therefore, we are unsure as to whether that will be August or 31 October. It is important that we have a deadline to meet. We do not have a great history of meeting deadlines, therefore it is important we have something to aim for...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I move amendment No. 5: In page 19, subsection (2)(e)(vii), to delete lines 41 and 42. Our main difficulty with this section is that there is no defined period for a person to hold a licence. We feel that should be included in the Bill. Unless a licence is being revoked or suspended, a period of two years may be appropriate. There is also an issue about power being taken away from local...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I move amendment No. 7: In page 22, to delete lines 46 to 49, in page 23, to delete lines 1 to 43 and in page 24 to delete lines 1 to 3 and substitute the following: "36.–(1) Where a person being the applicant for or the holder of a licence is– (a) convicted on indictment of any offence, or (b) convicted summarily of an offence and sentenced to a term of imprisonment, the person is...

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: Will the Minister of State clarify the position of prisoners released under the Good Friday Agreement? Do I take it that their record will not be used against them? Will it even be taken into account?

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I move amendment No. 8: In page 25, between lines 2 and 3 to insert the following new paragraph: "(c) procures or attempts to procure a licence,". This ties in with the earlier point that we would have concerns about the background of some drivers and how the new commission intends to regulate this in its new role.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: Will it be an offence to obtain a licence by deceit?

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I move amendment No. 9: In page 25, subsection (1), line 4, after "A licence shall not be granted" to insert "or re-issued".

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: I bow to the superior knowledge of the Minister of State. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Section 37 agreed to. Progress reported; Committee to sit again.

Seanad: Business of Seanad. (1 Jul 2003)

Fergal Browne: We might get through it all by 4.40 p.m.