Results 1,861-1,880 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator Bacik's amendment. I was unaware of this issue but the main objective of this legislation is the welfare and benefit of the child. The amendment identifies many of the issues in the field such as the category of person allowed to apply for special guardianship being a local authority foster parent with whom the child has lived for at least one year immediately preceding...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: On a number of occasions I have raised the topic of the waste of paper. On a regular basis we all seem to receive an enormous amount of paper through the mail, which is no longer needed. I was very impressed to receive today on DVD the report of the Irish Film Classification Office, which used to be called the Irish Film Censor's office. It seems very sensible to avoid paper. I ask the...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I simply wish to state-----

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: -----I have heard the same views being expressed on occasions in the past, to the effect that Members have not been given more legislation by the Government and have spent time on statements instead of having legislation.

Seanad: Order of Business (13 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I believe that on that basis, there have been occasions when it has been wasteful of Members' time to come into the Chamber and then disappear within a short time because legislation has not been presented to them by the Government. I urge the Leader to ensure the Seanad has legislation with which to deal as there is not too long to go before the conclusion of this session.

Seanad: Energy Resources: Motion (6 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I thank everyone who spoke in the debate. In particular, I appreciate the interest the Minister has shown and the words he used. He said the CO2 targets are challenging, and they certainly are, but he spoke with enthusiasm, confidence and, I think, a knowledge of the technology. On that basis, energy security is in good hands. I was also delighted to hear that the Minister is willing to...

Seanad: Energy Resources: Motion (6 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I move: That Seanad Éireann, recognising the need for Ireland to be energy independent, supports the various efforts to ensure that Ireland is protected against a shortage of energy in the years ahead. These efforts should include wind, wave, solar, tidal, off-shore gas, nuclear fusion and nuclear fission. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I am not sure if this is his first...

Seanad: Energy Resources: Motion (6 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I think it was another island.

Seanad: Energy Resources: Motion (6 May 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Senator. Nobody died there and they were able to close down the reactor. However, the accident at Chernobyl rightly scared everybody. The challenges facing us with regard to CO2 emissions and the Kyoto Protocol are such that as a cost factor we must consider some alternative. Senator O'Toole will speak about some of the other areas of energy such as tidal, wave, wind and solar...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Bacik for sharing time and I welcome the Minister. I am going to break one of my rules, I am going to read a letter that appeared in the Irish Independent two weeks ago. Dear Sir, I recently had a long conversation with a friend of mine who lost his job. He was in a reasonably good job and after a little bit of overtime was earning a gross salary of €35,000 per year. So I...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I ask the Leader to draw to the attention of the Ministers responsible the challenge facing qualified people, not just graduates but others, of the lack of internship. For many years we in Ireland had this tradition of internship where people who were qualified could work in State organisations and learn their skill - I believe the buzzword is upskilling - to the extent that they were...

Seanad: Diabetic Retinopathy Screening Programme: Statements (23 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State and we are honoured that she is attending the House on her first day in her new portfolio. She comes here with a huge amount of enthusiasm and commitment. I hope she will place diabetes, and diabetic retinopathy in particular, high on her list of priorities. While I do not have medical expertise, it seems one of the things that can be done is to remind...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: When we travel abroad and go into an hotel we always find a candle beside the bed because they are so used to running out of electricity. We have not appreciated that for many years we have been used to the fact that every time we turn a switch the light comes on. Senators O'Toole and Hannigan have drawn our attention to the fact that we are in serious danger of running short of energy in...

Seanad: Supplementary Budget Statement 2009: Statements (9 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator Norris for allowing me time. For years during budget debates, I have had the chance to act as a schoolteacher and I usually say I will give marks to the Minister. It has been interesting to recall that over the past ten or 15 years, we have usually held the debate on the evening of the budget. With regard to what Senator Norris said, the Minister for Finance presented the...

Seanad: Supplementary Budget Statement 2009: Statements (9 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: He instilled confidence in people and I congratulate him thereon. If he were receiving marks on the manner in which he delivered his speech, he would receive high marks. Before the budget, I wrote in one sentence that international investors need to see that Ireland has a comprehensive, credible, multi-year plan to tackle the deficit in our public finances, place our banking sector on a...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I support Senator Hannigan's call for a debate on the Irish Aid programme. It is approximately 160 years since we had a very serious famine and during those years the rest of the world almost ignored us. The Irish Aid programme should be top of our priority list and we should not lose sight of it.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: A great deal of work is being done by private individuals and there is much philanthropy. However, this is not enough. We must support it. Many people go to bed hungry every night. It is a far cry from what we call poverty in Ireland. We are very fortunate to have the way of life we do. I mention this because I did not hear Peter Sutherland this morning and I am sorry I missed the...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister. It has been very interesting to listen to his speech. He mentions the challenges and the options he faces. He has also said there are radically different circumstances now from those 12 or 18 months ago. I had the experience 25 years ago or more of serving on the committee of the Archdiocese of Dublin which the archbishop established in an attempt to get people on...

Seanad: Bowel Cancer Awareness: Statements (7 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State. There has been a certain questioning and criticism of the very existence of the Seanad in recent weeks. I think today is an example of the sort of work that can take place and that can give the benefits to the nation that might not otherwise have taken place. Today's debate is a very good example of that. Senator Feeney has spoken about education. There...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Apr 2009)

Feargal Quinn: Following yesterday's dreadful earthquake, our thoughts are with the people of Italy, particularly those who have died, those who are without their homes and those who are injured. I would not like today go past without our reminding ourselves of it.