Results 241-260 of 1,934 for speaker:Tom Shehan

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (14 May 2013)

Tom Shehan: Amendment No. 39 is out of order.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (14 May 2013)

Tom Shehan: I allowed the Senator a lot of latitude even though his amendment has already been discussed with amendment No. 17. I call on the Minister of State.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (14 May 2013)

Tom Shehan: Does the Minister of State wish to reply?

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (14 May 2013)

Tom Shehan: Yes.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (14 May 2013)

Tom Shehan: Amendment No. 28 arises out of committee proceedings.

Seanad: Taxi Regulation Bill 2012: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (14 May 2013)

Tom Shehan: I remind Senators that a Senator may speak only once on Report Stage except the proposer of an amendment who may reply to the discussion on the amendment. On Report Stage each amendment must be seconded. Amendments Nos. 24 to 26, inclusive, are alternatives to amendment No. 23. Amendments Nos. 23 to 26, inclusive, may be discussed together, by agreement.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (7 May 2013)

Tom Shehan: I concur with much of what Senator Byrne has said. On a note of caution and in a word of advice to the Minister, he should sell hard. Members may be surprised that I am aware of at least one consortium that is coming together to tender for the national lottery. Those concerned are Irish and hopefully, it may stay in such hands and additional jobs will be created. More particularly, it is...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Tom Shehan: Will the Leader arrange for the Minister for Education and Skills to attend the House to clarify his Department's systems for monitoring the performance of school principals? Recently, the chief schools inspector raised the prospect of annual reviews of the performance of teachers and principals. The Minister could clarify his thoughts on this proposal. The chief inspector, Mr. Harold...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: There is also the possibility that if the licence was just for ten years, one would get the price of a children’s hospital.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: To follow on from Senator O'Brien's views, with an annual turnover of €762 million, whoever is successful in the tender will be projecting, through online, etc., an approximate 32% increase in turnover. So in the 20 years they will have a turnover of between €19 billion and €20 billion. With a possible turnover of €20 billion over the next 20 years, a small...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: The regulator would be acceptable, but there should be a tax on online gambling before the office is established.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: On the advance of funds by the Minister to the regulator, why should the regulator be paid through a levy from the successful company?

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: I agree somewhat with my colleague, Senator Byrne. The Minister has referred to the possibility that the office of the lottery regulator could be enhanced to create a gambling regulator. That is a different story and it is badly needed. It occurs to me that we could set up a lottery regulator who would be paid for by the lottery company and whose biggest decisions would be to allow the...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: As I understand it, there are actuaries working in the Department of Finance. Has an actuarial valuation of the national lottery been carried out? I ask that question based on the assumption that between €400 and €600 million will be achieved from the sale of the lease for 20 years. A turnover of €762 million with a net profit of €240 million does not add up....

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: Yes. Three amendments are being discussed together. This must be established before we go any further.

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: I will be brief. Tomorrow the carbon tax increases will come into effect. I would like to ask at this late hour if the Minister for Finance would consider extending the deadline for a fortnight due to the harsh weather that we are experiencing. By that time, temperatures should have risen. It is lovely outside today but last night it ranged from 3° to 4° Celsius where I come...

Seanad: Financial Stability and Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: It might depend on who is in government.

Seanad: Financial Stability and Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: I congratulate Senator Barrett on his initiative. I always admire the way he goes about doing these things. Unlike other economists who use gobbledygook language, Senator Barrett presents matters in simple language which is easy to understand. We have to be careful, however. SMEs are currently suffering greatly. I have spoken to people in that sector and, to be honest, many SMEs are not...

Seanad: Financial Stability and Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: The Senator is correct. When one takes out the second homes, there were about 150,000 unoccupied houses. The Government policy was to build 90,000 units per annum. Young people considering mortgages were told to hurry up or they would never get on the property ladder. While the banks played their part, Government policy also played a big part. One has to assume that there is no great...

Seanad: Financial Stability and Reform Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Apr 2013)

Tom Shehan: One has to have confidence but if they are not, then that is an opinion. Are we going too far? Could what happened that September night recur? We all lived through the Celtic tiger but when speaking privately with family and friends we said it could not last. It was a regular subject of conversation that it would not and could not last. One way or another, however, we all bought into the...