Results 101-120 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 23: In page 16, subsection (2), line 24, to delete "€3,000" and substitute "€2,000". This amendment represents my little effort to hold back the tide of inflation. In this very House today we dealt with Report Stage of the Digital Hub Development Agency Bill, 2002, which is very similar legislation to this. The Bill also made provisions in regard to revealing...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I would like to see some consistency which would appear logical. Two Bills were introduced in this House this afternoon, one providing for a sum of €3,000 and the other for €2,000. Should we have gone for €2,500 in each? Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Government amendment No. 24: In page 17, subsection (2), line 12, to delete "€65,000,000" and substitute "€50,000,000".

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 25: In page 17, subsection (2), line 12, to delete "€65,000,000" and substitute "€50,000,000".

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I have no problem in withdrawing my amendment. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Section 24 agreed to. SECTION 25. Question proposed: "That section 25 stand part of the Bill."

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 26: In page 18, subsection (2), line 4, to delete "6 months" and substitute "3 months". I confess that when I saw this provision in the Bill I laughed. The subsection states: Accounts kept in pursuance of this section shall be submitted not later than six months after the end of the accounting period to which they relate by the authority to the Comptroller and Auditor...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister for his sincerity and alacrity in accepting the amendment. Amendment agreed to. Government amendment No. 27: In page 18, subsection (2), line 10, to delete "accounts," and substitute "accounts".

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 28: In page 18, subsection (2), line 11, after "cause" to insert "immediately". The purpose of this amendment is to ensure the accounts are actually published.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 29: In page 18, subsection (1), line 13, to delete "6 months" and substitute "3 months". As currently drafted, this Bill would require the National Tourism Development Authority to publish its annual report by 30 June each year. Two things will have happened by that time. First, the next year's tourism season will be half way through. Second – and this is the...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister is not quite correct in what he has said. My amendment would have the effect of putting pressure on State companies to adopt standards which are normal practice in the private business sector. A State company should demand that its auditor will have signed the audited accounts within a specified period. The banks do this within days and other companies do it within three months....

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 30: In page 18, subsection (1), line 17, after "Oireachtas", to insert "and shall at the same time cause the report to be published by electronic means".

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I thank the Minister for that information and apologise for assuming that it was not published at all. However to someone looking for this information and unable to find it, the marketing technique does not seem very good. I will accept the Minister's point. I was unaware of this and did not find it. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Section 28 agreed to. NEW SECTION. Government amendment No....

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 32: In page 19, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following new subsection: "(10) The functions of the chief executive may be performed in his or her absence or when the position of chief executive is vacant by such member of the staff of the Authority as may, from time to time, be designated for that purpose by the Authority.".

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: That may well be the correct thing to do, that the secretary takes over. It should be the authority's decision. The point I was making was that it is accepted in business, for publicly quoted companies, that it is not good practice or good governance to have the chairman and the chief executive both doing the chief executive's job. The amendment was to avoid that. It has happened in the past...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I move amendment No. 33: In page 19, lines 35 to 38, to delete the subsection (2).

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I have difficulty with the Minister's views on my amendment. Section 32(2) is strongly worded. It states, "The chief executive shall not question or express an opinion on the merits of any policy of the Government". It does not merely state he or she should not criticise the policy. If I was on a committee that invited members of the National Tourism Development Authority to speak, I might...

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I urge the Minister to reconsider the section.

Seanad: National Tourism Development Authority Bill, 2002: Committee Stage. (3 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I hope the Minister will reconsider it before Report Stage because I intend to push this hard. Amendment, by leave, withdrawn. Section 32 agreed to. Sections 33 to 35, inclusive, agreed to. SECTION 36.

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: I wish to share my time with Senator Norris.

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: The good news tonight is that the Taoiseach is pleased with the budget, which I was not surprised to hear Senator Mansergh say. I normally sit here between a professor from Trinity College, Senator Norris, and a school teacher, Senator O'Toole. I want to be a school teacher tonight because I want to give the Minister marks for his exam. I have decided I will give him pass marks for the...

Seanad: Budget Statement: Motion. (4 Dec 2002)

Feargal Quinn: He cycles as Minister. It is important not to pedal when one is cycling downhill. I suggest that in recent years the Minister has been cycling downhill and pedalling very fast.