Results 141-160 of 3,356 for speaker:Feargal Quinn

Seanad: Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Statements (28 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: Yes. I will make do with four minutes.

Seanad: Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Statements (28 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: Part of the reason for doing this is that I hope Senator Sean Barrett will be able to take the other slot from us.

Seanad: Aer Lingus Share Disposal: Statements (28 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: I am grateful we are having this debate. It is not ideal not having a Minister here but it is better than what was going to happen at 5 p.m. and I congratulate the Leader on that. We all have a great affection for Aer Lingus. It is one of those brands that has been around for some time. If I am not mistaken, I think Aer Lingus and I were born in the same year and, therefore, I feel...

Seanad: Health Services for People with Intellectual Disabilities: Statements (27 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is very welcome and it has been very interesting to read and hear her statement, including the success stories. I would like to talk for a moment about confidence. The danger is that people lose confidence. Although I would not say it can be regained easily, it is possible to do so. I had 75 employees in my company when I stepped down who were intellectually...

Seanad: Springboard Programme: Motion (27 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: The Minister of State is very welcome. I know his enthusiasm and his heart are in this programme. I have been involved since the beginning, and I have been chairman of the selection committee for the past five years. One sees such satisfaction in people who have changed course, probably having had a degree in architecture, quantity surveying or something like that, who suddenly found there...

Seanad: Springboard Programme: Motion (27 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: Language is just one of the areas in which we are weak. We are so weak on that in Ireland. Last year, when a company - I think it was Hewlett-Packard - said it was taking on a number of people and stated that they would need a modern language other than English, one of the reporters at the time said that meant no Irish need apply, because we are so bad at modern languages. One of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 15 be taken before No. 1. The Minister for Finance met the banks this week and we have not heard from him exactly what came out of that meeting. We should have the Minister in the House very shortly to tell us the outcome in regard to variable mortgage rates. The Bank of Ireland has said it has no intention of reducing its rate, yet...

Seanad: Central Bank (Emergency Powers) (Variable Interest Rates) Bill 2015: First Stage (26 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to empower the Central Bank to direct banks to reduce mortgage interest rates chargeable in respect of the holders of variable rate mortgages pertaining to their principal place of residence.

Seanad: Central Bank (Emergency Powers) (Variable Interest Rates) Bill 2015: First Stage (26 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: On 9 June.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Construction Contracts Act 2013: Chairman Designate of Panel of Adjudicators (26 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: Professor Bunni is very welcome to the committee. We are close neighbours and live in the same part of Howth but I have not met him previously. I am a great admirer of what he has achieved and what I have read in the presentation. One of the questions we had in developing the Construction Contracts Bill, which became the Construction Contracts Act, was how we would handle dispute...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Construction Contracts Act 2013: Chairman Designate of Panel of Adjudicators (26 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: Professor Bunni did very well in three minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Construction Contracts Act 2013: Chairman Designate of Panel of Adjudicators (26 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: All-Island Economy: Discussion (Resumed) (26 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: Dr. John Bradley referred to stimulation. Could we stimulate in a much broader way the opportunities in tourism between the two? One of the criticisms in recent times has been the fact that the wonderful Wild Atlantic Way stops short of the Border. There is also the new tourism initiative called Ireland's Ancient East, which starts short of the Border. If there was one opportunity for...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: I would like to make sure attention is paid to the decision of the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government to introduce mandatory pay-by-weight on bins. The announcement took place in the past number of days, but seems a regressive step for a Government that had to cope with the outcry about property tax, water charges and bin charges to insist that householders who are...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: I welcome the Minister of State. I think he is getting very fond of us. He seems to be coming here a little more often than he did previously. I feel a little shy about speaking after listening to such expertise among those who have spoken up to now. That expertise has come from different areas. Senator O'Donovan reminded us of what happens in a smaller solicitors' office in a smaller...

Seanad: Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Second Stage (13 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: Okay. The Bill before the House is worthy of support. It has taken a long time to get this far. I hope this legislation comes from the perspective of putting more regulation on the legal profession. It sounds from everything I have heard today that this is needed. It has been argued that this kind of regulation is necessary because the legal profession has not adequately regulated...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: I would like to bring up the whole issue of charging and sentencing in our criminal justice system. I am particularly concerned about the number of cases in which the evidence would suggest that it should be murder yet in which manslaughter is substituted. When a person is found guilty of manslaughter in circumstances where a finding of murder would be more appropriate, it gives rise to an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: All-Island Economy: Discussion (12 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: It has been a very interesting debate and it has been good to hear the comments. Senator Cullinane touched on the point I was going to make when he referred to the possibility of Britain leaving the European Union. It would have such a major impact on us that it is very difficult for us to talk about the rest of the issues when that elephant in the room is hanging over us. It is perhaps...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: The vast majority of small businesses in Ireland have websites but are not equipped to trade online, but this is something that can happen and that we should ensure happens. It is estimated that the market is worth approximately €21 million but that it is not being used. It is possible for companies to use it and they are capable of using it but we need to train people up to do it. I...

Seanad: Europe Day and European Commission Work Programme: Statements (7 May 2015)

Feargal Quinn: I thank Senator van Turnhout for allowing me to speak before her. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, and I am delighted to hear what he had to say. Senator Noone referred to 1973, but I will go back to 1958 when I had just finished in university. On the following day I went to the Continent and spent the winter there. I came back from that winter believing for the first...