Results 1-20 of 4,414 for speaker:Sean Barrett

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (25 May 2011)

Sean Barrett: I congratulate you, a Chathaoirligh, on your election. I also congratulate all the other officeholders in the Chamber. A cloud over the country has two origins: the bank rescue on 29 and 30 September 2008 and the rescue of the country on 1 December 2010 when we had to receive an €85 billion bailout from the IMF, the European Union and the ECB, €35 billion of which was for the banks and...

Seanad: Tourism Sector: Motion (1 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: We have been far too complacent with our tourism industry. Since 2007, there have been 25% fewer visitors with a 30% drop in tourism revenues while over €600 million was spent on tourism promotion. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, asked how one gets better value for money. One has to examine such expenditure against such reductions in visitors and...

Seanad: Order of Business (2 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: Will the Leader discuss with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, the finances of local government? My fear is that the financial problem will only be tackled on the taxation side, as my colleague stated, and not on the expenditure side. It appears that important issues raised in the McLaughlin report on local government are not being addressed....

Seanad: Jobs Initiative and Competitiveness: Statements (8 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister of State for his speech. There are many fine items in it, as noted by Members on all sides. From 1 July we need to create a completely different kind of banking system than the one we had to rescue. The data show that between 1996 and September 2008, when the banking system had to be rescued, total lending went from €42 billion to €391 billion. Of the extra €350...

Seanad: Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998: Motion (14 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I, too, welcome the Minister to the House. I agree with the sentiments expressed by Senator O'Donovan. We all wish this legislation was not necessary and that we could move on to a better Ireland. We have made substantial progress in that direction. On Tuesday last I heard the Northern Ireland Minister for Education, John O'Dowd, speaking on education matters, in relation to which no one...

Seanad: Special Educational Needs: Statements (14 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: The Minister of State, Deputy Cannon, pointed out that the education sector accounts for one third of employees in the public service. The report of an bord snip nua indicated that the pupil-teacher ratio at primary level, if all the adults are counted, is 12:1 and that spending on special needs increased by 922% in the period to which the Minister of State referred. In the current...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: Last week we raised the matter of mathematics teaching and how 80% of it is being carried out by people without a degree qualification in mathematics. The distress it causes has been featured in newspaper articles and letters about the leaving certificate, which is currently in progress. Our situation contrasts with Finland, where people have a masters degree in the subject they teach at...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I ask the Leader to invite the Minister to address this vital issue and to explain whether the provision of bonus points answers the question of the problem in mathematics Irish schools.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (Resumed) (21 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: With the permission of the Leas-Chathaoirleach I will share some time with Senator Norris.

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Motion (Resumed) (21 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: The motion before the House is to be commended. The first section refers to having well-informed citizens and residents from all walks of life attend the House, which is to be welcomed, particularly in a House which may face a referendum on its future next year. It would be good for the House to have links with our citizenry and people from a wide range of experiences in life, and a great...

Seanad: Order of Business (28 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I agree with the Senators who referred to the airport issue. We had a good debate here on tourism, during which we drew attention to the fact that the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Leo Varadkar, wrote to the regulator in regard to airport charges and we gave the date requiring a 41% increase in them. Was the bonus paid to the gentleman in question a reward for bypassing...

Seanad: School Transport: Statements (28 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I wish to address a number of aspects of this problem. The costs have risen from €50 million to €180 million since 1997. I do not know of any other costs that have increased. The number of pupils has not increased very much so we must ask what the problem is with this service and question how it is organised. The Minister of State referred to the marginal cost of €1,000. The total...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: Like other Senators, I welcome the Minister to the House and wish him every success in this daunting task. By any standards, the Department of Finance was not fit for purpose, and the reason the country is in so much difficulty today is because the Department was dysfunctional. The Nyberg report stated that the Department of Finance was not consciously involved in financial stability issues...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: Yes, and the broader economic council as well. Some of the contrarians have been the subject of a media frenzy. I think they are extremely valuable people. I am glad the Minister is present and I hope he meets some of those as well. We need a central office for project evaluation. For far too long, capital expenditure has been promoted by spending Departments and they have told the...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I support the amendments. It is important to ensure this will not just be another Department, not simply the old Department of Finance, with two thirds of its staff being sent to the new Department, because that is why we had to be rescued by the IMF. There must be something different. There must be better accountability. The Wright report which analysed the Department of Finance referred...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 16: In page 19, subsection (2), line 29, to delete paragraph (i). I raise this matter in the presence of two distinguished graduates of the Trinity College law schools, Senators Byrne and Bacik. The Minister answers to the Comptroller and Auditor General, who is protected under the Constitution. Is the Comptroller and Auditor General equivalent in law to judges with...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: Can we take it that the ability of the Comptroller and Auditor General to audit the Department of public expenditure and reform is not infringed by the section?

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I move amendment No. 21: In page 20, before section 24, but in Part 3, to insert the following new section: In page 20, before section 24, but in Part 3, to insert the following new section: "PART 4APPOINTMENT AND DUTIES OF THE SECRETARY GENERAL OF THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC EXPENDITURE AND REFORM 24.--There shall be a Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure.". We face...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: The copyright belongs to Senator Susan O'Keeffe who named them thus. Governance rather than government is the issue. The change of government has taken place, but the governance problems remain. My amendments seek parliamentary scrutiny on the appointment of the Secretary General of the Department and parliamentary scrutiny of performance. I am speaking in the context of the Government...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Sean Barrett: I thank the Minister. What I was trying to get to were the findings in the Wright report that so few of the staff are qualified. Of 542 staff, only 39 are economists trained to masters level or higher compared with 60% in Canada and 40% in the Netherlands. I wanted to cast the net was widely as possible and I welcome the Minister's announcement about reform of the Top Level Appointments...