SEANAD:THE BILL to facilitate the sale of Quinn Insurance Ltd was passed unopposed. Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said he had made provision for €280 million to be made available to the Insurance Compensation Fund to enable the sale to proceed.
Thomas Byrne (FF) said the legislation represented another huge imposition on people. It related to the activities of a very small number of people, some of whom were still categorised as heroes. “I don’t believe they are heroes, and I never did.”
Marc MacSharry (FF) said he had been told about a deal between the HSE and ambulance staff which, if true, was disgraceful.
He called for a statement by Minister for Health James Reilly about the existence of LRC agreements between unions representing ambulance staff and the relevant HSE section under which it had been agreed that sick leave must be offered to staff as overtime. If this was the case while it might represent a new way of “doing government or doing business, it certainly is a disgraceful way for us to preside over working arrangements for anybody”.
Feargal Quinn (Ind) said he had been contacted by an individual who was very concerned about the treatment of racehorses, but had been unable to find out who had governmental or administrative responsibility in this area.
Seanad leader Maurice Cummins (FG) said it was not clear whether reference being made to the deaths of horses was on race courses or elsewhere, but inquiries could be made.
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