Results 41-60 of 126 for in 'Dáil debates' speaker:Tom Barry

Competition (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (9 Nov 2011)

Tom Barry: I welcome the Bill. Competition is highly important in the economy, never more so in the situation in which we find ourselves. Section 2 of the Bill deals with sanctions. While I acknowledge that sanctions are needed, I sound a word of caution with regard to financial penalties that such penalties are more penal today than they were a number of years ago because funds are more difficult...

Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Nov 2011)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this discussion on the Health (Provision of General Practitioner Services) Bill 2011. The Bill addresses issues highlighted by the EU-IMF programme and aims for legislative changes to remove restrictions to trade and competition in sheltered sectors. It provides for the elimination of restrictions on general practitioners wishing to obtain...

Review of Serious Incidents including Deaths of Children in Care: Statements (17 Nov 2011)

Tom Barry: I thank the Minister for facilitating this debate. This new Government recognises the need to protect and care for children and it has created a specific Department under the competent stewardship of the Minister, Deputy Fitzgerald. No death of a child in care is acceptable but such deaths occur. We have to focus on understanding the underlying reasons for such deaths. I was astonished...

Report by the Interdepartmental Working Group on Mortgage Arrears: Statements (Resumed) (22 Nov 2011)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter. It is one of the most serious situations we have faced as a State and how we find a solution to it will define us. Every problem has a solution. People might want to hide away from it but eventually we must face up to it. I will focus on the split mortgage idea in the Keane report. I welcome the report, whose authors did good work in a...

Road Transport Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Nov 2011)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak to the Bill. The amendments are welcome regarding the criterion to be someone of good repute and the national register to create a website of licensed operators. In the business in which I operate I deal with road hauliers on a daily basis. During the years I have been struck by how hard road hauliers work. They are committed to their businesses and will...

Financial Resolution No. 13: General (Resumed) (7 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: I congratulate the Minister on this progressive budget from a progressive Government. It is a pity there is no Opposition here to listen to the other side of the argument. While they are writing their arguments about how wrong all this is, they are not prepared to listen to the counter argument. I am one of those people who set up a small to medium sized enterprise 16 years ago. Thankfully...

Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: I commend the Minister on her great work to date. It is not easy to implement a budget like this in difficult times. It is very easy to criticise and while everyone likes to do so, unfortunately there is a job of work to be done. The Minister's Department is at present responsible for 40% of all current Government expenditure. This is a huge amount and it must be reduced because while we...

Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: Keep going.

Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: Its members should be ashamed of themselves.

Order of Business (9 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: I am surprised the Deputy does not want it to take place on Sunday.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: The reform of how local government is funded is essential given the collapse of the development contributions and the complete lack of a plan B from the previous Government on where the replacement local government would come from. To meet our requirement under the EU-IMF programme of financial support for Ireland, a property tax is to be introduced next year. This €160 million, as other...

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: -----who own them. This is a little unfair where, for example, the cost of the mortgage is €1,500, the rent is €900 and there is a net loss of €600. When one adds in the miscellaneous charges, including that of the PRTB, these people are losing €750 a month. This is a difficult burden for these people to carry. Even though some Deputies here find it amusing and they are clever-----

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: -----we cannot ignore the situation where middle-class people who bought these properties are now facing bankruptcy on the back of it. We need to be cognisant of that. I would remind Deputy Higgins that these are citizens of the State as well.

Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: Deputy Higgins's form of politics is the ABC version and I will not even go there. Essentially, it is something that needs to be recognised. These people, as citizens of the country, need to be recognised. These are not the traditional landlords. These are genuine people who had a little extra in their cashflow and bought a property. They invested in the State and now they are being...

Rural Areas: Motion (Resumed) (14 Dec 2011)

Tom Barry: I hate to spoil the party but the Fianna Fáil Party has identified all the solutions after ten months of a new Government. I have made a point of not criticising that party in this House or on the doorsteps because the electorate can make its own democratic decisions. However, I feel obliged to answer this motion in a forthright manner. With the possible exception of Deputy Moynihan,...

Protection of Employees (Temporary Agency Work) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Jan 2012)

Tom Barry: The objective of this Bill is to transpose into national legislation Directive 2008/104/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 November 2008. While I welcome this opportunity to speak on this legislation, at the outset I wish everyone present a happy new year in 2012. Hopefully, it will be another year of emergence from the economic crisis in which we find ourselves and I...

Industrial Relations (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Jan 2012)

Tom Barry: I wish to share my time with Deputy Derek Keating. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill, which is yet another part of the jigsaw that this proactive coalition Government is putting together to create competitive and sustainable employment in this country. I would like to recognise the huge contribution of the Minister of State, Deputy Perry; it is refreshing to see a businessman...

Private Members' Business. School Guidance Counsellors: Motion (Resumed) (18 Jan 2012)

Tom Barry: This is a very serious topic and I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on it. I am also glad so many guidance counsellors made the effort to come to the House today. I have spoken to a number of these teachers who are fine principled people, very skilled and focused in what they do. They are the type of people I would be proud to have teaching my sons or daughters. Let us focus on...

Private Members' Business. School Guidance Counsellors: Motion (Resumed) (18 Jan 2012)

Tom Barry: It could be done in a manner that might cost €20 million. Eighty per cent of the school transport system is provided by private operators, in any case.

Private Members' Business. School Guidance Counsellors: Motion (Resumed) (18 Jan 2012)

Tom Barry: There is a suggestion that parents' funds are being used to subsidise the private business of Bus Éireann. This must be looked at. If we have to make savings let us come up with solutions. There is no point in shouting across the floor, saying, "It's wrong!" Of course it is wrong. We are trying to correct the situation we are in, which is a financial mess. There is no point in getting...