Results 20,481-20,500 of 27,080 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will not prolong this debate unnecessarily, but our national standards are not great and major questions surround them, to put it mildly. People from all perspectives who are observing the forestry sector would agree that this Bill should facilitate an improvement, given that we have not done as well as we should have in many respects. This is not to say that there has not been a...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Given that reference has been made to the United Nations and the need to be in line with its priorities, I am sure the Minister of State will accept the amendment because that is what we are trying to do. The Rio de Janeiro summit in 1992 was a turning point in environmental politics by asserting the vital importance of the environment in general. The forest principles were the most...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I want to table it again on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It can be pressed and then withdrawn. Is that the procedure?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will press it.

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Are amendments Nos. 1 and 19 grouped?

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The purpose of these amendments is to insert prioritisation of the protection of ancient woodlands into the Bill. Section 2 pertains to definitions, and obviously it is necessary to define "ancient woodlands". Later on, amendment No. 19 relates to a section containing a list of responsibilities for the Minister regarding what he or she should prioritise. It proposes that the issue of...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister of State and I must agree to disagree. He may have a point about the date and whether it is a little too prescriptive. I take his point that there are woodlands dating from after the 1650 period that could be included. While I would be open to considering that suggestion, I will return with this amendment on Report Stage. This is a forestry Bill, and the fact that some issues...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 134. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason he does not feel it appropriate to talk to the parents and board of management of a school (details supplied) in view of the uncertainty surrounding location for the school which is due to open in September; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9148/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Fees (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 155. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he has examined the likely impact on the imposition of fees for apprentices in view of the Government's stated aim of prioritising training and education in order to reduce unemployment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9149/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for new secondary education in Maynooth, County Kildare including patronage, denomination and the way it will link with other secondary education in the area. [9196/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 281. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans for primary education in Ballyfermot and the possible transfer of patronage from the De La Salle Brothers to Educate Together. [9197/14]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Heritage Sites (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 347. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if his Deparment has conducted any impact assessment on the outsourcing of management of heritage sites; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4016/14]

Topical Issue Debate: Corporation Tax Regime (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The one aspect on which I agree with the Minister is that assessing corporation tax rates is a more of an art than a science. There is plenty of artisty when it comes to covering up the reality of what firms are or are not paying in tax. I agree with the Minister that there are two separate issues involved. The first relates to the global profits of the multinational companies that are...

Topical Issue Debate: Corporation Tax Regime (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue for debate. I also appreciate that the Minister has come into the Chamber to participate. Between the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, and the Garda whistleblowers, this week may well go down in history as one in which attempts to cover up scandals were exposed. I certainly believe that what has been going on...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will make some comments on the Bill but, following what Deputy Flanagan has said, we have to look at a Bill like this, the general thrust of which at least is welcome, in the context in which the Bill is put forward because the objective should be to give support and facilitate people who are blowing the whistle on wrongdoing, malpractice, corruption and other activities that could be...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----and it has taken until now for the issue to be taken seriously. Yesterday, we had the sudden sacking of the confidential recipient. That is good, but major questions remain. That person had been a political donor to the Minister in his election campaign. I do not know the exact nature of their relationship with one another but on the face of it they would seem to know each other...

Protected Disclosures Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Fair enough, but we need to examine that closely to ensure people do not feel they will face a huge financial loss if they blow the whistle.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Code (20 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 30. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will address the growing controversy around Ireland's effective corporate tax rate following the recent academic paper suggesting a 2.2% effective rate here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8363/14]