Results 22,261-22,280 of 24,376 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Is there a transfer pact?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: It is not about toys, Senator.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: It is about putting food on the table and paying bills for light and heat.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The luxuries are gone.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: People cannot afford to buy any more, never mind toys.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome the Minister and thank her for being here because that is important. Whenever she has been in the House she has stayed, unlike some of her colleagues. That is a good sign. Senator McDonald, in her passionate speech, made reference to the Minister's task as no mean feat, and she was correct. What the Minister has done is no mean feat. It is extraordinary that the Bill before us...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: -----and the big announcements made by Government. If the Members on the Government benches had listened to our proposals on savings that could be made that would not affect those on social welfare and the vulnerable, perhaps we would not be doing this. It is an extraordinary time. If one goes into social welfare offices and speaks to community welfare officers, one hears of the queues....

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I can tell Senator O'Malley that the people are waiting. Former Taoiseach, the late Charles J. Haughey, once said of a Fine Gael/Labour budget that it was a cold calculated computer print out, and I say this is part two. This is a budget that attempts to tackle a broken economy but fails miserably. It is devoid of humanity and is lacking compassion and understanding of the modern Irish...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2009: Second Stage (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The live register is only here to be talked about. I want to hear the Minister's views on how the Department will implement the early child care education. Child care is important and we have not planned for it properly up to now. We must provide incentives for people to go to work. Senator Quinn eloquently put it on the record. People have not got that so far and we need to do that. We...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: What did Deputy John McGuinness say?

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: What did Deputy Noel O'Flynn say?

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Not in the Tánaiste.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I ask the Leader to provide time for a rolling debate on the economy. This morning we hear that our standardised unemployment rate rose to 11.4% in April. That figure represents Irish people without a job. Senator Boyle may lament the fact that those of us on this side of the House are critical of what is happening but the reality is that there is no leadership, no plan and no vision....

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: We should forget this codology about celebrity questions and answers. Who is the HSE codding? That is an example of why this Government has failed the Irish people. It thinks it can bring in Gerald Kean for an hour and a half and have platitudes on the reason the health service is so good. It is not good. I want the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, to come in here...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: What did he say?

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: It has not happened yet.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Can we get the minutes of the parliamentary party meeting?

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy (28 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the Chair for allowing me to raise this issue. I thank the Minister of State for coming in to deal with the issue of drug rehabilitation facilities outside Dublin. It must be acknowledged that we do not have enough beds for rehabilitation, particularly in Cork which has no detox beds. A report carried out by Dr. Mai Mannix highlights the fact that we should have 24 beds for the...

Seanad: National Drugs Strategy (28 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: While I thank the Minister of State for his reply, the people he mentioned would state they are struggling to cope with demand and that they require more resources. The Minister of State stated he had requested the national drug rehabilitation implementation committee to carry out a review. When does he hope to have this review published and implemented?

Seanad: Order of Business. (28 Apr 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I join Senator Fitzgerald and other speakers in asking for a debate on job creation. Senator Feeney and others should note the people are tired of the internal wrangling in Fianna Fáil. They do not care and it is a non-story.