Results 361-380 of 1,954 for speaker:John Gilroy
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: I am disappointed that my good friend and colleague, Senator O'Brien, is making out that we are whipped when we come into the House, say what we have to say, do not believe it at all and vote in a particular way. I do not act like that. I make up my own mind. I conducted a wide consultation on social media about water charges last Sunday.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: I was asked would I support the Bill and I said I would. I received 518 comments, some of which were not wholly positive from 126 irate people. That is a substantial number of people who feel annoyed enough about Irish Water to tweet about it. Senator Mooney said he received 4,000 e-mails lobbying him but I only received 1,000. Obviously the Opposition is more popular than the Government...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: During my consultation on Twitter and Facebook, nine distinct issues were raised about which people were concerned. They related to privatisation, flouridation and legal matters. Inability to pay was not a hug issues but I accept these concerns. The Minister's predecessor, Mr. Hogan, allowed these concerns to arise. Most of them are needless and should have been dealt with in a proper...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: I refer again to the Minister's sure-footed management of this issue. I have two scripts - one of which is benign and the other less benign. I will go to the left.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Sinn Féin-----
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: I will start again. Senator Cullinane-----
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: -----said that we should have listened to the Sinn Féin amendments because they would have been brilliant. Why would they not be when Sinn Féin is installing 36,000 water meters in Northern Ireland and, therefore, the party knows what it is talking about?
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Senator O'Brien also complained that we did not listen. He made a worrying observation in his contribution when he said that he had grave concerns about the waste treatment plant proposed for Dublin. Funnily enough, it is in his constituency. He could be unfairly accused of NIMBYism.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Is it not Fianna Fáil's NIMBYism that led the country into the mess which we had to address when we took over?
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Senator Mooney addressed the Bill is his contribution. While I missed a number of contributions, I did not hear too many Second Stage speeches but I heard a great deal of propaganda from the Opposition. I support the Bill because we need investment in water services and the only way to do that is to pay for it. Do we pay for this out of general taxation? It is contradictory on the part of...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: This is a basic tenet of the left wing. We do not load tax after tax on work. That is nonsense. The Anti-Austerity Alliance, Sinn Féin and the People Before Profit Alliance all say water services should be paid for out of general taxation. If we remove as many costs from the Exchequer as we can, we will be in a position to do something about reducing and, ultimately, eliminating the...
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: It is all about votes. Sinn Féin has consistently geared everything towards the election. Under Sinn Féin, we will have no water charges, septic tank charges, property tax or USC and we will burn the bondholders. Water services cost €15 billion and the party has not accounted for that.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: They are computer-generated emails.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: What about the eighth amendment?
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Sinn Féin campaigned to abolish the Seanad. The Senator should make up his mind what he wants.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Sinn Féin has no credibility on this issue.
- Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: During the time of the Fianna Fáil Government it was more accurately described as the "Misappropriation Bill".
- Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: If that is the biggest insult that Senator Byrne can think of throwing at somebody, that he or she be a member of Fianna Fáil - - - - -
- Seanad: Appropriation Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: I am highly offended.
- Seanad: Water Services Bill 2014: Second Stage (18 Dec 2014)
John Gilroy: Perhaps Senator Jim Walsh is over-egging the case. There was a slight misunderstanding here. If the Senator waits two minutes, we will have the speech.