Results 7,661-7,680 of 24,426 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: Are you including me in that, a Chathaoirligh?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: I am disappointed Senator Murnane O'Connor did not congratulate her constituency colleague, Deputy Deering, on bringing the National Ploughing Championships to Carlow. It was a wonderful news story for Carlow.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: The issue of housing should not be politicised. It is one on which we all collectively must put forward solutions and ideas in order to build more houses and give people a roof over their heads. That is why the Government committed €2.4 billion on housing spend in the budget. Up to €146 million will be spent on homelessness and €310 million on affordable housing...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: Senators Norris, Lombard and, my good friend, Humphreys raised the issue of carbon tax and climate change. Nobody is in denial about the importance of the need to have our country take its climate change responsibilities seriously. The Government is committed to that. I will cast the Senator's mind back to the Minister's speech yesterday. I replied to the matter on yesterday's Order of...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: ----- ours is a tax on diesel, petrol, coal, home heating oil and other fossil fuels. The Government is encouraging people to change their behaviour and move towards cleaner alternatives rather than penalising those who have no option but to use their cars at a time when the price of diesel has risen by 20 cent per litre. It is okay for Senators Humphreys and Norris, both of whom live in...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: What the Government has done in the budget is place a 1% VRT surcharge on new and imported diesel cars, invest €30 million in supports for electric vehicles and extended tax reliefs for hybrid and electric cars. This year, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Ross, who is criticised in this House almost weekly, will spend more than €780 million on public...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: -----which will link us what is envisaged by the Climate Change Advisory Council, a matter to which Senator Humphreys referred. Under Project Ireland 2040, €22 billion will be invested to tackle the issue of climate action. This is in addition to the €8.6 billion being put in place for climate sustainability in terms of mobility. What does this mean in simple terms? It means...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: -----and that peat will no longer be used by 2030. We are investing in renewable heating and deep retrofitting of public buildings and homes. We have already put in place schemes and supports aimed at creating that model of delivery in housing. I accept that we have a journey to travel, but it requires partnership not an adversarial approach or point scoring. I ask the Senator to cast his...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: Tá súil agam go ngabhfaidh an Seanadóir Murnane O'Connor mo leithscéal. Can I just make the point-----

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: I do apologise. I did not mean to forget the Senator; how could I have?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: The issue in respect of Brandon Bolger is absolutely inexcusable. The Senator cannot blame the Government for an appointment being cancelled. That is a matter for the hospital, the physician, the oncologist or whatever facility the young boy is attending. As somebody who is deeply aware of the effects of cancer, I know it is important that the young boy in question should receive timely...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: -----then an assurance needs to be given that it will not happen again. However, as the Senator knows, sometimes procedures and appointments are cancelled for a variety of reasons. It is not always because of issues relating to funding, staffing or resourcing. It is upsetting to the young boy and his family that it has been cancelled more than once.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: It should not happen.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: It should not happen. Nobody on this side of the House - or anybody else - would condone the cancellation of an appointment but it is important to recognise that €17 billion is being invested in the health budget, the highest amount ever.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: That is my point. The Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018 will be debated in the House later. The HSE was created by the Senator's party leader when he was Minister for Health and Children. He created this mammoth institution.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: The Senator is very good at giving it out, but she will not listen.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: I am happy to conclude on that.

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome the Minister and commend him on the budgetary achievement yesterday. To be fair, it is a significant health budget. If I am honest, notwithstanding the good work of the Minister, and Ministers of State, Deputies Jim Daly and Catherine Byrne, I have never been as disillusioned about the governance of our health system. I say that as a former chairman of the health committee and as...

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: Yes, it is. I support-----

Seanad: Health Service Executive (Governance) Bill 2018: Second Stage (10 Oct 2018)

Jerry Buttimer: The Leas-Chathaoirleach is a businessman. We have €17 billion in funding for the Department of Health. For the second year in a row, the Department has received its highest allocation ever. What will happen? I will conclude on this matter because it is important. Senator Lawlor referred to respite care and home helps. If we want a health system that delivers for people, it has to...