Results 7,901-7,920 of 9,832 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Amendment to Terms of Reference of Tribunal of Inquiry: Motion (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I support the proposal of the Government in the Seanad. It is most important we allow the Smithwick tribunal to get on with the work it is doing, including the taking of evidence, when that is appropriate, and the examination of the new evidence. The murders of Harry Breen and Robert Buchanan were very cowardly and were carried out, allegedly, on the basis of inside information. They were...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: If the Senator had taken that view when in opposition the hospital would be up and running now.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Yes, but the Minister was informed of that by the judge and did not inform the Seanad at the time.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: It was not revealed to the Seanad when the Minister came into the House to discuss the Smithwick tribunal.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I will use two phrases in respect of No. 2, namely, "We told you so" and "Here we go again". This pertains to the Smithwick tribunal, where the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Shatter, came in like the new sheriff in town and cut short the tribunal. This is the second or perhaps the third time he has come back subsequently to lengthen the term of the tribunal to allow it to do its...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: ----- when he first came into office. However, he appears to have learned his lesson and appears to have copped on. It has been more than six months since An Bord Pleanála refused planning permission for the children's hospital. An independent report was to be undertaken by the Government and subsequently by Mr. Dolphin. At the time, people were promised the report would be drawn up...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The Senator's party colleague, the present Minister for Health, agreed with the Mater Hospital site.

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The aforementioned Minister decided to go ahead with the Mater Hospital site. In July, Members were told this would be financed through the sale of the national lottery. Yesterday, one learned that not only was the Dolphin report extant but that apparently, there also was a Labour Party report. Subsequently, one learned that Mr. John Fitzgerald had been asked to review the sites in the...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Staffing (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Tá mé buíoch den Chathaoirleach as ucht an deis seo a thabhairt dom an t-ábhar seo a lua ar an Athló anocht. I raise the Department?s current position on the allocation of teachers to Ratoath junior national school. An unprecedented number of parents have been in touch with my colleague in Ratoath, Councillor Nick Killian, and a number of parents have been in touch with me. They are...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Staffing (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister of State might bring to the attention of the Minister for Education and Skills and the appeal board that the figures indicated in the reply on pupil numbers are not those I was given by the principal this morning. I hope the Department has the correct figures. I will check the position immediately with the school. My child started school this year in the junior infants? class...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The budget has been cut further by the current Government and the limits are now below market rents.

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I agree with the Senator. In fact, I agree with every point she has made.

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The social protection system is currently in a state of complete and utter chaos. It is overwhelmed by the economy. It is also overwhelmed by the fact the Government refused to take any decisions on levels of payment last year, so that the Labour Party could say it was keeping its promise not to cut welfare rates.

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: We cut welfare rates twice, so we are not pretending we did not do these things. We cut everything possible.

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: However, what the Labour Party and Fine Gael have done instead is to knock whole swathes of people off the welfare rolls entirely, by disqualifying people on dodgy grounds with regard to applications for disability allowance and by refusing to bring people on to invalidity pension from illness benefit. At my clinic every Monday morning in Kells and every Friday morning in Duleek, I hear of...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: There is a refusal to put people on invalidity pension, where they are clearly unable to work. What should happen is that they be put on that pension, but it is not happening. Those people are being cut off the system completely in an unfair manner. Applications for carer's allowance are being delayed. In some cases, people being cared for are dying during the application process, which is...

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Nobody liked making cuts, but we did it in a fair way

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: It is on the record I voted for that.

Seanad: Social Protection: Statements (Resumed) (18 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: What is happening is that the Government parties are saying there were no cuts.