Results 7,941-7,960 of 9,832 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

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.

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

Thomas Byrne: There is no legal, political or any other definition of a core payment. Deputy Burton is not able to give such a definition when questioned. However, I can tell the House that for an elderly lady in Kells who is saving up for a tank of oil, the fuel allowance is very much a core payment. The Minister would be better off being straight and honest with the people. It would be better for her...

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: 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: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I pay tribute to the Minister but I also claim joint credit on behalf of my party because we put the Bill through the Dáil. Unfortunately the election occurred subsequently. We have waited patiently for this Government to bring it forward almost one and a half years after it entered office. We support the Bill and the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman has received many tributes from the House in...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I have no objection to this proposal which I support, but I wish to highlight the failures of this and the last Government in regard to mergers in general. The merger of the Competition Authority and the National Consumer Agency was announced as long ago as late 2008. It struggled under the last Government and seems to be struggling under this one. There are many other examples of agencies...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Tá mise sásta leis an freagra a thug an tAire do Seanadóir Ó Clochartaigh. Measaim go bhfuil sé réasúnta go bhfuil Acht na Teangacha Oifigiúla curtha i bhfeidhm ag an Ombudsman agus ag na daoine eile a luaigh sé. Ag an am céanna, tá sé tábhachtach go mbeadh daoine sna hoifigí sin in ann teagmháil a dhéanamh trí Ghaeilge. Ach, caithfidh an Rialtas na hacmhainní a...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Perhaps this was already discussed, but I was not here during the last debate. Regarding section 9, the Labour Party put forward an amendment in the Dáil when Fianna Fáil was in government in 2010. That amendment proposed the introduction of a new subsection 3A, stating that, "A reviewable agency shall comply with a recommendation of the Ombudsman". There has been a change in Labour...

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I am making the point on the section, where the Labour Party proposed ---

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: He is a good man.

Seanad: Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2008: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (17 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: While I do not object to the amendment, I am concerned about the power to designate a committee of the Houses. The legislation should provide that the Oireachtas shall engage in a specific activity rather than allowing a Minister based in Merrion Street to retain the power to tell the Oireachtas what it should do. This goes against the grain of the stated intentions of the Government, as...

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (11 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: It is not like that.

Seanad: Valuation (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (11 Oct 2012)

Thomas Byrne: It did. We were rejected out of hand and out of office.