Results 8,301-8,320 of 27,073 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (8 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank Mr. Barnes for that because I want us to legitimise the debate about wealth taxes, which has generally been considered to be off the radar to date. It is interesting that countries such as Argentina and others are now beginning to introduce these taxes on the back of the Covid-19 crisis. I will press Mr. Barnes further on the question of wealth taxes, although I acknowledge there...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (8 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will press Dr. Lawless on that. I take her point. The wealth tax that we in People Before Profit have designed and proposed in our budget submissions excludes the family home but is there not a fairly simple calculation to be done? We have approximately 1.8 million or 1.9 million family homes in the country. We can work out roughly what they are worth on average. If we multiply one by...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Post-Budget Analysis: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (8 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: My time is nearly up, so I might ask a couple of quick questions. A lesson we have learned from Covid is that, if we scrimp on health spending, particularly on capacity, staffing and so on, it can have more dire economic consequences in a health emergency. To a significant extent, our requirement to close down large sections of the economy was linked to the low level of capacity within our...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Again, I genuinely thank the Minister for those commitments and his engagement and interest on the issue. I will make one or two other brief supplementary points for his consideration. There has been much talk about the possibility of a collective agreement as a way of resolving this. I will point out that the producers to whom I refer, and the people who support no change in the situation...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: On the basis the Minister has said genuinely that he will look into it, I will not press the amendment. I thank the Minister for his engagement.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 69: In page 45, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “22.Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall produce a report on the effective rate of corporation tax being paid across the country and the effect of the closing of tax loopholes would have on revenue.”. I was hoping Deputy Barry would take up the mantle...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I welcome the Minister's engagement and the commitments he just made. I have given him some new information, which I hope he will follow up. The letter, which he would have got today, elaborates on that. There is Orwellian, Janus-faced double-speak coming from the producers that are getting the relief. In order to get the money, they are telling the Minister that they will do certain...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 68: In page 45, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “22.Within three months of the passing of this Act, the Minister shall produce a report on the extent to which producer companies in receipt of section 481 tax relief are complying with requirements to provide quality employment and training, with employment legislation, taking direct...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Can we stop the clock?

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: This amendment concerns the approximately €80 million in tax relief that is given to film producers every year under section 481. It is a considerable relief to support the development of the film industry. However, as the Minister knows, the specific condition attaching to this relief is that, in order to access the relief, the film producers must provide quality employment and...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: As the Ceann Comhairle knows.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 60: In page 29, between lines 12 and 13, to insert the following: "12. The Minister shall, within three months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on a levy on large profitable companies to meet the costs of the Covid Restriction Support Scheme and other supports to business.".

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I was hoping the Minister would respond to the direct point I am making about that group before I make my final contribution.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Okay. The same argument that I made for the musicians and the crews, who I want to emphasise are behind the musicians, applies to the taxi drivers. The taxi drivers' income is either non-existent because is not worth going out on the road or, for those who go out on the road, is down approximately 70%. They have repayments on their cars. How are they supposed to make them? A taxi driver...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is being pressed. On a point of order, can I ask what happens if we call a vote now because there are seven committees meeting in Leinster House and Deputies, certainly, in the case of our group, are attending them? There is no way many of those Deputies would be able to make it over for a vote.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am merely pointing out that many Deputies would be disenfranchised if we called a vote. I am minded to call a vote but it is a little unfair on all the Deputies attending committees in Leinster House. Maybe we had not envisaged it. We are in a difficult position. It is a bit of a problem.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In the interest of fairness to others who have amendments and to the Deputies who would not be able to make it, I have no choice. Maybe it is a matter for the Business Committee to consider, that is, that the possibility of votes clashing with committees meeting in Leinster House is a real problem. However, I have to be reasonable and, therefore, I will only press the amendment to a voice vote.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There is a cruel irony in the exclusion of certain groups of people, whose incomes and employment have been hardest hit by the pandemic, from a scheme which is called the Covid restrictions support scheme. The threshold for this support is turnover being down by 25% to cover the ongoing costs which businesses have. I refer to insurance, fuel, maintenance and repayment costs. Since March, I...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The amendments are in my name but I am hoping to hear from the Minister before I get a chance to respond.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Dec 2020)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In the programme for Government, the Government committed to returning the support of healthcare workers for their willingness to protect us all. Last night, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party betrayed their promise to healthcare workers, in particular student nurses and midwives, by voting to delete the People Before Profit-Solidarity motion calling for those workers to be...