Results 8,641-8,660 of 9,832 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Second Stage (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: This legislation comprises 34 pages and 20 sections. The Dáil and the Seanad are entitled to debate it at proper speed and give it due consideration. Instead, it is being rushed through because today is a good day to bury bad news, because there so much other bad news. This charge affects everybody, not just the sectors that were targeted in yesterday's expenditure measures. It is a...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Second Stage (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: My colleague, Senator Ó Domhnaill, referred to the issue of waivers and I agree with him. Another fundamental unfairness in respect of this charge is that the local authorities are not being asked to make efficiencies under the legislation while members of the public is being asked to pay €100 or they will go to prison or be fined or convicted in a criminal court. The crimes the...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Second Stage (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is not about the amount. We are not the Greeks. The public will not pay the charge if they do not see efficiencies from the local authorities or if they telephone local authorities and get no answer. Apart from putting a burden on the citizen, this charge will place considerable responsibility on local authority staff to ensure they do their jobs properly. Most of them do so but I hear...

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I am delighted to accept Senator Sheahan's compliments regarding the 10.1% deficit figure because it obviously relates to last year's budget. It is a major about-turn if he is describing last year's budget as prudent management but it is welcome nonetheless.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The savings were announced last year.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Fianna Fáil supports the decision to achieve an 8.6% deficit target in 2012. We are delighted that we apparently will reach a deficit of 10.1% this year. We are hoping to achieve a 2.9% deficit over the period of the plan by making savings of €3.8 billion next year. Most rational political parties, if they are not solely motivated by political gain, accept this basic necessity. However,...

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We will support the Government as best we can, but its members will have to stick together, because every one of them that drops off the ship is another damaging blow to the stability of this country.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I do wish the Government luck.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Is that how the Senator justifies the cuts?

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Second Stage (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I will start by quoting from the programme for Government regarding legislation and rushing it through the Oireachtas. It states: While recognising that there may be exceptional circumstances in which debate may need to be concluded by a given deadline, we will restrict the use of guillotine motions and other procedural devices ..... We will also deal with the related problem of...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Talk to Phil Hogan.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: What about the small schools in Galway that are going to have to close in view of the pupil-teacher ratio? What about the guidance counsellors? What about the Protestant schools?

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: They have all been affected.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: You are up there and -----

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Tell that to the small schools of Connemara.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I second Senator Darragh O'Brien's amendment to the Order of Business. What is particularly appalling about this budget is the targeting of specific sectors in society, for instance, the targeting of the young disabled, the targeting of the old, the sick and the handicapped who depend on the fuel allowance and the targeting of small schools for a cut in the pupil-teacher ratio, contrary to...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The Senator should read the Minister's document yesterday.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I refer Senator Healy Eames to the press release and the leaflet issued by the Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, yesterday and distributed to all of us. I also refer to the RTE news bulletin which reported that a Department spokesman told those schools to consider their future and that they would be better able to do so with a higher pupil-teacher ratio. While Senator Healy Eames is...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: -----on small schools which are crucial to rural life.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The Government has attacked rural life, not protected it. It has targeted sectors-----