Results 9,101-9,120 of 9,832 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: If one is promoting value for money, one can do that in a local supermarket. Getting value for money is a different thing. This is why it is important to actually state what we are looking for. Senator Barrett is looking for "independently audited assessments of the current, capital, present and future expenditure". It would be fantastic if this were to happen because it never happened...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: On a point of order-----

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister was appointed in March. Four months on, this legislation is being rushed through in a matter of days. The Minister is responsible for billions of euro and yet we have spent little time discussing the matter. This is not a new way of doing things. It is the old way and a bad way to do things.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is a flip-flop on the Government's commitments in the programme for Government. I want to make that point. While we will not oppose the legislation-----

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I have little more to add to what I said about amendment No. 8ain my name. I was praising the Minister in his absence and specifying that some of the work he had done and some of the promises made in the programme for Government should be set out-----

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I like what the Minister is doing in implementing a Government commitment made in the budget, on which most of us are agreed. There is an impression given that certain politicians are siding with the wealthy, but we are not. I agree with the Minister that this is outrageous. There was a battle at our parliamentary party meeting before Christmas to secure some movement on high pay and...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: My first point is well worn at this stage. It is interesting to see the Minister applying so vigorously what he affectionately calls the FEMPI legislation which he and his party so vigorously opposed in Parliament. We are where we are, as was said before. On the commitment in the programme for Government to publish all purchase orders in excess of €20,000, will the Minister do that? It...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: When will the purchase orders be available?

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It took a year to do it in England.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 8c: In page 15, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following subsection: "(3) In carrying out his functions in relation to the processing tasks of public service bodies, the Minister shall not identify or propose self-contained areas of processing tasks that could be considered for outsourcing/transfer to the private sector.". The Minister is probably aware that the...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We thought we had to save €3 billion last year but it ended up being €6 billion. We lost our seats, partially as a result of that. I hope the same fate does not befall the Minister's party. The reality is that the bond markets turned against this country last year, not only for internal reasons. It is not always the fault of the people or the nation. The people generally have a great...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We felt it was reasonable that the Minister would be accountable for his actions up to now. We know what he is doing, we see the media briefings and press conferences, but there should be some accountability for what he has done up to now. This amendment is part of that because it relates to a letter sent out on his instructions.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We are starting that process now.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Except welfare.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I do not want to delay the debate on the Bill in dealing with this amendment. Is the debate to be guillotined at 8.30 p.m.?

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I am conscious that Senator Barrett has a number of important amendments further down the list and that I have more or less hogged the debate but there are some issues I wish to raise. I will not talk for long on them. We have raised important issues. I agree with much of what the Minister said. I resent the implication that we will be bystanders.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: That is a natural human reaction one would find people have anywhere. The point being made in this amendment on outsourcing is that if the Minister is considering it he should let the Oireachtas know about it. The Minister said he has made himself available to the media. That is not acceptable. A Minister, first and foremost, is accountable to Dáil Éireann and he has not really been...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: There are no rules in this House as far as I see.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It says in Standing Orders that you can do what you want.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I believe the Government can.