Results 19,901-19,920 of 21,040 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Order of Business (16 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I have. The Minister for Health should have some compassion, especially at this time of year. It is a very sad case.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: The Deputy earns it.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I wish to share time with Deputies Clare Daly and Thomas Pringle.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I am glad to speak on the Bill and the amendments put down by the Minister in regard to the Bretton Woods agreement. It is a difficult issue to speak on as it is not well known to the public, having been set up in 1944 and named after the place where the agreement was agreed and signed. It has more relevance today than we would like to believe, however, and is a serious issue in terms of...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: It is relevant to our constituency as well. Did we not have a jibe from Deputy Durkan about sharing a tough constituency? Every constituency is tough but I wonder where the socialists were when the budget was being formed. I do not see many of them here today either. We are in serious economic times. I can proudly say I voted against the EU-IMF agreement, not because I did not want them...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I thank my learned colleague who is very experienced, as we saw on a television programme, and quite excellent. I will promote his CD for Christmas if I can. Certainly, we all should phone a friend and try to move them on. Deputy Durkan also stated that one learns something every day. We certainly do, and it has been a steep learning curve since the IMF came in. I believe it should have...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: How much time have I got?

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: The Acting Chairman frightened me there.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Am I finished?

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I thought the Acting Chairman was really being hard on me. I thought he was learning from the Ceann Comhairle, who I should not mention when he is not here. I wished the Ceann Comhairle a happy Christmas this morning anyway.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I am. The Acting Chairman could not be hard on me, a fellow Tipperary man. I have lost my train of thought. I was speaking about the banks, and the treatment they are giving ordinary householders and small business. Big businesses, as we saw, owe them €20 million, €30 million and €40 million and the banks cannot touch them, but if one goes €200 in the red, the banks will bounce...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Yes, but this is all part of the Bill. There are many Bills we do not like but we must pay the charges. Where are we going to stop? If we do not stop, there will be anarchy in this country. The laws are in existence to protect the vultures. Those who borrowed recklessly and owe millions to the banks cannot be touched. Seánie got a telephone call from the gardaí asking him to come down...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I mentioned that. I am referring to what occurred over the past ten years, during which time Mr. Cardiff was in office. If he is so inept at his job here, why do we now shove him out to Europe? The Government canvassed the various parties and groupings in the European Parliament – I cannot think of their names – and changed the mind of Mr. Seán Kelly, MEP, and others.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Go raibh maith agat. Tá mé-----

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Tá mé ag caint.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Maith an fear. Bí cúin más é do thoil é.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I have the floor and my good friend and colleague, the Acting Chairman, is protecting me as best he can. Sometimes I know he would not like to but he is today.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: The Deputies are wasting my time, which is not fair. I will have to have overtime as a consequence. I have the same right to time to speak as anybody else. I have identified the culture of greed over ten years, the pain, the position on two former taoisigh and the various agreements. I stated some nights ago I am against the Croke Park agreement because it is untenable and unviable. It...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I know it was called off.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I am not misleading the House. The Deputies are entitled to a party but the Government is inflicting misery on the people, who will be waiting for them in the long grass. They are waiting already.