Results 181-200 of 5,294 for speaker:Michael McCarthy
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: I did not interrupt the fair-haired Senator from Galway. I expect the same treatment.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: The changes made by the Government to the rent supplement are a crude act which has obliterated the increases. There are about 50,000 carers who are being consistently neglected by the Government. They are providing an invaluable service but their efforts and dedication have not been recognised by the Minister for Finance in his successive budgets. There is an additional â¬7 per week for...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: Whether in its present format or previous incarnation the Government has consistently neglected carers.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: This neglect is indefensible. The Government must realise that dead horses cannot be flogged. Carers are providing an invaluable service for society.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: While I acknowledge that the Minister is constrained by funding restrictions and the problem of changing schemes and introducing new measures which might impact on the administrative structure of the Department, I urge her to examine these requests and abolish the means test for carers. There was a commitment to poverty-proofing in the revised national anti-poverty strategy. This meant that...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: The difference is that we told the truth.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: It is a waste of money and it is anti-environment.
- Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: A number of other speakers have touched on the issue I want to raise, namely the results of Operation Encounter. The Garda Commissioner set up this operation on 23 February 2002 to focus on drink related crime in different venues such as pubs, night clubs, and fast food outlets. It has highlighted a number of alarming statistics, not least that 25 people are assaulted every night in drink...
- Seanad: Order of Business. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: Donald Rumsfeld listed us.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: I support previous speakers. I appeal to the Minister to take on board the detailed comments eloquently expressed, particularly by Senators Norris and Ulick Burke. This cutback will affect the worst-off in our society. Those on low incomes are already marginalised by the system. This scheme was intended to eliminate social exclusion. The savings made by the Department of Social and Family...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: The Minister can borrow.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: The amendments are self-explanatory and I urge the Minister to use her better judgment and take them on board. The increases in the budget are cancelled out by domestic inflation and one does not have to be a wizard at economics to understand this.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: He could bet on a horse.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: We could find three winners.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 6: In page 4, discussed section 3, to insert the following new section:
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: You do not know if you will score from the first ball.
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: I prefaced my contribution by saying that the Government could argue, probably justifiably in some cases, that the targets could be met between now and 2007. However, we should remember what was set out in the document that we mentioned. The figures were achievable and realistic, but they were not met. My point concerned the commitment to meet targets that were realistic and achievable. That...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: I move amendment No. 8: In page 4, before section 3, to insert the following new section: 3.âThe Minister shall as soon as may be after the passing of this Act prepare and lay before both Houses of the Oireachtas a report on expenditure on social protection in the State relative to that of other EU member states and particularising the precise statistical impact of the lower number of...
- Seanad: Social Welfare (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2003: Committee and Remaining Stages. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: While I will not be pressing the amendment, I ask the Minister to be cognisant of this statistic which is worrying in the European context. I ask her to consider dealing with the issue at some time in the future.
- Seanad: Health Services: Motion. (26 Mar 2003)
Michael McCarthy: The Labour Party has yet to find â¬20 million to invest in a communications unit that can trot out untruths and fallacies such as we have just heard. We shall continue without the kind of spin-doctoring that has surrounded this Administration for the past four or five years. The national health strategy initiated by the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, was inspirational. It...