Results 2,161-2,180 of 26,843 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There is no prospect of the Government making a dent in the unemployment situation while it continues on its current policy path.

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Of course I welcome new jobs. It is disingenuous to say otherwise. I welcome every job that is announced but the figures speak for themselves. There is no movement in the proportion of the population who are unemployed. Is it not a fact that our unemployment would be bordering on catastrophic were it not for the tens of thousands of people who leave the country every year? We would be...

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That relates to fact that the Government's strategy is solely based on luring foreign investment.

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The slashing of public expenditure and the failure of the State to stimulate the economy means that we cannot move-----

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----the unemployment figures in any serious way. That is the problem. Unless we have State investment, we cannot impact on the unemployment crisis. That is what the Government needs to do.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Mahon tribunal confirms what many people in the country had suspected for a long time, that is to say, a rotten political culture has dominated the State for the best part of three decades. It is not only about the Mahon tribunal, what it shows about the endemic corruption of the planning process and the fact that councillors from the main political parties were open for bribes by bagman...

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: A ticket to the golf classics. We know some of the people who won the golf classics: Johnny Ronan-----

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----from Treasury Holdings-----

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We know people from CRH, EBS and JP McManus are the sort of people who were at the Fine Gael golf classics. If the Minister and his party are serious about all this talk of transparency, will he publish the list of Fine Gael's corporate donors prior to the last election? The fact the Minister, Deputy Hogan, plays golf with Mr. Arthur French-----

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----who raises money, contributes to Fine Gael election funds and now appears as an adviser for Covanta promoting the Covanta incinerator development - if that is not part of the sleazy culture, the murky culture, the unhealthy relationship between big business and politics, I do not know what is.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am just asking the questions and the Members opposite know well that these questions are there.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister is not answering a simple question. Will he name the corporate donors to Fine Gael prior to the last general election which allowed it to build a war chest of €3 million?

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We do not believe the Minister. He was playing golf with them and making big money. The donations required to play in these games were such that they certainly were not ordinary working people who were on these golf courses-----

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The current Taoiseach was the one who removed the ban on corporate political donations in the run-up to the last general election and who is now waxing lyrical about the need for political reform, transparency and all the rest. Fine Gael has very serious questions to answer. People may want to know if there will be real action from this Government on the good recommendations made in the...

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Let us see the legislation and let the Government follow through.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No anonymous cash donations.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am talking about serious limits on electoral spending, full disclosure of the origin of donations and severe limits on the amounts individuals or corporations may donate to political parties. Those disclosures should be made before elections or in the period of the election so political parties disclose where the money to finance their election manifestos comes from. This would allow...

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----something that this Government, just like the previous Government, resolutely sets its face against.

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am for wealth taxes and I keep asking for some wealth taxes. The reply is that it is too difficult to organise. It is no problem to harass people on social welfare and brutal austerity measures can be imposed on working people and the poor. They are harassed by letters which warn their bank accounts will be inspected and asking questions as to who lives in the house. These are invasive...

Mahon Tribunal Report: Statements (27 Mar 2012)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----but because it is too complicated, we cannot look at where the wealth rests in our society. The fact is that it is possible but the Government does not want to do it. The political establishment is representing those interests and protects them at every turn. How the Government has responded to the economic crisis is just the latest episode of that. It is always the same; it is...