Results 2,201-2,220 of 9,894 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (24 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I apologise on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, who cannot be present for the entirety of the meeting. The council's assessment, restated today, is that the planned adjustments of €3.1 billion in 2014 and €2 billion in 2015 should not be reduced. Given that we are likely to overshoot the runway, so to speak, by going beyond the 3% target, is there a case for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (24 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: If the Government were to introduce measures in the next budget, would that increase uncertainty over us reaching our targets?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (24 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Is the Government's approach to capital expenditure with the undershooting of capital targets a blockage to economic growth, similar to what Professor Barrett described happened in the 1980s?

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for recognising that this Bill has nothing to do with the troika agreement. It is one of the first occasions on which the Government has admitted that something it is doing has not been forced on it by anyone else. It is worth putting on the record that the original troika agreement did not commit the Government to sell any State assets but merely asked the...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I find some of the Minister of State's arguments compelling. He is correct that if the State puts something out to tender, it must be advertised in Europe. There is no question of this. However, the Government does not have to put the national lottery to tender. There is no EU law which prevents the Government from operating it within a Department. EU procurement law is generally neutral...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: We seem to be getting confused in the debate. I worry that there is an impression that somehow this is being forced on us-----

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: -----when I hope it would be clear to the public that the Fine Gael-Labour Party Government decided it.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I apologise if Senator Reilly has already dealt with the following point. Section 3 repeals the 1986 Act. However, section 44 refers to the 1986 Act and states that the fund established by that Act continues. Is there a contradiction in that section 3 repeals the legislation, yet there is a reference to it in section 44?

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: It seems problematic. I believe this needs to be clarified.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 2: In page 6, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:"4. The National Treasury Management Agency shall manage that portion of the proceeds from the sale of the National Lottery Licence designated for the National Children's Hospital.".It goes to the heart of the Bill and our concerns about it that what we are relying on is a promise from Government, and...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: In general terms.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister of State has raised a related point, to which I want to return because it is very important. He has refused to state the sum the Government expects to receive from the valuation. He is right in that regard, but I ask him to examine, in his capacity as procurement Minister, the process throughout the State system. Certainly in local authorities, councillors are still going...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 3: In page 6, between lines 29 and 30, to insert the following:“4.The Minister shall, within one month of the enactment of this Act, bring forward a report outlining how the proceeds from the sale of the National Lottery licence shall be ring fenced for the purposes of meeting the cost of constructing the National Children's Hospital.”.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 5: In page 7, between lines 19 and 20, to insert the following:“(4) The Regulator will cease to exist at a date to be set by the Minister.”.We have a major difficulty with the issue of a regulator. It is probably unnecessary. I oppose all the sections dealing with the regulator, so I presume I should talk about the various issues section by section rather...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I know, but all the sections to section 20 are about the regulator.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Okay, I will discuss them individually. The amendment is self-explanatory. We do not believe there is a need for ongoing regulation. The regulator should cease to exist, in the interests of costs and not increasing the bureaucracy at a time when this and previous Governments have been determined to cut bureaucracy as best they can. I have other issues with the regulator which I will...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I will wait for the discussion on the section because I wish to speak further than what is contained in the amendment. I will withdraw the amendment so we can move to discuss the section.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I can see why someone would want a regulator but I believe it is time for new thinking in this whole area. Why can a Minister not do the job? At least if we are not happy with a Minister he can be kicked out. We can do that and there is public accountability. When a politician makes a decision the public can do something about it to effect change. We have had multiple instances of...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: No; I am suggesting something like the social welfare appeals office, which is independent of the Minister but is actually part of the Department of Social Protection administratively. As I understand it, staff are appointed by the Minister to be independent but the office is within the Department. The Minister could establish a smaller entity within a Department in an administrative sense....

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Committee Stage (30 Apr 2013)

Thomas Byrne: This section is trying to draw back in ministerial responsibility for matters that should be within his or her remit. It has been promised in terms of reform and it is a pity to see matters relating to the national lottery moving away from the scope of parliamentary questions. I listened to what the Minister had to say about the regulator coming before committees. The tabling of a...