Results 2,221-2,240 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: He cannot even look people in the eye because there is such an arrogance about the Government-----
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: -----that he cannot even listen to what people have to say. Just like the Minister for Justice and Equality, he does not even have the ability to listen.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: The Labour Party in opposition knew all about soundbites. It must be a source of embarrassment for the Minister and his party-----
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: I sat here for 20 minutes without interrupting once while Senator Gilroy criticised my party.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: I would like to continue with my contribution uninterrupted. The Minister will have an opportunity to respond later. It must be a source of embarrassment for some trade unions that they are in some way affiliated to the Labour Party, given what the Minister is doing in introducing this Bill and the erosion of workers' rights it involves. Does the Minister not realise that those rights,...
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: The Government cannot deal with any of that, but it has no difficulty introducing legislation that empties the pockets of low- and middle-income workers. She quoted a report that referred to the growing economy. The ESRI reports on the last two budgets referred to their being the most unfair and the most unequal. Here is what the Government could have done. If the Government cut the pay...
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: It could, for example, deal with real waste in the system.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: It is €100,000 a year.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: The Minister knows exactly what our proposal is. Public sector pay should be capped at €100,000.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: I know that would affect the Minister in his pocket, but we will leave that to one side. The Government could also deal with real waste in the system. We know we are spending too much on branded drugs and could achieve considerably greater savings in that area.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: When the Labour Party was in opposition it talked about eliminating waste in the system, but it has not done so. With a third rate of tax at 48% on incomes of over €100,000, a wealth tax and the standardisation of all tax reliefs, there are any amount of options. The problem is that the Minister is not prepared to listen, which shows the Government's arrogance. It has contempt for...
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: -----Labour Party Members will reap what they have sown from the people they have betrayed and let down by doing what they have done since coming into government.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: Senator Bacik's Government is creating the misery.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: We are dealing in reality and Senator Bacik will get it when she is on the doorsteps.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Second Stage (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: They were shouting me down.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: I agree with the previous speakers. I was not going to involve myself in this debate as I was waiting until the next section but there is a point to be made about the extraordinary powers which have been given to the Minister and the Government in regard to these pay cuts and the other measures in the Bill. I am the workers' rights spokesperson for my party and part of my responsibility was...
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: The Minister said earlier one cannot escape the working class. I do not know whether he was including himself in not being part of the working class but I would look at it a bit differently.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: I would look at it a bit differently from the Minister. I look at this on the basis of whether it is economically-----
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: As I said earlier, we can look back at a whole raft of promises the Minister's party made in opposition. The Minister raised the issue of us seeking votes.
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee and Remaining Stages (30 May 2013)
David Cullinane: The Minister is being entirely disingenuous. I know for a fact that if he was sitting where we are sitting now in opposition and this Bill was being brought forward by a different Government, he would not support it. I do not know any Bill which cuts the wages-----