Results 2,541-2,560 of 4,363 for speaker:Arthur Morgan

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (16 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: Question 406: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of units of private rented accommodation in use or available for use in County Meath; and the number of these which are registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board, as required by law. [46250/08]

Written Answers — Rented Dwellings Register: Rented Dwellings Register (16 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: Question 407: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the action which has been taken to identify and prosecute, if necessary, those landlords who have not registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board; the number of prosecutions that have taken place for County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46251/08]

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (16 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: Question 510: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will reconsider the decision to refuse the higher education grant to a person (details supplied) in County Louth for the academic year 2008-09; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46168/08]

Order of Business (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: It is most unacceptable that a Bill dealing with millions of euro of expenditure will pass through the House without open-ended debate. It would be appropriate to have such debate. I oppose the guillotining of the Bill.

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: While transport is not one of my portfolios, it is important that I rise to support the comments of Deputies O'Dowd and Broughan.

Departmental Agencies. (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: Should we really expect the Minister to answer questions given that the very purpose of bringing in these agencies was that Ministers would not have to answer questions? It is most unlikely that the Minister will change his mind and begin answering questions.

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: I accept the essence of what the Minister is trying to do here. There is no doubt that globally there are many examples of people who come with gifts, for want of a better term, who are gifted and who can bring substantial worth, whatever their industry happens to be. I am instinctively supportive of Deputy Bruton's amendment, however, because he shares my concern as regards monitoring as...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: This is a very important issue. We are dealing with people who have just arrived at their pension age. I agree with Deputy Barrett that people should have options. I shall give an example. In recent years I have seen a significant change in attitude in a number of Departments, including the Departments of Social and Family Affairs and Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, and also within the...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: I move amendment No. 22: In page 52, to delete lines 1 to 21 and substitute the following: "20.—Section 26 of the Finance Act 2008 is repealed.". The amendment seeks to delete section 26 because this section facilitates tax exemptions for the private health care sector. I would argue it facilitates a road towards the privatisation of the entire health care system in the State, to which I...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: It is analogous, and a consequence of privatisation of the health care service. That is the issue I am addressing.

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: In addition to being unsafe, it is significantly more costly, because the fallback position is that the HSE will hire private ambulances. Rather than pay some operatives in the local area overtime, it will incur not only the cost of the two operatives in the ambulance, but the cost of the private ambulance itself. It is a substantially increased cost and it makes no sense. In 2006, the last...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: I must repeat that I accept the need for palliative care beds. As my constituency in particular has one of the highest rates of cancer on the island, which consistently is 12% or 13% above the national average, I accept such a need completely. In a way, I accept that in respect of occupancy, better efficiency is to be gained, for example, from a ten-bed unit than from a 20-bed unit....

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: Palliative services.

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: On the Minister's comments that the planning here was a matter for the local authorities, I can give him any amount of examples but perhaps the best and most startling example of local authorities' planning being distorted by one means or another is in east Meath, for example, all around Laytown and Bettystown where an area that used be a lovely countryside and seaside area is now coming down...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: I support this amendment on the basis that it would benefit the tourism sector, which I appreciate is a very important one and is most affected by this measure. In addition, many people who do not need to own cars would be happy to hire them if they were more reasonably priced. That would have a major benefit for CO2 emissions. The amendment goes beyond the tourism sector in that regard,...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: Increasing the VAT rate in the budget was a disaster and had a considerable psychological blow. It is unfortunate in terms of revenue income that the British sought to reduce their VAT rate by 2.5% effectively at or about the same time. The impact was significant. I will not share any more of the incidents from Newry car parks or precincts with the House because the media had a particular...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: I was not particularly upset by Government backbenchers applauding the Minister on budget day. The response of the backbenchers opposite reminded me of what used to happen on Hughie Green's programme "Opportunity Knocks" — which the Minister may be too young to remember — when someone at the front of the audience would hold up a sign proclaiming "Clap now", "Cry now" or "Laugh now". I...

Housing: Motion (Resumed) (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: The Deputy said it when he was on this side of the House.

Housing: Motion (Resumed) (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: There is no plan.

Housing: Motion (Resumed) (17 Dec 2008)

Arthur Morgan: They never had an opportunity.