Results 26,941-26,960 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: If anyone here believes Irish Water should be privatised, he or she will have an opportunity to say his or her piece.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, will come before the Dáil and we will have a debate on this issue when the Government announces its decisions. I am not going to tie him or the Government to announcing it on a particular day.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: I have listened carefully to the hundreds of people who have contacted me - some of them in not very kind terms I might add, but that is to be expected in politics. Many of those who have expressed a view say they are quite willing to make a contribution for water, but they want to know what the charge is and what it is for.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: I will finish now. In County Roscommon, where Deputy Fitzpatrick - gabh mo leithscéal - Deputy Fitzmaurice was elected, chas mé ar an leoraí i dTuilsce an lá cheana agus mé ag dul síos. Thank you, Michael. As Deputy Fitzmaurice will tell us, there are six treatment plants being completed in County Roscommon. The Deputy was going to leave the people concerned...

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: It seems Deputy Micheál Martin does not want to recognise the invalidity of his own case made the other day. The point is that if this work is not done and one has to raise €850 million for a programme of investment in extra water infrastructure and facilities, how will it be raised? I am not going to go down the road of increasing taxes or pulling services.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: That is what the Deputy wants to do. In fact, the Government went the other way and reduced income tax for the first time. It will do so again next year and the following year when returned to government.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: It is obvious that the Deputy listened to some people because he has changed his tune again. A fortnight ago he said: "Of course, I will pay the water charges because they are the law of the land." We know that he is a very law-abiding citizen. When he sees movement on the streets, however, he changes his tune and says: "Oh no, I will not pay in the case of my holiday home in Donegal. I...

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: -----tide of people who say, "Okay, I am not going to pay these water charges," obviously he has gone down the road of utter populism, but it is not the first time he has changed his mind or his tune either. I will answer his question. I have listened to the people.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Government is engaging with the people, Irish Water and the board of Ervia. I have heard what they have said. What they have said is that they want clarity, certainty and fairness.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: I want Deputy Gerry Adams to understand this Government is not going to go down the road of having to raise €850 million in extra tax increases or cutting other services.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: What we need is the capacity to have an independent, commercial public body to borrow money off balance sheet and invest in the infrastructure that is necessary. An example is that Dublin City Council proposed to spend €350 million on upgrading the treatment works at Ringsend. The Minister has just come back from there and, because Irish Water is a public utility, it is able to do...

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: That is what the investment is about. Let us all understand we want the country to measure up in terms of our environmental responsibilities and high quality water systems and not leaving hundreds of thousands with an inferior system. From that point of view, we will not be dropping the charges, but we will make them as fair as we can in everyone's interests.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: I do not accept the proposition. The Deputy has said the Government did not listen to the people once it was elected. I challenge that assertion. I was in houses with people who had put together mortgages and then found buildings were disintegrating with pyrite. I met the residents in the unfortunate case at Priory Hall. I met the Magdalen laundries people here and in England and we...

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: -----we will attempt to address the issue in the fairest way. Those who live alone will have 40% of their water needs provided for by the allowance, which works out at 50 cent a day. The Government is considering how best to help that category, the same as everybody else. Genuinely, we want to put in place a regime that will allow borrowing off the Government balance sheet to deal with the...

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: No, I will not support Sinn Féin's Bill. Obviously, we will have a full-scale debate in the House with the Minister, Deputy Alan Kelly, when the Government announces its decision which I hope will be in the next two weeks.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: In the spring of 2016 Deputy Joan Collins will be involved in a general election campaign - it is not that far away. The people will make up their minds as to who they want to elect. That will be their choice and that is how it should be in a democracy. They will ask whether the Government fulfilled its mandate in fixing the public finances and whether it put the country back to work....

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: We were left with €18 billion from the International Monetary Fund, and the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, and the Government have been able to buy out substantial elements of that at a much lower interest rate, with authorisation forthcoming from our European colleagues, with the exception of Sweden, as it recently held an election. We hope it will deal with the matter by 21...

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: We should remember that in the most recent budget, income tax was reduced and the lower tax band was increased. The two lower levels of the universal social charge were eased for people, with many taken from that net. A couple with young children will see a benefit of up to €1,200 paid back to them early next year because of changes to child allowances and income tax changes. These...

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: It will go towards fixing the sewerage problems in Arklow and Ringsend. It will help fix the treatment works in many places around the country where the facilities are inferior. Deputy Joan Collins does not live in a place like Roscommon, where people have had to boil water for ten years.

Leaders' Questions (4 Nov 2014)

Enda Kenny: It seems that some people want that to continue. I do not want it to continue and the Government will not allow that. We ask for the assistance of people in that regard. The Government will make its decision in the next two weeks and I hope it will be seen to be very clear, fair and affordable.