Results 2,681-2,700 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Order of Business (1 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Most people would be very concerned about the establishment of clear ethical principles in respect of the activity of lobbyists. The Government has indicated in the press that it is sympathetic to introducing some capacity for registration of lobbyists. What are the Government's proposals in respect of this and does it favour a voluntary or statutory register?

Written Answers — Social Protection Expenditure: Social Protection Expenditure (1 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Question 17: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the comparison between public social expenditure here and that in each of the other EU countries and the EU average respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7965/07]

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (1 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Question 80: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the comparison between pensioner incomes here and pensioner incomes in each of the other EU countries and the EU average respectively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7966/07]

Order of Business (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Through which end of the binoculars?

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: The strongest argument in favour of the establishment of an advocate system is the persistent refusal of the Revenue Commissioners to conduct an appraisal of the overpayment of tax by PAYE workers. The reality is the Revenue Commissioners have all the information at their finger tips. They know the amount of activity which occurs in doctors' surgeries, nursing homes and in these other areas...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Can the Minister ask the Central Statistics Office to include a single question into the household budget survey? As it collects medical expense data, such a question would shed much light on this issue.

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 8: In page 11, to delete lines 16 and 17 and substitute the following: 1.—In this Part— "Principal Act" means the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997; "special educational needs" has the meaning assigned to it by section 1 of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004.". To some degree, we have discussed amendments Nos. 10 to 12, inclusive, already in...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: I thank the Minister. I welcome this provision and the €22 million being put into this will be a very good investment, broadly well-received. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform would probably look for much more than that when he comes to see the Minister on occasion.

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Has he? I see. He does not need relief for medical expenses, or I hope not anyhow. I take the Minister's point that the ideal would be to deliver education provision in the education setting. In his comments, the Minister recognised that we have already broadened the concessions to include people who need to fund psychological assessments. We already recognise the need to fund speech and...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Until when?

Written Answers — Lisbon Agenda: Lisbon Agenda (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Question 160: To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the progress his Department has made in implementing the Lisbon Agenda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8578/07]

Written Answers — Human Rights Issues: Human Rights Issues (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Question 191: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his plans to introduce legislation to combat human trafficking and to ratify United Nations Protocols and European Conventions in this area. [8680/07]

Written Answers — Electricity Generation: Electricity Generation (6 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: Question 337: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources the reason for the delay in proceeding with the electricity interconnector which could help raise the use of reusable sources in Irish generation and access to cheaper electricity purchases. [8703/07]

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: When the debate adjourned, we were wrapping up on this group of amendments, which deals with a number of issues, including the possibility of tax relief being extended into areas of special educational need and the welcome decision by the Minister to grant medical tax relief from the very first euro of expenditure incurred by an individual or a family. I welcome the suggestion by Deputy...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: The Minister did not address that point.

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 9: In page 13, between lines 25* and 26*, to insert the following: " Section 466A (home carer's allowance) €770.00 €1,760.00 ". Amendment No. 9 was also tabled on Committee Stage. However, its subject matter is of sufficient importance that it warrants a debate in the House. It relates to the tax policy we have developed in respect of families in recent years....

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: I seriously disagree with the Minister's priorities. He said he found 25 times the cost of this concession in his tax package and he did not feel home carers were worthy of consideration in devising the package. Home carers have been left out every year since individualisation was introduced. The Minister did not weigh up the relative needs of home carers and their families and he did not...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: The Minister's final comment completely distorts the debate by stating the Opposition presumes that reforming the home care credit is the only way to tackle the needs of many young families. No one on this side of the House said that and no one believes it.

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: The reality is that the Minister introduced this issue into the debate by quoting the OECD at great length to the effect that single income families and young families are treated uniquely well in Ireland. The Minister said this because he compared——

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Richard Bruton: That argument convinces me the Minister is living in a world of his own.