Results 2,821-2,840 of 4,465 for speaker:Jim Walsh

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Níl aon eagla orm go ndéanfaidh an tAire, an Teachta Howlin, aon rud chun cúrsaí airgeadais a réiteach.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2012: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Aontáim leis an méid atá ráite ag na Seanadóirí Cáit Keane agus Trevor Ó Clochartaigh. Is dócha go bhfuil dualgas orainn mar Bhaill an Oireachtais an Ghaeilge a chur chun cinn. Chabhródh caitheamh an fáinne go mór leo siúd nach bhfuil an Ghaeilge go flúirseach acu. Níl ach Gaeilge na hardteistiméireachta fágtha agam. Caithfimid seans a thabhairt do dhaoine nach bhfuil...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: Will the Leader arrange debates in the House on alternate weeks on the fiscal position in the run-up to the budget, which is crucial if we want to restore consumer confidence, investor confidence and job creation? The settling of the fiscal situation is the one issue that is under our control. I am a critic of the Minister, Deputy Howlin, for his serious failures in that regard. We should...

Seanad: Mortgage Credit (Loans and Bonds) Bill 2012: Second Stage (17 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I welcome the Bill and commend the interest of Senator Barrett in this area. It grieves me that four years into probably the greatest financial disaster we have seen in our lifetime we are still trying to get to grips with some of the basic actions that need to be taken. That reflects badly on recent Administrations, and I am not excluding my party, and certainly includes the current...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I have referred to the Personal Insolvency Bill on a regular basis since the recess. It will be one of the most important Bills to come before the House. More than one in five mortgages are in distress. I am disturbed that the Government is not providing information on how the Bill was designed. Following the publication of the draft heads in January, Simon Carswell of The Irish Times...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Sugar Beet Industry (18 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I have referred to the Personal Insolvency Bill on a regular basis since the recess. It will be one of the most important Bills to come before the House. More than one in five mortgages are in distress. I am disturbed that the Government is not providing information on how the Bill was designed. Following the publication of the draft heads in January, Simon Carswell of The Irish Times...

Seanad: Order of Business (24 Oct 2012)

Jim Walsh: I am sure there was some discussion yesterday regarding the costs attaching to pension funds and the deterrent they are to people investing in them. There is also speculation regarding changes that might be made in the forthcoming budget. Will the Leader arrange a debate on pensions? It is extraordinary that less than 50% of people have occupational pensions. Given the change in...

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: No, the Senator is not independent.

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: What are they?

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: That is not comparable. The bank debt.

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: Like the Minister did when he was in opposition.

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: Does the Minister agree that gross public expenditure only reduced by less than 3% between 2008 and 2012? Does he agree that capital expenditure during the same period has reduced by almost 50% or ¤4.3 billion? Does he agree that, based on Department of Finance figures, there have been between 43,000 and 75,000 job losses as a consequence of the reduction in the capital expenditure, which...

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: The late Deputy Brian Lenihan, as Minister, introduced benchmarking in October 2010. It was to be based on counterparts in EU countries. What has happened to that? On pensions, is it sustainable-----

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: I will continue.

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: Does the Minister agree that public service pensions are unsustainable?

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: Are there actuarial projections being done in that regard?

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: Can I ask whether the Minister has done anything-----

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: ----- with regard to considering moving pensions to defined contribution schemes as distinct from defined benefit schemes?

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: Could I ask about new recruits?

Seanad: Public Expenditure and Reform: Statements (8 Nov 2012)

Jim Walsh: Staff are being recruited on a 30% lower salary. What is the position on those staff?