Results 2,881-2,900 of 24,326 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The Government made the wrong choice again.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Why do it so?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Is the Senator happy with the changes?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The Senator has sold his soul.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I have one question for the Minister that deserves to be answered. The Minister said yesterday and tonight that the Government, in the context of a very tough budgetary environment, has done its utmost to protect the most vulnerable people in society. Can she explain the reason we have protected the most vulnerable by imposing cuts on them?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Energy prices have increased.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Motion for Earlier Signature (16 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: The Members opposite started cheering. Senator Ellis may laugh, but he has just voted against the ordinary people of Ireland. Shame on him.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I join other speakers in demanding that the Minister for Transport come before the House. To clarify the matter for Senator Ormonde, the Minister has made a statement. His decision to defer the opening of the stretch of road in question must be addressed because it constitutes naked political interference in the work of the National Roads Authority. As Senator Cummins said, when one seeks...

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Senator Boyle is right, it is inept and it should not happen. A €300 million road is stopped because the friends of Fianna Fáil came running and asked for help.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I sympathise with the traders because the policies of Fianna Fáil brought them into the mess they are in. The Government should not ask the Irish people to bail out the friends of Fianna Fáil because this is the recurring nightmare. Fianna Fáil bails out its friends again.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: It is not nasty at all. The facts are before us and Government Members are embarrassed. They are running for cover the whole time.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: When will the Minister come to the House? When will we see an end to Fianna Fáil's patronage?

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: A general election.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Senator O'Toole would be a good candidate.

Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I am running for Cork.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: I welcome the Minister of State. Inchydoney is dead, long live Inchydoney. The cosy cartel on the beach is no more. Public sector workers have no friends in Government Buildings, especially public sector workers who earn less than €30,000 per year. There is an acceptance by all Members that there must be a rebalancing and that we need to correct fiscal policy to get out of this crisis....

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: Let us have a new pillar in social partnership. To quote the cliche, we have lost a generational opportunity for reform of the public sector. Senators Butler, Regan and I served on local authorities where there was roll-out of local government reform. What did it mean? We created no new posts only new directors in various positions. In certain places one goes beyond the switchboard which...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: It is wrong. It should not be that way. We must tackle our competitiveness. Our exports have decreased for the past six years. We have become a service based, construction based economy. I am pleased the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, has returned. There is nothing whatever in this budget for jobs. We have put forward an alternative which is painful for some people. There is a...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: It is aspirational.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Jerry Buttimer: It is called a lack of appreciation, a lack of understanding and no protection of the vulnerable, the blind and the handicapped. The Government then takes the poorest paid worker and stands on him and allows its friends at the tent in Galway to go scot free.