Results 2,941-2,960 of 4,085 for speaker:Dan Boyle

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: It is not so much holding to account but making a play——

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: ——on a series of unpopular decisions in a very difficult budget. The list of those decisions includes the ending of universality for those over 70 with regard to medical cards——

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: ——the spending curbs on education——

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: ——and the decision not to proceed with a programme of vaccination for cervical cancer.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: The motion is concerned with spending curbs in the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. With every one of these, the main Opposition party has said the cuts must be reversed in their totality.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: When the cost of the measures are added up, there would be an increase in the already significant hole by €500 million.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: If measures of this type are to be introduced——

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: If the Senator allows me, I will speak specifically about the spending curbs being introduced and their likely effect. In terms of the €500 million——

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: ——one would talk about increasing taxes or further decreasing public expenditure.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: I will say one thing before I move on to the substance of the Opposition motion, if given the opportunity to do so.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: We have curbed public expenditure in this budget by €2 billion.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: At the same time we have borrowed and intend to borrow €4 billion just to keep public expenditure on some sort of even keel.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: If we were not to borrow that €4 billion, we would be cutting €6 billion across Departments — three times the depth of the current cut.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: There are many in Cork South-Central.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: It is very fine agricultural land and there are some very fine farmers there. With regard to the unfortunate levels of cuts proposed in this year's budget and their likely effect, there is no doubt there will be consequences. The role of the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Government in general is to try to lessen that effect. I hope those on the Opposition benches...

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: Those who have farm holdings of 31 hectares, the average holding for farms in the scheme, will see no effect on payment.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: The income levy will be dealt with in the context of the Finance Bill. One must look at farming incomes differently. Some are direct payments in the common agricultural form but farms are enterprises. Their output cannot be measured with the income, and the Finance Bill must introduce measures that reflect this. I am sure the income levy will be applied fairly in those circumstances....

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: The Government has entered into commitments it is allowed to and has tried to restrict what had been, up to now, discretionary payments. The main cut this year is the ending of the farm waste management scheme, although there was a hope to extend it. In the past year alone €195 million was spent on that scheme and in the past three years €615 million was spent on it. One cannot say...

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: I acknowledge that Fine Gael has a particular interest in rural and farming communities in terms of its voter base and its political history.

Seanad: Irish Agriculture: Motion (12 Nov 2008)

Dan Boyle: Members must acknowledge that the budget, through a series of targeted tax relief, has also invested in agriculture through young farmers.