Results 3,001-3,020 of 4,178 for speaker:Paul Gavan
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: I do. I know it comes as a surprise to the Leas-Chathaoirleach. There are a number of topics to cover in the relatively short time I have. I will start with the issue of how we deal with the huge surge in energy costs. Let me be clear. There is no ideal way to deal with this, and I want to acknowledge that straightaway. The difficulty with what the Government is proposing is that the...
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: That is the Government's record, yet Senator Casey thinks he can come in here and give us a lecture on housing. Let me remind him also that the Government's target of building 12,600 social and affordable houses this year is not going to be hit. The Minister admitted last week that the figure will be 30% off that target. The Government cannot even deliver the pledges it has made, which are...
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: I want to mention the vacant sites tax. I think Senator McDowell will acknowledge just as happily as I will that he and I rarely agree on issues but, my God, this tax is a farce and a fig leaf. Fundamentally, Fine Gael will never tax vacant houses and we can see that now from this proposal. It is so easy to elude having to pay any tax under this measure. It is frankly pointless. Why can...
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: The best way to tackle the issue is to apply an effective tax rate to encourage owners to move vacant sites on and back into the marketplace. Let us be frank. This is the last effort we will see the Government make on this matter and it is not an effort at all. It is just another means of avoiding a key issue and looking after its own people as opposed to tackling the issue of vacant...
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: Hear, hear.
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: It is a joke.
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: Agreed.
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: It is factually incorrect-----
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: Is that allowed?
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Finance): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: It is because he is a Government Member.
- Seanad: Budget 2023 (Public Expenditure and Reform): Statements (27 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: The Minister of State is very welcome. I will try not to repeat points I made in my first speech with the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath. There are some points in the budget that I do welcome. The decision to cut student fees by €1,000 is very welcome. I do find it bizarre that the Government is going to put that back up by €500 the following year. Perhaps that is...
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: I want to raise the international situation. My colleague, Senator Boylan, referred to it yesterday as well. I hope we all share concern about the growth of far-right governments in Sweden and now in Italy. It is important for people to speak out. It concerns me that prominent parties both in the European People's Party, EPP, and in the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, ALDE,...
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: Well said.
- Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (28 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: That is nonsense. He has not condemned the liberal group.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: I offer a warm welcome to all our guests. I appreciate them coming before the committee for this important topic. I begin by declaring an interest. Mr. Courtney said: "There are those who will say that this increase is not enough in a time of high inflation and others will say this increase is too much." I am one of the former. I am a trade union member and have been a proud trade...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: I thank Mr. Courtney. My apologies as I am slightly up against time here so I am sorry to have to interrupt him.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: Nevertheless, I cannot reconcile that point about making progressive changes with a pay cut to the lowest-paid workers in the State. In fairness, Mr. Courtney has conceded that that is what has happened over the past three years.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: That is the way that workers would look at the money.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Living, Minimum Wage Increases and Report of Low Pay Commission: Discussion (28 Sep 2022)
Paul Gavan: Mr. Courtney is saying that he has had submissions from workers asking not to get a pay increase.