Results 3,341-3,360 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Leaders' Questions (3 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: I welcome the fact the Cabinet has agreed to reduce the bankruptcy period. I tabled such a proposal in 2012 and the Government voted against it. I tabled it subsequent to that also and the Government again voted against it. I recognise and welcome the fact the Government has changed its position and is now reducing the period to one year. However, when we talk about recognising Government...

Leaders' Questions (3 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: Every Member of this House knows that the first question one asks a borrower when they come in is whether they have had financial advice. Most of them say they cannot afford financial advice. Then we ask whether they have had legal advice and if they can afford legal representation. They say they cannot afford legal representation and that if they could, they would not be in mortgage...

Leaders' Questions (3 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: Mandating a set of solutions which would provide consistency and fairness could be done now. Fixing the mortgage to rent scheme could be done now. I know from my time working with the Minister on the finance committee that he cares about the mortgage crisis but the sad reality is that the Government continues to take a hands off approach and does not act. Before the next election the...

Leaders' Questions (3 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: Spain.

Establishment of Independent Anti-Corruption Agency: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (9 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister of State and Deputies on all sides for their contributions to this debate. We have much to be proud of in Ireland at present. Businesses are growing and creating new jobs. The deficit is being eliminated and the economy is expanding. Despite all of that, however, public trust in government is at an all-time low. This year's Edelman trust barometer shows that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (15 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: 37. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he has considered the conversion of Moneypoint power plant to biomass; if he has conducted a cost-benefit analysis; if conversion would facilitate Ireland in reaching its 2020 carbon targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44796/15]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Speeds (15 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: 61. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will carry out mapping of broadband speed-up, downtime and latency, by geographic area; if he has investigated mapping based on data, rather than reported speeds; his views on whether speeds reported are consistent with speeds received; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44797/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (15 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: 122. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection the categories of persons who will not receive the Christmas bonus in 2015, but who would have received it before it was cut; the cost of re-instating the Christmas bonus for these categories; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45175/15]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Greenways Funding (15 Dec 2015)

Stephen Donnelly: 626. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if the Blessington greenway project (details supplied) in County Wicklow, which is shovel-ready, will be allocated funding given that several projects have not drawn down their allocated funding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45378/15]

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: In today's Irish Examiner, Daniel McConnell reports on a new EU study showing that this Government is putting the recovery at risk by political budgeting. The report states that recent fiscal policy decisions are influenced by the current political context, which is the upcoming election and the disgraceful auction politics we are seeing from the Government. The report points out that while...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: The economy may be growing, but all of that is being put at risk by this Government's carry-on. One cannot use unexpected revenues to lock in permanent tax cuts and one cannot properly invest in enterprise, public services and infrastructure if one wipes billions of euro off the revenue base, but that is exactly what the Government is telling the Irish people it wants to do in the next...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I remember watching politicians on television back in 2005 and 2006.

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: A small number of people were telling the Government at that time that it was eroding the tax base, destabilising the country and setting us up for a fall. At that time, the Government asked what was not to celebrate, given the remarkable employment level and growing economy. At that time, the debt-to-GDP level was below 25%. Exactly that kind of discourse is going on here: "Do not worry...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Then, as now, the Government was saying there was no problem, as unemployment was going well and the economy was growing.

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: However, they continued to erode the tax base and they stopped investing. The time they did it most was just before an election. All those things are happening right now. The difference is that there is no safety net. When Fianna Fáil did it, there were safety nets in place. We could borrow, people could cut back and businesses could cut back.

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: None of that is in existence right now.

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Tánaiste seems keen to quote the report, let me quote what it says about these unexpected corporate tax bonuses:This surge is mostly explained by some multinationals re-domiciling patents to Ireland. Investment is driven by aircraft-leasing and cross-border transfers of intellectual property by a few multinationals.

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: That is the kind of stuff the Government is using to knock billions out of the Revenue base. The Tánaiste rightly said this is about people. On Monday night in Wicklow I met a mother with a young son who has a range of special needs. He is nine years of age and he has a handful of words. That kid could achieve a lot in his life. The last time he was given access to a speech...

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Does the Tánaiste want to cut USC for absolutely no benefit whatsoever in terms of job creation or economic growth or does she want a country that offers opportunity and dignity and where mothers and fathers do not have to deal with that?

Leaders' Questions (14 Jan 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Do we want a country where businesses can be invested in, where broadband can be invested in properly, and where the infrastructure required to drive growth and jobs for young people can happen? The Tánaiste is not doing that. She is ignoring the reports, just like the last Government. She is pointing to the good news, which is welcome, and ignoring the risks. She should not be...