Results 3,501-3,520 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: The Seanad and the Oireachtas as a whole has a huge challenge because there are those who do not believe in parliamentary democracy, rather they believe in other forms of democracy.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: We must show that parliamentary democracy is worth fighting for-----

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: -----that it is something we value and something that people will support, as some people are getting very sick of it with legislation being rushed through, before Christmas in particular, and mistakes being made. We have seen that with the water services legislation and we are already on the third or fourth version of that Bill due to mistakes and U-turns. The Road Traffic Act is another...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: It is the Government's fault.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Will the Minister respond to the ESRI report? Thankfully, the ESRI has published a report on income distribution and the effects of the budget. The Government used to have such a report in the budgetary documents. It used to tell us who gained and who lost, but it stopped doing so this year because we would have gone to that page and immediately seen that every budget the Government has...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: This is not why the Minister of State was elected. It is not what we think Governments are meant to do. Irish Governments are meant to bring people together in one society in which those who can contribute most pay most and those who need most gain most. The Government has turned this on its head to look after a narrow bunch who, unfortunately for the Minister of State, will predominantly...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Contrary to what Senator Cullinane stated, the ESRI is an independent body which conducts independent research. One would probably find these figures somewhere on a shelf in the Department of Finance or the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform as they used to publish them and tell us their own view, but they had to stop doing so because it was so embarrassing for the Government. With...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: We will answer them.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I was surprised to hear Senator Cullinane raising the issue of the Waterford bin waiver. I understand that Sinn Féin is in power in Waterford. Maybe the Senator can correct me in that regard.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Is Sinn Féin not part of the pact?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: You are in power in Waterford, as you told us already.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: When the Minister of State dismissed the ESRI study, I asked myself where I had heard that before. The last Government did not listen to voices that did not agree with it. We must learn the lessons from the crisis. We must listen to people who do not agree with us and accuse us of doing certain things. We cannot just say that the Christmas bonus was brought back in and that it was...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Not by eliminating the standard rate allowance.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: As far as I recall, we removed the top rate allowance. This Government then removed the standard rate allowance - the exemption - at the bottom.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I refer to the €264 that applied to every single worker, regardless of what they were being paid.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I thank my colleague for his help. I apologise for causing confusion but the progressive measures were introduced by both Governments. We brought in two thirds of the austerity but we tried to do it in a way that hit the wealthiest the hardest. I did not like the way the changes to child benefit were made. I would love to have seen a means test brought in. No Government has had the...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: We had a vote ten minutes ago to remove the power of Irish Water to hold and demand PPS numbers and the Government voted against that recommendation. The Seanad has not yet even seen the Water Services Bill. The Dáil has not passed it yet. We were giving the opportunity to the Government to go ahead - quickly - with the recommendation by Senator Cullinane. It has refused. We are...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I am not aware of any time restrictions in respect of Committee Stage contributions. We are not trying to hold up the Bill unnecessarily. The provision to allow Irish Water to demand PPS numbers was introduced by way of a social welfare Bill. In fairness to the Tánaiste's officials, they dealt very protectively and carefully with the PPS numbers. By all accounts, they were reluctant...

Seanad: Road Traffic (No. 2) Bill 2014: Second Stage (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I support this legislation. None of us likes getting penalty points, but the system has been tremendously successful in ensuring fewer people are killed on the roads. It is a system that is working and we must maintain its integrity. It occurred to me last night while searching for other legislation that it is very difficult to find commencement notices. This presents a difficulty not just...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (16 Dec 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I am conscious that I have an amendment tabled but I must leave the House in approximately five minutes, at approximately 5.40 p.m.