Results 3,661-3,680 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: He clearly is not, which means we have a hard-necked Taoiseach leading a shameless Government.

Leaders' Questions (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: The very least he could do this morning for people who are suffering pain as a result of the budget is to express some degree of remorse, regret and apology to them. Second, I asked a specific question about elderly people who had health insurance, but who understandably gave it up when they got medical cards in the expectation that they would continue to have them. The Government is now...

Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: This budget is a vicious assault on working people and middle income families. The people who work hard, play by the rules and pay for everything have been hit very hard to pay for a decade of greed by high rollers and a decade of incompetence and profligacy by Fianna Fáil.

Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: The budget is full of taxes, charges and levies targeted at middle Ireland, while nothing has been done to ask the high rollers to pay their fair share. This is a budget airline budget. The speech was full of high-minded waffle about patriotic action, but when one looks at the small print, one sees the taxes and charges. My colleague, Deputy Róisín Shortall, has begun to count them and...

Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: Will this apply to those who have temporary use of facilities and drive to work some days but not on others? Will they have to pay the full amount? This is an example of finding every possible means to inflict additional taxes on working people. These same families will pay more in so-called voluntary contributions in schools because school funding has been frozen while school expenses have...

Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: Cut medical cards and child benefit, he said. If the economy were the Titanic, it would be women and children last while the bankers got the first and most comfortable lifeboat.

Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: In Mr. Fitzpatrick's world, which is also the world of Fianna Fáil, the Progressive Democrats and the Green Party, children and old people come last in the budget. Class sizes are getting larger. Cuts are being implemented for language support teachers, the early school leavers programme, the school books scheme, grants for youth services, while in-service development and school transport...

Financial Resolution No. 15: (General) Resumed (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: The then Minister for Finance said: The new levy will be at a rate of 1%, but with an income exemption in order to protect the lower paid. In the case of the self-employed, the exemption will apply where income for the year is not greater than £9,000. In the case of employees, the levy will not be payable in any week where the income is not greater than £173. In setting the income...

Written Answers — Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme: Nursing Homes Repayment Scheme (15 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: Question 11: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in an appeal being determined in the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35088/08]

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for inviting me to oppose the Order of Business this morning.

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: I wish to oppose the Order of Business and I will explain my reasoning. I oppose the Order of Business until the Government can remove the anxiety, uncertainty and worry that exists among pensioners and older people across the country, from whom the Government intends to take away the medical card. The Government says it will save €100 million as a result of removing the medical card from...

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: ——what the Government is looking for, who will get the medical card, who will get the GP card, who will qualify for the subsidy and who will not have a card. This is causing significant concern to people. In addition to the concern about the loss of the medical card, there is the information Deputy Jan O'Sullivan brought to the attention of the House last night, namely, that the...

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: ——said this was all to do with the Minister for Health and Children. I wish to know——

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: I am perfectly in order.

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: The scheme of medical cards for the over 70s was introduced by legislation.

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: It was contained in the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2001 and it can only be removed by legislation. Will the Tánaiste say if the Government has approved the legislation to remove the medical card for the over 70s? When will this legislation be brought to the House? Will the Government do the decent thing, which is to withdraw this measure from the budget and provide some relief...

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: On behalf of the Labour Party I too oppose No. 2 and I support Deputy Kenny in the reasons he has given. The Government is now desperately trying to spin and explain its way out of the decision it made to take away the medical card from old age pensioners. Nine out of every ten people over 70 who currently have an automatic medical card once will lose it. This is a fact. All of the things...

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: Whether Members of this House think they voted for it or against it a couple of minutes ago, it is manifestly clear that every Member of this House will have to vote on whether they want to take the medical card from pensioners.

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: There is a legal entitlement under the Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2001 for people over 70 to hold a medical card automatically. The Government will have to introduce legislation to change that. I was interested to hear the Tánaiste say that this task will now be landed in the hands of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs.

Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eamon Gilmore: I sympathise with any Minister who will go down in history as the Minister who took the medical card from the pensioners.