Results 3,861-3,880 of 21,440 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Taoiseach has his hand in their pockets.

Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: What about special advisers?

Order of Business (26 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I understand the Taoiseach wants the legislation on the X case and the A, B and C case to be right, but he will appreciate the urgency that exists in bringing the legislation forward. I ask for more clarity. He indicated that he does not want to see any undue delay. Is there any prospect that we will see the heads of a Bill before Easter?

Order of Business (26 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Has he been given an indicative date?

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Television Reception (26 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if there is 100% coverage for Saorview; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9981/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the measures he is taking in the current negotiations on an extended Croke Park deal to protect the current pay of low and middle income workers. [10490/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: We did not have to travel far to find somebody to give the lie to the Minister's claim that the agreement is in any way fair or equitable. In fact, people came to us. A sample of the workers who are badly hit by this agreement were the firefighters who assembled outsides the gates of the Houses yesterday. Having studied the agreements, the firefighters clearly understand they will face...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: He was not prepared to go after them other than in the most light-handed of ways.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: This is not about pensions; it is about pay. I have other issues to raise.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I asked my question.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The answer to the question I put is a clear "No," the Minister is not prepared to prioritise low and middle income workers and he was certainly not prepared to prioritise front-line staff. This is an ongoing discussion in which we continually ask the Government to name and deal with the minority who are overpaid. The agreement reflects the fact that the Minister is not prepared to do this,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The statistics are startling. Some 9,500 carers are waiting for their applications to be processed. The average waiting time is now six months.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: All of this is connected to a strategy that has been about shrinking the public service, hammering workers on very average incomes and protecting those at the top at all costs.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I would be equally critical of the trade unions which are protecting people they, the Minister and I know are overpaid. They earn more than the British Prime Minister or the French President. We cannot continue with that system-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Croke Park Agreement (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----or that level of overpayment while hammering workers further down the line.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider reducing the annual pension payments to former senior public servants, office holders, Taoisigh and Government Ministers. [10489/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Let us look at a sample of the figures involved in these pensions. The figures I am about to provide are net of the PSPR or the pension levy. Mr. Charlie McCreevy has a pension of €119,000-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Mr. Michael Woods receives €122,000; Mr. Dick Spring receives €120,000; Mr. Bertie Ahern receives €150,000, while Mr. Brian Cowen the same amount. These are the pensions of which former office holders and others are still in receipt from the State. The Minister has bragged again today that he has introduced emergency legislation to deal with this issue. I believe and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I was interested to read the preamble to the legislation that was rushed through this House when IBRC was being wound up. It states that "in the achievement of the winding up of IBRC the common good may require permanent or temporary interference with the rights, including property rights, of persons". It is clear that property rights were interfered with when that institution was wound up....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Pensions (27 Feb 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I know it is not a matter of normal convention. In light of the level of public concern about this issue, I think that advice should be published. Frankly, I do not buy the suggestion that the Minister cannot go much further in respect of these pensions because of constitutional constraints. I do not believe he is politically willing to take on this matter. The suggestion that the...