Results 21-40 of 583 for speaker:Tom Barry

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: I welcome the Bill, which provides for the establishment of the Department of public expenditure and reform and the transfer of functions from the Minister for Finance to the Minister for public expenditure and reform. It sets out three main functions, which will transfer under the remit of the Minister - the entirety of functions relating to the public service; public service reform...

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: The total number of employees in the public service increased rapidly from 295,000 to 347,000 between 2000 and 2010 or by an astonishing 18%. Strangely, during this period, I did not hear any Minister or senior public servant crying, "Halt".

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Public sector employee numbers per head of population are still growing faster than the EU average in Ireland. Armed with these figures, the appointment of a Minister to oversee the public sector and expenditure is vital if we are to work our way out of this financial crisis. Let us not forget why we are here. This crisis was caused by a reckless Government which acted with callous...

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Stay in fairy land.

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Will I explain it to Deputy Dooley a second time?

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Does Deputy Dooley want the ABC version?

Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (1 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: We blamed the Government and the Deputy was part of that Government.

Written Answers — National Asset Management Agency: National Asset Management Agency (7 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Question 29: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will consider the establishment of an agricultural review board within the National Asset Management Agency, in view of the fact that it is shutting down viable agricultural industries and forcing the unnecessary slaughter of animals. [10267/11]

Written Answers — National Asset Management Agency: National Asset Management Agency (7 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Question 73: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will seek to appoint a Minister for State with specific responsibility for the National Asset Management Agency. [14107/11]

Written Answers — National Parks: National Parks (7 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Question 112: To ask the Minister for Finance if, in view of the 50,000 visitors per annum who come to Doneraile Court, County Cork, he will consider opening a facility that could capitalise on and increase those visitor numbers, such as an interpretative or visitors' centre or café. [13513/11]

Written Answers — Agri-Environment Options Scheme: Agri-Environment Options Scheme (7 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Question 288: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will endeavour to move payments under the agri-environment options scheme forward from August as persons who are anxious to join the scheme are put off by the late payments because they find themselves in a situation of very tight finances. [14207/11]

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: This Bill restores the minimum wage to €8.65 an hour. In my view, as an employer, this should not be regarded as a level that can be worked down towards but rather as a minimum that can be worked up from. Businesses are based on having people working with them and not against them. It is important to make going to work an attractive option and this is the aim of the jobs initiative. The...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: I will wait for Deputy Ferris.

Departmental Agencies (15 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Question 34: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the costs involved in funding Pobal per annum; the cost of Pobal's administrative services since its establishment and if the work being sub-contracted out to Pobal could be withdrawn and brought back into the public services, thereby saving considerable amounts of money. [15020/11]

Departmental Agencies (15 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: I thank the Minister for her response. Does the Minister consider Pobal an extra layer of bureaucracy? While I have no problem with the services it provides, it is a private company providing the service, albeit a charity. Charities incur heavy wageroll costs. In 2008 Pobal's salary costs were €14.6 million, which amounts to €55,000 on average for each of the 266 employees. Does the...

Departmental Agencies (15 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: The money will be spent anyway, whether we pay Pobal or new staff are allocated in the Minister's Department. Does the Minister consider that it would add to the expertise of the people working in her Department if this matter was examined over time?

National Asset Management Agency (15 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: I call on the Minister to establish an agricultural review board within the National Asset Management Agency. The importance of agriculture to the Irish economy cannot be underestimated. While previous Governments took their finger off the pulse in respect of the importance of agriculture, we are now back to basics once again. Agricultural value added products are a key part of our...

Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (15 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: Question 371: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of Germany's intention to move away from nuclear power, which could lead to an increase in its draw from the UK, there are any plans in place to examine future energy requirements and production from renewable resources from within our own country, such as wind and wave technology. [15749/11]

Finance (No. 3) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: I welcome the Bill and, more to the point, the spirit of it. We would all like to believe that Ireland is now a pluralist society, one that is outward looking and that respects the rights, the basic rights of every person within it. It gives rights which should have been enshrined already to same sex couples and cohabiting people. There is no marginalisation of the gay community. It also...

Finance (No. 3) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Jun 2011)

Tom Barry: We are off again, just as the Moriarty and other tribunals are finishing. This issue must be recognised as a potential weakness in what is essentially a good Bill. The position is terrible. Obviously, we are all anxious to ensure our people are regarded as equals and that they can continue to live in Ireland, regardless of their sexual orientation. It is welcome that civil partners will...