Results 4,081-4,100 of 24,326 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Excuse me, she was the lady of the manor sitting on the horse. As Senator McFadden noted, the problem with respite care is the limited number of places. I know people in Cork who can only get a week of respite care here and there. Senator McDonald spoke about the Government's social conscience but where is it to be found in this section? The Minister noted that the State is great at paying...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I am, and I apologise. If we are talking about the vulnerable, this part of the Bill should not be passed. The Minister should reconsider it. We have shown in our document that it can be done differently.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: What has the Minister done with that section of the Bill, which is another difficulty? We are putting people into poverty to stay. Since the budget, I have met friends who told me they are better off on social welfare than by getting a job.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: It is not.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I will argue the toss with the Minister. It is not.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I will gladly argue this issue with the Minister until the cows come home. The Bill is about people, and we are here to represent the people, be their voice and be their representatives.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I am on section 3. I will conclude on this point. If we value people, have a social conscience and want to have a just and fair society, we should not pass this section of the Bill.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I will be brief. The Minister said in his statement that he had empathy for the people who have no capacity to work. If one takes that statement to its logical next step then every person who is not able to work should be able to get the full allowance. The Minister did not revert to me about tackling the issue of fraud.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I said they should get the full allowance. There should be no cuts for people who cannot work in whatever capacity.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I think we do. The Minister referred in his contribution to people on disability allowance, the blind person's pension and invalidity pension.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I am referring to those who have no capacity to work. The Minister spoke about activation measures but there are people who genuinely cannot work and they should not face any difficulty in receiving the disability allowance, but they are. The Minister spoke about work participation activation measures. At the height of the Celtic tiger era, the boom did not create a huge surge in work...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: How many quotas have been met in the public service?

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I know, but my question is important.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Senator White for sharing time. I refer the Minister of State to the statement by the Minister for Finance of 12 months ago: "Our plan is working. We have turned the corner." The plan has not worked, the corner has been turned but it is called a cul-de-sac. We are now pummelled into the cul-de-sac because of the financial measures taken by the Government. The minimum wage is...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The Government funked it.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The Government did not take the ball. It did not have the bottle. It took the least difficult option.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: I am not in Government but Deputy Lenihan is. He is making the decisions.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: The Government said there would be political reform but it did not do it; it funked it. The Government picks on the most needy, the people on the minimum wage, and then it goes after retired public servants. The litmus test of this budget is that it was not pro-jobs nor did it protect the most vulnerable and there was no stimulus plan. The Government made a complete hames of political reform.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: There was no difference between the Green Party and the Progressive Democrats.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Jerry Buttimer: Fianna Fáil killed of the Progressive Democrats and it has the Green Party nearly buried.