Results 4,461-4,480 of 9,160 for speaker:Thomas Pringle

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: It is interesting that people are saying we should not hit companies because it would lead to jobs being lost. If that was the case, why would we tax these companies at all? Why would we not let them have a free-for-all, let them create jobs and then tax the workers and live off that? The arguments against the amendment are nonsensical. They suggest we should not tax business at all so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: It is the same as the previous amendment of Deputy Corcoran Kennedy and the same argument applies. If a carbon tax of X amount was cheaper than retrofitting a house, we could argue that we should pay the EU penalty instead.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: I understand fully from where Deputy Bríd Smith is coming on this issue. Deputy Eamon Ryan said it should be levied on landlords. In an ideal world it should be levied on them, but the problem is nobody would pursue them to make sure they would do it. The reality is that if the State had to give a tax free allowance to the tenant, it would then have an interest in making sure the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: That is the reality. We could put the onus on landlords, but the State would not pursue landlords to make it happen. It does not pursue landlords to do anything and would not pursue them to make this happen either.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: For the benefit of the committee, I note that private landlords are supposed to register with the Residential Tenancies Board. They do not. Nobody makes it happen. That is the reality of the situation. We can include all the recommendations that we want, but unless we insert a provision for the State to go after those landlords to ensure that they do it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: I have no problem with the ratio of 2:1 as it makes sense. The reality is we have had no focus on public transport anywhere in society. That is the problem. We need investment in roads. We are not saying there should not be any as we will need roads to carry the buses that will provide transport because there will not be trains services all around the country. We should have it as a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: I want to speak on both of the recommendations. The first recommendation suggests reducing top speed limits. It makes perfect sense. We are talking about reducing the speed limits by 10 km/h. A major advertising campaign is under way to reduce the speed limit on the M50. It is counter-intuitive but it makes everyone get through quicker because all the traffic goes at the same speed and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Third Report of Citizens' Assembly: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: Deputy Smith made a point on the second recommendation. We are not talking about the world of communism when we are referring to places like Luxembourg. Free public transport makes perfect sense. We need to think outside the box. We need to look at alternatives to make this work and it makes sense.

Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (28 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: This is happening in the jaws of Brexit but it has been hanging around for a long time. It could have been dealt with in the past couple of years rather than waiting till the last minute to push it through. That has made a difference in how we would consider this legislation. We were prepared to speak on it before but the Government let it sit until we came to so-called Brexit or whatever...

Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (28 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: The Minister has responded to most of the questions that were asked but he has not dealt with my question on how much stock we are talking about here. I asked how much fish is caught in the six-mile zone but it seems that neither the Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority nor anyone else can answer that question.

Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (28 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: The Department's own agency has not answered the question. Will the Minister provide the figures?

Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (28 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: That is not what I asked-----

Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: I move amendment No. 1:In page 3, line 13, after “boat” where it firstly occurs to insert “or a boat used for the purposes of aquaculture”. The Minister outlined his reasons for dealing with all Stages of this Bill quickly. I note that he was quick to point out that this Bill is concerned with the broader principle, that it is not concerned with the day-to-day...

Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: I move amendment No. 2:In page 3, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following:“(2) Fishing for mussel seed will be excluded from the activities pertaining to fishing within this Act and will be considered a resource fixed to the sea bed thereby categorically differentiated from mobile fish stocks.”.

Sea-Fisheries (Amendment) Bill 2017 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (28 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: I wish to reiterate some of the points made by previous speakers. The amendment is vitally important and goes to the heart of the matter. It also shows the mismanagement of the coastline by the Government. The Minister has said clearly that the matter must be dealt with through regulations and procedures that will be introduced afterwards, but that will not happen. That is why the issue...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Child Abuse (28 Mar 2019)

Thomas Pringle: 80. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if the Teaching Council can investigate and make a decision against a registered teacher under existing complaints procedures if it receives notification of an historic alleged complaint of sexual abuse by a student against a former teacher (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14559/19]

Autism Support Services: Motion [Private Members] (2 Apr 2019)

Thomas Pringle: I welcome the motion. I reiterate the crux of the motion, which states that many of the barriers people with autism face are a result of how society responds to those with the condition. We would do well to remind ourselves that our duty as public representatives is to break down those barriers and provide the necessary supports so that anyone, regardless of disability, can participate in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects Expenditure (2 Apr 2019)

Thomas Pringle: 38. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the rationale for rescheduling funding from the upgrade project of the A5 motorway; if funding will be provided for same in the future; the revised timeline indicated for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9752/19]

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Thomas Pringle: I thank the Minister for his contribution so far. I do not have the same intimate knowledge as other members, as I am not from a farming community. Looking at the documents the Minister has supplied to the committee, there is no 2018 output. There is a list of targets but no outputs. We have no way of gauging how the Department has performed on any of the parameters. It is regrettable...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (Revised) (2 Apr 2019)

Thomas Pringle: It is on the second page with regard to programme A for 2017. We have a target for 2018 but no output so we have nothing with which to compare it. The target in 2017 was 9,400 and the outturn was 3,600, which is well short. How do we know that 2018 was in any way on target? We do not have the figures. Perhaps the Minister has them. With regard to programme B10, forestry and bioenergy...