Results 4,941-4,960 of 74,100 for speaker:Bernard Durkan

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: The Ministers in front are getting embarrassed. Deputy Kelly is making them blush with all the accolades.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: I am not sure about that. When we did not have it, we spent it better.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: Hear, hear.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: Deputy Kelly left out a few.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: The Government will know if people are happy on election day.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: We have no doubt about that. We are waiting with bated breath, and it is not only our breath that will be bated.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: Deputy Kelly needs protection.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: We are artistic people.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: There are some inside the House also. Has Deputy Kelly sought the Equity card?

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: It was unfortunate that the budget debate disappeared from the clár very quickly, denying some of us an opportunity to speak. I am worried by the failure to correctly identify the total amount accruing from Revenue towards year end. As a result, ten days after the budget we discovered the Government was much better off — in the region of €1.8 billion — than we thought it was. If the...

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: Part of the budgetary system is to be able to identify and judge with reasonable attitude where one is going, how one has performed and how one is likely to perform for the next 12 months. Every other country in the world does it well. I do not know of any other country in the European Union, including those that recently joined, where one can be that far out and still have credibility.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: It could just as easily have been a deficit. I do not know whether the Government would be fully aware of whether it was a surplus or a deficit. The major difference between a surplus of €1.8 billion and a deficit is certain. If the Minister of State happens to have the two in the one year he will find out all about it.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: I will deal with that in more detail in a minute. There are some contradictions which are of great concern to me and which were referred to by a number of other people. We will come to those in a moment. I want to discuss matters for which I have responsibility — energy and communications. I do not know what has gone wrong in the communications area. The Government's delivery of modern...

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: I read everything. The Minister of State should not be concerned. I also read that which he may not want me to read. Another concern is that those who need care have already worked for 45 or in some cases 50 years. They paid PRSI and huge sums in interest at times when interest rates were excessively high and reached levels of 22% or 23%. They struggled through all that and bought their...

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: Before the change in the business of the House, I was reminding the Minister of State of the neglect of the elderly, with specific reference to the callous attitude of recent years whereby even the homes they have built up and paid for over the years must be taken from them before they qualify for any kind of nursing home care. Incidentally, such care does not come cheap, as we know. Another...

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: We have no problem with the plan. It is its implementation with which I have difficulty, since I do not trust the Government with it. I particularly do not trust the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Parlon. Every plan he has produced hitherto has fallen short of the guidelines, deadlines or target. There are few places one can go after that.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: If the Minister of State so desires, I have no difficulty in doing so. I do not wish to embarrass the Minister of State. However, if he was on a rifle range and missed as many targets, the spectators would need to be herded away from the scene for their own safety.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: To return to the Minister of State's missed targets, it would be the most callous action to close down institutions on the basis that primary care was to be available, if that primary care is not available. I remind the Minister of State that primary care does not come cheap. It is not as cheap as promises and it should be capable of lasting somewhat longer. This affects vulnerable people,...

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: I will explain how the Government ended up with €1.6 billion although I thought the total was €1.8 billion but perhaps it has shrunk in the meantime.

Finance Bill 2006: Second Stage (Resumed). (8 Feb 2006)

Bernard Durkan: I said €1.8 billion. I am surprised the Government found the €1.8 billion. I am surprised this was not overlooked as well, on the basis that it was only a small sum of money when there was a great deal of money around.