Results 5,681-5,700 of 26,843 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Written Answers — Department of Finance: European Council Meetings (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 131. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will be raising the issue of Ireland's debt burden at the October meeting of the European Council; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40921/13]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: EU-IMF Programme of Support Issues (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 132. To ask the Minister for Finance if he intends to contact Chancellor Merkel following her recent comments regarding Ireland's economic performance. [40917/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Help Service Provision (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 265. To ask the Minister for Health if he will investigate the case of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin; and if he will consider launching an inquiry into the way the home help service is being run by Rehab Group. [41396/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Ms McVeigh's analysis and the Government position are all heading in the same direction - that is, that we should not do it. In my view, this is a mistaken view. It is disappointing that in putting forward this analysis, it is clear that the Department has not considered empirical evidence. No empirical study has been done and the Department has not listened to anyone who thinks it might...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I agree it must be looked at. However, Ms McVeigh has pretty much admitted that there is no empirical evidence whatsoever for some of the assertions about the possible dangers. I will put one scenario to Ms McVeigh. We have a low corporate tax rate. When a corporation decides whether it will invest here, they do not just look at the financial transaction tax or the corporation tax in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Ms McVeigh has made a statement about a cascade effect. This sort of thing needs to be analysed. Even if the figure were to be 50 times the original rate, that only amounts to 5%.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Fifty times seems pretty high, in my view. I would like to see some hard evidence for this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will be absolutely honest. When I hear that the organisations which have given the Department their opinions on this issue include the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, National Treasury Management Agency, Central Bank, IFSC and the funds industry, it strikes me that I could have told Ms McVeigh exactly what they would say. I would like to hear the views of other types of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I understand that. However, taking the €180 million we are getting in stamp duty from, say, €700 million - as I said, that figure might even be larger given the high level of investment funds - we could still be looking at a potential net gain of something in the region of €500 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Indeed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Ms McVeigh's explanation calls to mind the American politician who spoke about known knowns, known unknowns and unknown unknowns. We could go on this way forever.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Has there been a serious effort to quantify these issues? I accept the point that revised drafts are being drawn up and so on, but I have never heard any hard evidence to back up the assertion that there will, for example, be a large migration of financial transactions over to London.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Financial Transaction Tax: Discussion with Department of Finance (2 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will conclude by observing that the Department of Finance has a duty to be balanced in the way it examines this issue and analyses and presents the pros and cons. Unfortunately, I am not convinced that is happening.

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In general terms I welcome the Bill, which is a positive development. The last Government rolled back the freedom of information legislation that was introduced by the Labour and Fine Gael Government.

Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (3 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Indeed, and there should be credit where it is due. The Bill's introduction is positive and freedom of information is being extended to more bodies. Nevertheless, amendments to the Bill are required, and the issues were discussed at the finance committee, of which I am a member. The first issue relates to fees. I accept that there are no fees for personal information but there is a...

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (3 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Ryan report shocked the nation. At the time of the setting up of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund in May 2012, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Quinn, said it was right that the State apologise to those whose childhoods were stolen and who, in many instances, could not live full lives as adults and citizens. He talked about the State's failure of the children who...

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (3 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I may have caused some confusion in my contribution. The institution in this case had a Magdalen laundry run by sisters, but the person to whom I refer was in one of the residential institutions. The Magdalen scheme is separate. On the substantive point, having passed a Bill in July 2012 in which the State acknowledged its obligation to the victims of institutional abuse and the need to...

Topical Issue Debate: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Board (3 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Will the Government provide a date?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tax Code (3 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There might be some spare money under Tom McFeely's bath.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Tax Code (3 Oct 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No, I believe it is in the Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn's constituency.