Results 561-580 of 21,404 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Leaders' Questions (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----and tries to understand the cost of living in the real world, he might find the answer to that particular riddle. The Taoiseach states that the unemployment figures are unacceptable; in that he is correct. What is even more unacceptable in the face of this unemployment crisis is to have a Government that sits on its hands. It talks big, it acts small.

Leaders' Questions (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not accept the Taoiseach's position that he has had no contact with Aviva. He has passed the buck to IDA Ireland. Hundreds of jobs are now under threat. What will he do about it? It is not sufficient to pass the buck to another agency. If he is so appalled, so concerned to keep people in work and get them back to work, he should get cracking now and ensure those jobs in Aviva are...

Leaders' Questions (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: We would be more than happy to outline our position.

Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Whip needs to do more that consider holding a debate. The emergency summit happened in July. The House was supposed to receive a report on it. I understand that the recess intervened. It is important for Deputies to have an opportunity to debate these matters in the House. There is public anxiety about developments in Greece, Italy and further afield. It is important for the House...

Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can the Taoiseach give the House a commitment that such a debate will happen? If we have to sit longer, so be it.

Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: We did not.

Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is the point.

Order of Business. (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am sure the Taoiseach can bring his influence to bear.

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: For God's sake.

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: It was interesting to note the contributions of the Ministers, Deputies Rabbitte and Howlin, in which they claimed this motion in support of retaining the ESB in its totality in State ownership was made on a false premise. They tell us repeatedly that there is a new paymaster in town and apparently what the troika wants, the troika gets with no questions asked. As expected, the Minister,...

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: It is not a surprise to Sinn Féin that the Fine Gael Party is happy to kowtow to the troika. It shares the IMF's view of the world and is ideologically committed to small government and every man and woman for himself or herself. Prior to the election, the Labour party committed itself to State enterprises and stated categorically it would use commercial semi-State companies as a key part...

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----into the North's infrastructure during his four year tenure, delivering improved drinking water quality. Labour Party Ministers should take note that all of this was done without introducing domestic water and sewerage charges.

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: If they are concerned about social welfare matters in the North, they should address their analysis to their sister party, the SDLP, which holds the relevant Ministry in the Six Counties Executive. I am pretty sure the Minister, Alex Attwood, MLA, would be more than happy to take the Minister and his younger colleagues through their paces and explain to them, because they clearly require...

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: I welcome the Minister's acceptance of the tenor of Sinn Féin's motion with regard to the contribution the ESB has made to the State since its inception in 1927. The company is self-financing, has paid €4.3 billion to the State in taxes and dividends over the past ten years and is an international leader in the energy sector. That it can borrow substantial amounts on the markets to fund...

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: There is also the issue of the levels of debt the ESB is currently carrying and the impact this will have on the State's dividend and future bargaining power in deciding on the strategic needs of the State. Following the ESB's purchase of Northern Ireland Electricity, its debt levels were pushed to €3.9 billion. On receipt of proceeds from a third party investor, the State will have to...

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: Extolling the virtues of the ESB and its achievements within the current ownership arrangements, as the Minister has done, is all fine and dandy, but all of that will change, and change absolutely, if the Government sells off a stake in the company. I would like to address the defence by the Minister of the Government's policy with regard to the privatisation of Telecom Éireann and the...

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, spoke last night of the harsh realities facing the State. His view seems to be that it is time to knuckle down and accept our fate. The McCarthy review of State assets was widely praised for its contribution to the debate on which assets to cash in, and Sinn Féin has this evening been given a rap on the knuckles for not...

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: Of course, we in Sinn Féin believe the Government should honour commitments to its people. It should use the people's money to support job creation, get young people off welfare and into education, provide enough special needs assistants and hospital beds, and support and foster successful, innovative commercial semi-states that benefit all of the people-----

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----and not holders of bad bank debt.

ESB and Disposal of State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Mary Lou McDonald: To tell the people that the proceeds of the sale-----