Results 6,021-6,040 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: With the Acting Chairman's permission, I propose to share time with Deputies Pat Rabbitte and Arthur Morgan. Will she tell me when eight or nine minutes are remaining?

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "That" and substitute the following: Dáil Éireann declines to give a Second Reading to the Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009 because of the provision contained in the Bill that will allow for the indefinite extension of the bank guarantee scheme by Ministerial Order. It is nine months since the fateful night of 29...

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: -----in the aftermath of a Fianna Fáil defeat and are getting their demand in now lest this Government slip up soon. This morning's Irish Independent reported the case of a developer being taken to court by a financial institution covered by the guarantee scheme. Unnamed sources criticised the court action as being unwise and not what had been expected. The Minister's colleague, the...

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: -----from, presumably, the Department of Finance. For the Dáil to award these sweeping powers to a Minister is an abdication of responsibility. For Government Deputies to agree so casually to this Bill would be a shocking dereliction of duty. The Dáil has a sacred duty to scrutinise the exercise of power by Ministers. This Bill abandons that duty and enables the Minister to exercise...

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: Whatever the event was - let us call it a tea party. There were tea cups and coffee. The Minister stated: "Governments have to prevent banks failing and stabilise them." There one has it - no caveats, no exceptions. Every bank is of systemic importance. None can be allowed to fail. In a nutshell, that is the new Fianna Fáil ideology. Children can be allowed to die or to live lives of...

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: No. I hope the Minister gets around to reading what some of the economists have to say. That is a mild comment compared to some of the analyses on the various websites. I wish to refer to the transfer of the pension liabilities. The Minister should listen to me for a moment. Deputy Ardagh is sitting behind the Minister and he has some sensible questions to ask about the Bill. We are...

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Second Stage (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: No, I heard you released them at lunchtime.

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: As this is Committee Stage, perhaps it might be opportune for the Minister to answer some questions on what he has in mind regarding this scheme. He is talking about taking indefinite powers for renewal but, in practice, we are advised by the officials and others that, in effect, this guarantee is subject to European Union and European Central Bank agreement. We are advised it follows the...

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: The Minister will not get that at the moment.

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: I refer to amendment No. 12. The Minister is taking extraordinary powers onto himself to provide for the extension of most of the guarantee. He has suggested he will exclude the dated subordinated debt, some of which was included in the original guarantee. This was pointed out at the time by the Labour Party as being completely inappropriate because it was high risk capital, which should...

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: What is the Irish percentage of that?

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: Its boss said he only knew what he read in the newspapers.

Financial Measures (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: The Minister never answered the question. Does he intend to do this before or after NAMA?

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: Question 59: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of personnel in the Army, the Air Corps and the Naval Service as of 1 January 2009; the anticipated numbers in each case at 31 December 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24686/09]

Written Answers — Defence Forces Strength: Defence Forces Strength (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: Question 65: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of personnel in the Army Reserve and the Naval Reserve Service as of 1 January 2009; the anticipated numbers in each case at 31 December 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24687/09]

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: Question 151: To ask the Minister for Finance the breakdown of the deposits from banks on the Anglo Irish Bank balance sheet as at 31 March 2009, in particular, the ten largest counterparties under both open market operations and the master loan repurchase agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24950/09]

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: Question 152: To ask the Minister for Finance the breakdown of the debt securities in issue on the Anglo Irish Bank balance sheet as at 31 March 2009, in particular, the ten largest counterparties under both the medium-term note programme and covered bonds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24951/09]

Written Answers — Financial Services Regulation: Financial Services Regulation (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: Question 153: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will report on recent press reports that a bank (details supplied) is to engage in a debt swap to strengthen its balance sheet by offering a coupon rate of 12.5% on newly issued bonds; how such banks will rank in terms of seniority of liabilities; if they will rank above or below the €3.5 billion in preference shares being injected by...

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (23 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: Question 400: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his attention has been drawn to the Freedom of Information request (details supplied) submitted to his Department in May 2008 and appealed in October 2008; if his attention has further been drawn to the fact that access to 50 documents was refused and that in some cases the reason for refusal was that the...

Order of Business (24 Jun 2009)

Joan Burton: I want to ask the Taoiseach about two Bills. At the time of the last budget, it was announced that the National Consumer Agency, NCA, and the Competition Authority were to merge in a marriage of quangos. Last weekend, the Minister for Finance indicated that the consumer side of the regulator's office, the one investigating matters such as bank overcharging and that is regarded as being one...