Results 6,201-6,220 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Public Service Reform. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: I wish to hear the Minister's view. We have a serious void in respect of public service reform and a serious economic strategy.

Public Service Reform. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: Is it working?

Public Service Reform. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: May I ask a final supplementary question?

Public Service Reform. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: The Minister states that the economic strategy is perfect. Is he stating that the regulatory failures have nothing to do with the Department? Is he stating that the collapse of competitiveness in this economy has nothing to do with the Department? Has the zero progress on public service reform nothing to do with the Department? These matters are core to an effective economic strategy....

Public Service Reform. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: That is the only change, which was a command and control change. It was not reform.

Pension Provisions. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: Is it not the case that bonuses were non-pensionable and that what the Minister has allowed is that senior public servants would see a cut in a non-pensionable allowance instead of a proposed cut in their pensionable pay, and, therefore, the implications are that their pensions have been protected where every other public service had to see an effect not only on their serving pay, but on...

Pension Provisions. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: That is nonsense and the Minister knows it.

Pension Provisions. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: The Minister is like the Red Queen in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland stating that if he says it is, it is.

Pension Provisions. (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: The Minister has chosen to mince his words. He is admitting he has made no final decisions about the impact on pensions. However, has he substituted a non-pensionable pay cut when everyone else suffered a pensionable pay cut? Through this action has he put the foot in the door for discrimination between the low and high paid?

Business of Dáil: Motion (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: The Minister for Finance said the intention of the Government was to oppose this item of business when it was discussed last night, and it went through inadvertently. In seeking to correct it, it is vital that we do not create a precedent which undermines the rights of the House. While the Government is trying to mend its hand, which I understand, it seeks to do it in a way which undermines...

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: This amendment was encouraged by Senator Joe O'Toole who has done a lot of work in this field. Having read the Committee Stage debate contribution by the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, Senator O'Toole was concerned that the Government was interpreting this as an attempt to move tax law ahead of general law. Senator O'Toole has very cogently made the point that this is not such an...

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: The Minister did not respond to my point. In the interim there are cases where those involved, the court, defendant and plaintiff, want to make an agreement of this nature and the only obstacle is the tax treatment. If the Minister accepts that we ought to do this, why do we need to wait for a report that refers to the broader issue of changing law in this realm where we simply have cases...

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 8: In page 15, between lines 2 and 3, to insert the following: 3.—Section 531A(1) of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 is amended by the substituting of the following for the definition of "aggregate income" "'aggregate income for the year of assessment', in relation to an individual and a year of assessment, means the aggregate of the individual's relevant emoluments in...

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: I am disappointed because it seemed fair and was in line with another Minister's policy who is very persuasive in her encouragement of people to take up PRSAs. I do not intend, however, to delay the House if we cannot persuade the Government to take this on board. Deputy Barrett has drawn to my attention a similar anomaly in the treatment of approved retirement funds compared to annuities,...

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 9: In page 17, between lines 47 and 48, to insert the following: "(i) for the year of assessment 2010 and subsequent years of assessment up to and including the year of assessment 2013 in respect of qualifying interest paid in respect of a qualifying loan taken out on or after 1 January 2003 and before 1 January 2004." The Minister for Finance was sympathetic to the...

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: This was an imperfect attempt to deal with the issue given that we did not have access to the costings. I suggest that the Minister could consider a couple of options. One would be a transition arrangement involving a declining scale over a number of months so that costs could be cut dramatically. Alternatively, the Government could simply agree to give people who are in this category one...

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: The Acting Chairman is very harsh.

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: I move amendment No. 11: In page 27, between lines 31 and 32, to insert the following: 20.—The Minister may, by regulations, and after consultation with the Minister for Health, introduce specific reliefs to help equip Primary Care Centres with appropriate diagnostic and treatment facilities where he is satisfied that they bring commensurate social benefits in the more effective provision...

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: What does it take?

Finance Bill 2010: Report Stage (Resumed) (10 Mar 2010)

Richard Bruton: I have no wish to hold up the House but, if I am correct, the Minister for Health launched a health strategy in 2001 in which he indicated that he wished to see 600 primary health care centres established. This was a core principle and one of the priorities of his health strategy to reduce the reliance on hospital services. The phraseology used was that this would be the vision for the...