Results 6,281-6,300 of 26,843 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Oddly enough, the point made by Deputy Doherty that the State makes a lot of money from the measure is the only good thing about it. My problem with the measure is that it is regressive. I make the same argument about it that I made about tobacco in that it is another disproportionate hit for the less well-off - those on lower incomes who are being hammered from every quarter. This is...

Finance (No. 2) Bill 2013: Report Stage (Resumed) (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I support Deputy Broughan's amendment. The Government may try to attach the pension levy to other measures they think the public might want or support, but in reality it is just an austerity grab and an attack on pensioners. Now the promise that this austerity grab, which fuelled such anger among pensioners, would end at a certain point has been broken. That is fairly typical of what goes...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Acting Chairman, if we are not allowed to use the term “bristle”, we certainly should not be allowed use the term “amazeyballs”.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I apologise in advance because I must leave the Chamber as soon as I have spoken to attend a meeting of the finance committee. The pensions situation is an absolute shambles and the lack of a policy for dealing with it is a disgrace for both the current and previous Governments. Pensioners in general, whether public or private, have been the innocent victims of an economic and financial...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 20. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 6 of 23 October 2013, if he will provide details of the 5000 new social housing units delivered in 2013 including a breakdown per local authority area; the number of these units that are new builds; the number that are voluntary housing units; the number delivered via leasing or other...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Government Fund (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 32. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans for funding local authorities in 2014, in view of the news that the local property tax money for 2014 will fund Irish Water; and if he will confirm that thereafter the local property tax will be retained by the local authorities and if the Local Government Fund will be reduced by the same amount; and if he will...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: As I have said to the delegates previously, I enjoy these engagements with them because they are always interesting, even if I do not always agree with their outlook. To summarise, Professor McHale seems to be saying that things are more or less on target and that we should be able to begin to reduce the debt and should be over the worst of the big adjustments, the austerity budgets and so...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I want to dig into the risks and also the dynamics of possible recovery which is also important. On the downside risks, is it fair to say that many of the risks emanate from what could happen in the wider European and international economy? If that is the case, and I believe that is the reason there is so much uncertainty because it is so unstable, does Professor McHale consider it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Or when times are good for some and not so good for others.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In my remaining two or three minutes, I will focus on that. At the heart of the Irish crisis, the European crisis and the global crisis was the issue of property becoming an area of speculation. I am seriously worried that what Professor McHale describes is a commentary on a boom-bust economy where we merely see which way it goes and where there are already signs that this area is becoming...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Would it be fair to say that a part of that policy failure was letting speculators in various areas off the hook and letting them run riot?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I welcome the fact that the witnesses have responded positively to the issues surrounding the dangers of the property bubble. I raised the issue of real estate investments trusts last year at the budget and again this year. Could the witnesses comment on that? As I understand it, this is a model that has essentially been adopted from the US where there are worrying signs it could be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is that not a very worrying development and is it not happening? There is a very simple explanation for growthless jobs which follows on from the same logic for growthless jobs, which is that workers who have had their wages slashed or were unemployed are now being employed at bargain basement prices. As a result of having very low wages and all these schemes where they get 20 quid on top...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report November 2013: Discussion with Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (5 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Earlier we discussed the lack of credit coming from the banks. Do the banks have any interest in lending for productive investment when their capital position is being restored by the rise in property prices that is occurring? It seems to me that they do not.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Government-Church Dialogue (10 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 5. To ask the Taoiseach the religious leaders he has met recently and the issues he has raised with them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47754/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Government-Church Dialogue (10 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I met somebody from the Termination for Medical Reasons group yesterday. She asked me what the group can do to influence the Government to end the absolutely unacceptable and tragic situation that is being inflicted on many women in this country. I refer to cases in which a woman who is happy to be pregnant and hopes to give birth to a child discovers the terrible fact that the foetus is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Government-Church Dialogue (10 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: What?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Government-Church Dialogue (10 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: These are medical conditions. There is no ambiguity.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Government-Church Dialogue (10 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is not likely - it is definite.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Government-Church Dialogue (10 Dec 2013)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In cases of genetic abnormalities-----