Results 6,621-6,640 of 26,897 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Most of the points have been made on good forest practice. The Minister of State referred to our having a national forest standard. Where did that come from? Who developed it? The Minister of State says it will develop over time, that it can evolve, but it seems to be self-generated now and all the stakeholders do not have real input. Environmental groups have pointed out to me that the...

Select Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Bill 2013: Committee Stage (25 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: As this discussion evolves, certain points are becoming clear to me. I hope the Minister of State might take on board some of what is coming up. Otherwise he will end up placing a massive burden on those he says he wants to encourage and those who should be subject to much more regulation will get off scot free. The Minister of State needs to shift the balance.

Allegations in relation to An Garda Síochána: Statements (Resumed) (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister said all along that he wanted to restore and maintain public confidence in the policing and justice system in this country. Surely it is obvious that his handling of these matters over the past two years, particularly in the past few weeks, has done the exact opposite. It has battered the credibility of the gardaí, the Department of Justice and Equality and the Minister....

Allegations in relation to An Garda Síochána: Statements (Resumed) (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Will the Minister include the Cynthia Owen case in an open public investigation into these matters regarding a failure in the gardaí to investigate properly serious crimes?

Other Questions: Universal Health Insurance White Paper (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 7. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on his examination of the likely cost implications of universal health insurance and potential implications for sustainable public expenditure overall; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9312/14]

Other Questions: Universal Health Insurance White Paper (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 29. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to outline his views on reported concerns within his Department regarding the potential cost implications of universal health insurance. [9313/14]

Other Questions: Universal Health Insurance White Paper (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There has been quite a public spat, it would appear, between the Minister's Department and the Department of Health over the possible costs of universal health insurance. There have been suggestions that the Minister's Department believes the proposal could potentially threaten the financial stability of the State. There is talk of vast costs for people who would be brought into what is,...

Other Questions: Universal Health Insurance White Paper (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: As the Minister is aware, those of us who are opposed to this way of delivering health care have made the point that universal health insurance is mandatory private health insurance organised via the State imposing the system. It is similar to the United States or the Netherlands. Things that have to be factored in to the system include profit for the private health insurance companies,...

Other Questions: Universal Health Insurance White Paper (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There is more to it than that. Leaked documents suggest that, even though the paper is in draft form and the details are sketchy, it could cost €5 billion. We could be talking about an annual cost of €1,672 per person. There is even talk of €700 per year in drugs costs for medical card holders. These are terrifying figures. Will the Minister comment on them? From...

Other Questions: Universal Health Insurance White Paper (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is what is being reported.

Other Questions: Universal Health Insurance White Paper (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: So there is no substance to it?

Post Office Network: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I commend the Irish Postmasters' Union and the communities throughout the country who have mobilised this week and over recent weeks and who have come to protest at the Dáil today. The main thing I would say to them is that they should not stop here because they are producing a very interesting effect in the Dáil. They know they are getting somewhere when the Government parties...

Post Office Network: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Their usual tactic is to divide us in order to rule us and to play us off against one another-----

Post Office Network: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: ----- but this campaign is succeeding in setting them against one another. The people can see the impact they are having and the Government does not like it. I ask them to keep up their campaign-----

Post Office Network: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The important thing is that they keep up their campaign. There is something very strange indeed when speaker after speaker from the Government side says they must commit themselves to the defence of the post office network and they will do nothing to endanger rural post offices or post offices in small villages and towns, yet the Government does not commit, and presumably the very same...

Post Office Network: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: What is worrying about the Government amendment and about its whole approach to this issue is that, essentially, it is saying that post offices will stand or fall depending on market forces. If they can cut the mustard in the cut-throat competition with the banks and Tesco, maybe they will survive, but if they cannot, the post offices are gone. That is not good enough. What this motion...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The witnesses have justified their approach to this by saying they have a legal imperative to get the best value for the IBRC mortgage book and that if it was a condition of the sale that the purchaser was forced to sign up to the consumer code, MARP and so forth, it would potentially impact on what they might be willing to pay and therefore the public would not get the best value. Is that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: At the same time, they have never ascertained what the impact might be on what they might be willing to purchase. They never asked them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: However, the witnesses did not ask the bidders whether it would make any difference to the bids they might make.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Sale of IBRC Mortgage Loan Book: Discussion (26 Feb 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: So it is complete speculation.