Results 681-700 of 1,729 for speaker:Maria Byrne

Seanad: Covid-19 and the New Measures (Enterprise, Trade and Employment): Statements (7 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the Tánaiste to this very important debate. I thank him and the Government for not being found wanting over the past 18 months with their support for businesses. As I hear every day from businesses in my neck of woods in Limerick, many of them would not have survived if not for the supports that have been put in place. As the Tánaiste said on Friday last, while we do...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for coming here for this important debate. The Finance Bill will affect all of us, right across every sector. There is increased spending within the budget, which will affect all sectors in society. I welcome the increase in the tax bands for both employees and employers. That is very important and puts a little bit more money into everybody's pocket. We had...

Seanad: Maternity-Paternity Leave for County and City Councillors: Motion (7 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister of State for coming before the House and thank the members of the administrative panel for bringing forward this timely debate. Thinking back to my time on the council, young females never came forward. While we had young males, there were never young females. Much of the time they said it just was not a family-friendly choice. That is obvious from what is coming out...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I wish to raise two issues. The Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, confirmed after the Cabinet that a €36 million investment will be available to Shannon and Cork airports. A review brought to Cabinet showed that passenger numbers at Shannon Airport were down 1.5 million to just over 300,000. I understand that this money will be for security and sustainability. This is important for the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the good news from the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath, this morning about how the employment wage subsidy scheme, EWSS, and the Covid restrictions support scheme, CRSS, are to be kept for a further two months. This is welcome news for many businesses, small, medium and large. It gives a sense of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: It certainly was record breaking. I congratulate Seán Finn, Barry Nash, Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon, Kyle Hayes, Will O’Donoghue, Darragh O’Donovan, Gearoid Hegarty, Cian Lynch, Tom Morrissey, Seamus Flanagan and Peter Casey. It was an outstanding performance. To have 12 all-stars awarded to the one county is record breaking.I congratulate all involved. Since 2018,...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister for coming to the House. I am asking that the Minister might review the help-to-buy scheme early in the new year. This is because there are so many measures, as outlined in the Housing for All scheme. Approximately 30,000 people have availed of it to date. The Minister might review it early in the new year to see its impact. He might come back with a report.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: It is very clear that one size does not fit all. All the local authorities are different. In Limerick, the council let its carpenters and other staff go and franchised the work out. Every local authority is different and, as a result, I do not think we can tie it all down under the one umbrella.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I acknowledge the contribution of the Irish Road Haulage Association to agriculture, industry and businesses. While I acknowledge that the subsidy involves a fossil fuel, given the higher fuel costs at present, the aim is to make road hauliers more competitive. The subsidy is significant for businesses that are reliant on deliveries from road hauliers. This measure needs to be kept for the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: While I understand Senator Higgins’s passion, as well as what she said, we have to deal with reality as well. The fact is that so many businesses will be impacted by this. There will be a knock-on effect. Businesses are going through a hard time because of Brexit, Covid-19 and so on. We are all talking about schemes to support businesses because they are going through a turbulent...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I want to follow up on what Senator Casey said. I realise that we will not get to section 70 now. Our recommendation on that section has been ruled out of order. Many businesses do not qualify to enter the scheme in December. I ask the Minister to consider ways in which they could enter the scheme from January up until April. I ask the Minister to include them in his scheme.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I welcome the good news on the allocation of over €10 million to Shannon Airport and the announcement of 130 jobs for Limerick and the mid-west. On world animal welfare day, the feral cats project in Murroe was awarded €12,000 and Limerick Animal Welfare was awarded over €76,000. This is great news from the Government for Limerick and the mid-west and I welcome it. I...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (15 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: The Minister of State is very welcome and I thank her for coming to discuss this all-important issue. While I realise it is pretty much a technical Bill, I welcome the fact people will be able to, as was alluded to, have some extra money in their pockets as a result of it. Senator Gavan raised the problems around Limerick hospital and the fact people are taking up beds, but we now have a...

Seanad: Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (15 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: Taken at source. Okay, because a few people have raised it with me and perhaps they need to go back to their places of employment. I thank Senator Clifford-Lee for clarifying that. I support the Bill and I am sure it will go through quickly.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I will start by wishing everyone here, all our colleagues in this House and in the other House, the Acting Leader, the Cathaoirleach and his office, Mr. Martin Groves and his office and all of the staff from the ushers to the people working in the various different sections throughout the building, a very happy and safe Christmas. The main issue I wish to raise today is a mistake made during...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: Some 11,000 people.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2021: Second Stage (16 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I thank the Minister for bringing this very important Bill before us. I commend her and the staff in her Department on the job they have done to date. It has been a very difficult time because so many people have been in and out of employment and there have been many ups and downs for many people. There have been many structural changes as well. People may have had to apply for payments...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (17 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: We spoke yesterday about some of the issues I am going to raise. I support the K class. I spoke about it when we discussed maternity and paternity leave for councillors and politicians. When I was first elected as a councillor, I was self-employed so I was paying PRSI through my work. I remember my accountant saying to me "sure you're paying PRSI, why are you not entitled to anything for...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Elimination of Abuse Towards Referees, Officials and Players in Sport: Discussion (1 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I apologise; I was at another committee meeting earlier. An area that I have a keen interest in is sport and I support many sporting organisations. I have heard some of today's discussion. When people are abused, be they the referee or the player or whoever, is there a support mechanism across the organisations that supports the referee at such a time, because some people go through...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Insurance Issues: Engagement with Insurance Companies (15 Dec 2021)

Maria Byrne: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Some of my questions have been covered but I have one about insurance to do with the diverse leisure industry, such as ice skating rinks and bowling alleys. All those fun or leisure facilities are finding it very difficult to get insurance. Some of their insurance premiums have doubled and trebled. Will the companies comment on that, if relevant?