Results 7,061-7,080 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Social Partnership Agreements. (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: Sorry, Ceann Comhairle.

Social Partnership Agreements. (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: Just slightly longer than the Ceann Comhairle. The Cabinet decided the levy of the Minister for Finance should not apply to those below the minimum wage. Obviously, that is one issue that has been negotiated. Controversy arose from the fiasco of the withdrawal of the automatic right to medical cards for those aged over 70. That was another issue decided upon by the Government. Now it...

Social Partnership Agreements. (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: It has to do with social partnership.

Social Partnership Agreements. (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: The budget, as announced in this Chamber last week, is no longer the budget. It will be changed utterly and we will have the same situation with regard to class sizes——

Social Partnership Agreements. (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: My point about the budget is that it is now merely a discussion document.

Social Partnership Agreements. (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: What is the position of the Government regarding public service reform? The Minister for Finance, Deputy Lenihan, has suggested that the taxpayer might now be employed to remove from the public service persons whom the Government says should not have been employed in the first place. With regard to the Health Service Executive, Professor Drumm says there will be 1,000 persons removed from...

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: If the Taoiseach had been in St. Andrew's church, Westland Row, today with Members of the Government he would have appreciated to a far greater extent the hurt and anger felt by the elderly population arising from the Government's shameful decision. At least 2,000 people heard stories from the elderly of the circumstances in which they now find themselves and what faces them as a consequence...

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: Will he accept the Government was wrong and put his hands up and say that he is sorry?

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: Will he, as suggested by Fine Gael, try to find another means of raising this €30 million and ensure these people retain the right to their medical cards? Will he leave the right of universality unbreached and go to China knowing his backbenchers will not be forced to climb the steps tomorrow and vote against the motion as dictated by him?

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: This does not deal with the fundamental fact. We are talking about a decision of the Fianna Fáil Government, backed up by the remaining Progressive Democrat and the Green Party, the deputy leader of which stated on KCLR this morning that but for the fact that the Green Party threatened to pull out of Government, this morning's action would not have happened. We are back to square one.

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: I will make the point to the Taoiseach again. Irrespective of the discussion going on around this, the Taoiseach and his Ministers sat down at the Cabinet table and decided to do this and break the principle of universality to give people, by right, a card after 70 years. This was given to them in good faith by the Government seven years ago as a reward for what they did in sustaining this...

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: Those over 70 do not accept the decision of Government this morning.

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: They were given this card by the Government in good faith.

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: That faith and trust has been breached. The Taoiseach can give a categorical assurance on the following concern if he wishes. The people are concerned that this will be driven through by the Taoiseach and the people behind him — they will have a very different view when they go down to the constituencies where they speak like Opposition Deputies on every radio station. They will be...

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: Before the Taoiseach leaves for China, I ask him to give the House a categorical assurance that when he rams this shameful, disgraceful and callous decision through, he will not follow it with similar decisions on electricity, telephone and travel allowances, which he can do without any legislation. I ask him for that assurance today. The Taoiseach can prevent the ignominy of whatever number...

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: ——and defend the right that the Taoiseach's party gave them to have a medical card on reaching 70 years. He can prevent the ignominy of the cowardice of his Government's members when going up those stairs tomorrow evening to vote for a decision they know in their hearts is wrong. Principle and courage are required and this could have been done in an entirely different way. The elderly...

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: Shame on all of them for putting this through.

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: I asked for a categorical assurance——

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: ——which the Taoiseach does not want to give.

Leaders' Questions (21 Oct 2008)

Enda Kenny: Yes, but it was brought in.