Results 7,141-7,160 of 7,777 for speaker:Joe Costello

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Jun 2015)

Joe Costello: They will not be taking holidays in the summer.

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. I compliment Sinn Féin on tabling it, although I disagree profoundly with its analysis. It is very strong on outrage and very weak on ideas. I listened to many of the contributions last night. I would like to see more time spent addressing how we go about dealing with a system that is not functioning and effectively condemning lone...

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: The entire purpose of this is to ensure a system is put in place to enable lone parents to move out of poverty and get back into the workforce at a time when they can get back into the workforce. It is outrageous that someone with one child could be 22 years out of the workforce under the present scheme. It effectively condemns them to dependency on welfare during their prime working life....

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: What steps are needed? What supports are needed?

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: What mechanisms are needed to ensure they are not impoverished and do not spend a lifetime depending on social welfare? That is the challenge we have. Let us be positive about it.

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Let us not just engage in outrage that there should be any change in the system. Let us look at a system that has clearly failed from any analysis that has been done to date. Let us look to Northern Ireland if Sinn Féin has some difficulties with the present system here. Why is Sinn Féin quite happy to see a further reduction in the age in Northern Ireland? We are talking about...

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Then Deputy may not be happy with it. I do not hear any great words of outrage so far.

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: I have not heard any criticism from Sinn Féin of the system that operates in Northern Ireland.

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Why should-----

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Why should Sinn Féin sit in government, presiding over a system with which it disagrees? There is no good in blaming the Brits forever. It is time for Sinn Féin to stand up and make its voice heard.

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: They should come into this House - they are here now - and say what they will do to improve the system in Northern Ireland and in the Republic. We want two systems that will cherish the children of the nation equally throughout.

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: We want parents who will be protected and sustained. We need to ensure they are not be impoverished in any way. Many people have outlined what these proposals would mean. Clearly, two thirds of the people who would be affected, estimated at 29,400, will be at least as well off and many cases better off. There are the incentives to get back to work, the €1,550 back-to-work family...

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Let us look at the positive proposals-----

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: -----and the opportunities we have proposed that are in line with international best practice.

One-Parent Family Payment Scheme: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Where difficulties arise, let us address them.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Not quite in that context, but partly to do with procurement issues, we did agree that there were so many breaches in various public sector bodies and Departments that we would do an audit of it. How is that coming on and when do we expect to have it?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Do we propose to deal with it before the summer?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: That will be here next week.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 15: Local Property Tax
Chapter 16: Taxation of Rental Income
2014 Account of the Revenue Commissioners (2 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: I welcome Mr. Cody and his team. Deputy McFadden went quite thoroughly through the local property tax. Revenue seems to have done a good job in a short space of time. It has put an effective system in operation. It has achieved a high compliance rate of up to 97%. It will have to get rid of its 248 staff when it hits 100% compliance. I would like to ask a question about the local...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Chapter 15: Local Property Tax
Chapter 16: Taxation of Rental Income
2014 Account of the Revenue Commissioners (2 Jul 2015)

Joe Costello: Revenue's role has been to provide data analytics and give the current picture. Has it been looking into the future by giving an idea of valuations? Does it play any role in making an input into policy matters?