Results 7,221-7,240 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: I was looking for a copy of the speech of the Minister of State, Deputy Carey.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: We were promised it.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: He was speaking on behalf of the Government.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: I will press it.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: The Minister of State simply does not get the basic point, which is that someone who earns approximately €10,000 is not liable to taxation and, as a consequence, he or she is paying a full gross net 5%. Therefore, the burden of this adjustment and reduction in wages absolutely is borne more heavily by them than by the other categories, who are higher earners and who will have tax...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: No, the Minister of State is trying to claim that cutting the wages of low-paid part-time contract workers is a great advance. I do not know in what economy he lives and do not know whether he has heard of the concept of economic stimulus that appears to be in fashion with everyone else in the world. However, the budget presented by the Minister for Finance is highly deflationary, as is...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: The Government has shown this already. The Government is incapable.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: No, Members will be moving on to better-paid people in the debate on the next amendment in a minute

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, line 13, before "does" to insert the following: ", subject to the right of any of the following persons to notify the Minister that the person's remuneration should be treated as if the person were a public servant within the meaning of this Act,". It is a relief to move to the very highest paid in the land. They are the kind of people with which the...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: The part-time cleaners in the courts, the gardaí, the tip staff and clerical staff in the courts will all be taking the hit. The judges will have a choice. They will receive what may be termed a "sweetie-pie" letter from the Minister for Finance, Deputy Lenihan, whenever he recovers, suggesting that they might think about making a contribution to the State's coffers. We are all aware of...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: More like fatted calves.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: We need to wake up and smell the coffee. A judge of the High Court has an annual salary of €243,000 according to the remuneration of higher public servants review published by the Minister for Finance last Friday. That is the third highest rate of pay for those public service officeholders examined in the study. It should be borne in mind that other public servants at that level have...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: There are no constitutional problems.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: Will the Minister of State reply to Deputy Rabbitte's question? Is his interpretation of the Bill, namely, that it is confined in its application to persons-----

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: Sorry, the Minister of State did not. The question is very simple. Does this Bill apply only to persons to whom the public service pension levy applies? Will the Minister please indicate yes or no?

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: I will be brief in my reply to the Minister of State because I wish to move on to the next amendment which relates to Anglo Irish Bank and is very important. The Minister of State acknowledged formally on the record of the House that the remit of this reduction in public sector salaries is far broader than the pension levy because it will apply to bodies where there is a pension scheme even...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: Yes.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 4(a): In page 4, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: "(g) Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Limited,". The purpose of this amendment is to include the nationalised Anglo Irish Bank in the remit of Fianna Fáil's proposed deductions in public service pay. It is an unbelievable situation for most public servants in the country. We were informed earlier by the...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: -----with which somebody can provide for a family and have some hope of acquiring a home of his or her own, as is right. It is extraordinary that in this Bill Fianna Fáil has used all of the ingenuity available to it, via the parliamentary draftsmen, to include in the remit of the Bill very low paid public servants, including people such as cleaners working on a part-time basis. They will...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Joan Burton: What is commercial about Anglo Irish Bank?