Results 7,501-7,520 of 26,897 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The point that was made was that the Government should have allowed more time for the debate.

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The move to establish a strategic bank is a very long overdue recognition of the failure of the banking and wider economic strategy employed by this Government and that which preceded it in the aftermath of the economic crash. We bailed out the so-called pillar banks to the tune of €64 billion, privatised some of them and beggared the country in the process. The rationale behind...

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I should have said that. I am sorry.

Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Especially if the Government can micromanage Garth Brooks.

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 1:In page 5, line 27, after "SMEs," to insert the following:"bodies seeking to provide social housing on a not for profit basis and households in mortgage distress unable to secure sustainable resolution arrangements with their mortgage providers,".Whatever about disagreements and criticisms in terms of the timing of this Bill, the principle behind it enjoys general...

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am sort of hopeful.

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will come back in on that point.

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: On a point of order, what is format on Committee Stage?

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It might surprise the Minister to hear that I agree with many of the sentiments he expressed at the end of his contribution. I do think we need to look to the future and chart a strategic road ahead. This is essentially what the Minister outlined with regard to prioritising investment and political energy in key areas that can form the foundations of a balanced and sustainable economic...

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is. He is the famous deconstructionist philosopher. He pointed out that many of the dichotomies we take for granted are false and they do not exist in reality. That in a way is what Deputy Donnelly, myself and other are saying. Demand and supply are viewed as dichotomous when, in the real economy, they are not opposites or poles apart, as they are mutually interdependent.

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The question of putting a roof over people's heads and not having them lumbered with mortgage debt and so on is intrinsically linked to their capacity to function economically and in every other way in our economy. It is reasonable that a strategic bank should have this as a priority. I do not deny the imperative relating to SMEs, but there are other imperatives and there is a significant...

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes.

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: On a point of order, will Report Stage be taken? Will we go through all this again on Report Stage?

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes.

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 2:In page 5, line 29, to delete "the private company referred to in section 5" and substitute "a public company".The Minister should not be able to privatise this State bank at any point. One of the features of the bank bailout that drives me around the twist is that we bail out the private banks and, in some cases, nationalise them when they have wrecked the economy,...

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We take all of the hit, provide all of the protection and get none of the future benefit. I would hate to see that pattern repeated with a strategic bank. This strategic bank should not be open to being flogged off in part or in whole by the Minister at any stage. For that reason, I have tabled a series of amendments which underline that the bank is a public entity with a different focus,...

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am glad to hear that the Minister assure us that this will be retained as a public entity. The Minister seems to be arguing that it is for practical purposes and for purposes of transparency that we must set up a private company with the Minister as the sole shareholder. Concerns about potential privatisation of Irish Water led to the Government explicitly including in the Irish Water...

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Like the discussion we had earlier, I simply do not understand why we seem to be taking aspects of the KfW model but not all of it. I forgot to thank the officials for the briefing which was very illuminating. If I understand the position of KfW properly, it provides products directly, but these products are also made available through other banks. It is possible for an SME to obtain a KfW...

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 4:In page 6, between lines 11 and 12, to insert the following:"(f) to create employment in the State,".My intention is to broaden this strategic bank's mandate so that we can move away from banks' overly narrow focus and instead focus on the strategic priorities for the economy and our citizens. Creating employment is a self-evident imperative for society. It seems...

Strategic Banking Corporation Bill 2014: Committee and Remaining Stages (10 Jul 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister's best instincts initially gravitated towards the value of this amendment, and then it seems the lawyers and officials pulled him back from it. I do not know what exactly happened, but the Minister's response is a little disappointing. Furthermore, it is a slightly contradictory response to say that although this legislation is about creating employment, we cannot put in that...