Results 8,321-8,340 of 26,901 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Annual Growth Survey 2015, Alert Mechanism Report 2015 and An Investment Plan for Europe: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am not asking a philosophical question. Is it not a self-evident statement of fact that if the private sector is to be lured in, it must get a profit. If we do the investment, we do not have to give someone a profit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is there a Dáil vote?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is Mr. Gaynor saying that only 1,400 people-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I apologise to Deputy Harrington, but this is interesting. Effectively, 1% of the workforce goes into retirement.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank Mr. Gaynor for his petition and submission and for raising what is an important debate, certainly one that has educated me - I apologise for being a little bit late, but I had to attend something prior to this meeting - on many aspects of what is quite a complicated situation, given the many different types of pensioner. We need to have a serious discussion on this matter. For those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is unbelievable. Apparently, what is good for the goose is not good for the gander. We should be outraged and insist that people receive equal treatment. Whatever about the situation in future, which is something that we need to discuss, it is outrageous that politicians would insulate themselves from the changes they were making. I accept that the new kids on the block got hit as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: For the people who are still sitting in the Dáil, some of whom are Ministers, there can be no reason for specifically insulating themselves other than the fact that they had expectations before the changes were made, but tough luck to Mr. Gaynor and other private sector workers who will just have to suck it up. It is extraordinary. I thank Mr. Gaynor for highlighting this issue....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----where the exact opposite is happening. It is extraordinary and bizarre. The books were being rational in claiming that our working lives and week should be shorter. That was the expectation in the late 1960s right up to the early 1980s, but we have gone in the opposite direction. People living longer is now a problem and a cost, and we must make them work longer. Where did all of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: What does Mr. Gaynor hope we will do now? I agree with what he says. He raises important issues that we - not just the committee but the political system and our society - must confront. What does he hope will come out of this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: They are also receiving jobseeker's allowance at the same time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is it included?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Equality and Fairness of State Pension: Discussion (21 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have been contacted by a couple of people who have been caught in having to sign on for the year between their 65th and 66th birthdays. Has Mr. Gaynor a view on that requirement? It seems preposterous that people are put on jobseeker's allowance for that year. They must go through all the hoops to get jobseeker's allowance, with labour activation, questions about whether they are looking...

Topical Issue Debate: Human Rights Issues (22 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: At 6 o'clock this evening outside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Dublin a protest will take place organised by the National Union of Journalists and Amnesty International to highlight the plight and persecution of Raif Badawi, a liberal from Saudi Arabia who set up a website called Free Saudi Liberalswhich called for a debate on the freedom of speech in Saudi Arabia and for the separation of...

Topical Issue Debate: Human Rights Issues (22 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I welcome the fact that there has been a postponement of a couple of the episodes of the flogging. However, I cannot help but note the stark difference between the tone of concern raised by the Minister and European and international leaders when it comes to a case such as this or the 17 journalists killed in Gaza - the other example I mentioned - or the fact that there were over 80...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (22 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 16. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the specific measures he is taking, in addition to the matter being raised by the EU, to support writer and blogger Raif Badawi who has been flogged in Saudi Arabia for merely setting up a website to encourage debate on religious and political issues, particularly in view of the Government's recent statement regarding its commitment to...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (22 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 19. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the measures he is taking to secure the release of Irish teenager Ibrahim Halawa, a prisoner of conscience, detained with 493 others in Egypt following protests in August 2013, in view of the fact that their trial has been postponed for a third time and the communications this Government has had, including responses with the Egyptian...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Help Service (22 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 137. To ask the Minister for Health if he will review the case of persons (details supplied) in County Dublin who have been refused home help but are unable to cope at home alone. [3092/15]

Report on the Outline Heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Motion (23 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: One of the fundamental reasons that politics is widely discredited in the eyes of large numbers of people is because in almost every area, rather than listen to the people who work in particular sectors or industries - those who are passionate about things or the communities affected - and taking a lead from and involving them in making important decisions, we instead listen to a tiny number...

Report on the Outline Heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Motion (23 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is what the Minister said. He was talking about agriculture.

Report on the Outline Heads of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2013: Motion (23 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I did not interrupt Deputy McCarthy.