Results 821-840 of 27,063 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Residential Institutions Redress (Amendment) Bill, 2011: Second Stage (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The abuse of many thousands of young people in institutions run by the Catholic Church and essentially allowed by State authorities over such a long period is a great cause of shame for this State. We owe a major debt of compensation to people whose lives were utterly ruined. Listening to the tales of the suffering people endured in the industrial schools and Magdalene laundries, it is...

Pension Provisions (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Question 3: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform in view of the fact that a pension levy was imposed on the income of ordinary public sector workers to secure their pension entitlements, if it is his intention to retain their current retirement age; if he will give an assurance that their current pension entitlements will be maintained; and if he will make a statement on...

Pension Provisions (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Does the Minister agree that the cut of 7% in the incomes of public sector workers as a result of the pension levy together with the universal social charge were a gross injustice, given that whatever flaws there may be in the public service, it was not public sector workers who created the economic crisis? In the context of pay, public sector workers have taken a massive hit with the result...

Pension Provisions (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is it fair or even prudent, when there is significant unemployment and graduates coming out of university not being able to find jobs, to make the working life longer for people employed in the public sector or elsewhere, instead of maintaining the existing retirement age as a consequence of which there would be more jobs for the young qualifying graduates?

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Question 5: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans, if any, to review the public sector recruitment embargo in particular in relation to its impact on frontline services and its real cost savings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20624/11]

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister is right to treat with contempt the interrogation of Fianna Fáil on the reasons why we are in this disastrous situation. Is it not the case that the Government's decision to adhere to the EU-IMF austerity programme, continuing with the public sector recruitment embargo, is not leading to reform but towards a slaughtering of public services? The figures in education indicate...

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is not the case that, with nearly 5,500 health service workers down as a result of the embargo, this is the reason or hospitals and accident and emergency services are closing down? It is not unbelievable that 13%-----

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is a question. I said "Is it not the case".

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Acting Chairman is cutting into my time.

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is it not the case that continuing with the embargo on the slaughtering of our public services that, for example, a 13% cut in staffing in local authorities means local services are slaughtered? Is it not time for the Minister to reconsider the sanity of this embargo if we are to have any public services for the people of this country?

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: A brief supplementary-----

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Just one line.

Croke Park Agreement (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In so far as the Minister is considering the use of outsourcing agency workers, will he confirm that agency workers are being used in peak hours for processing medical cards at the centre in Finglas? In those circumstances, is the Minister quantifying the cost of using agency workers as against direct employment by public servants? Also, in his comprehensive spending review are such costs...

Consultancy Contracts (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Question 9: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the name of his external consultants; if they are being paid at an hourly rate or temporary contract basis; the amount they are being paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20371/11]

Consultancy Contracts (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Why are consultants from the private sector regarded as having special qualifications in public sector reform? The EU and IMF seem to be dictating what is happening in terms of so-called public sector reform, although I believe they are simply savaging our public services. What is the precise point of bringing in consultants given that the EU-IMF deal dictates our actions? While there is a...

Consultancy Contracts (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I agree that people want public sector reform and social reform generally. However, is the real source of their anger not the massively overpaid top civil servants, politicians, bankers, who are now effectively public servants because they are paid pretty much with public money, and executives in the private sector, including those in private consultancy firms, etc.? People want reform to...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The case the Minister makes for having to impose the "adjustment" as he calls it of €3.6 billion, which means, as he acknowledges, such severe austerity for ordinary people in the country is that we must deal with the deficit problem and that we have no choice but to borrow the money. As an aside, although I do not think the Minister will agree with me-----

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is it the case that if we repudiate the private banking debts the markets might consider lending to a State that would be in a much better financial position? Setting aside this question, which the Minister might answer briefly, is it the case that much of the deficit results from the fact that 350,000 extra people are unemployed? As a result, the burden on the State's finances adds up to...

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----which would mean resisting the EU and IMF austerity programme, then our public finances would be in a much better state by approximately €7 billion. Add to that the €5 billion we must pay in interest repayments this year and a little tax on the wealthy in the country and one could make up the deficit without imposing austerity.

Departmental Expenditure (14 Jul 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I asked a genuine question.