Results 821-840 of 6,295 for speaker:Michael D'Arcy

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2011: Motion (1 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: I will withdraw those remarks.

Seanad: Credit Institutions (Eligible Liabilities Guarantee) (Amendment) Scheme 2011: Motion (1 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: The Order of Business was agreed and there was no vote on it. Sinn Féin agreed to it.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: It is easy to increase benefits and decrease taxes. It is not so easy to reverse them. We know that for certain. When one looks at the headline figures, a current expenditure reduction of €1.45 billion, a €750 million reduction in the capital programme, €1.6 billion in tax increases - €600 million agreed on last year and an additional €1 billion this year - one must look at the...

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: The reduction in cost will be in the region of €45 million out of a budget of €2.2 billion.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: It is €2.2 billion that comes out of the general pot. That is a considerable amount of money that must be brought in in taxation to give it back out. I welcome the fact that there was no impact on primary social welfare rates. I agree with Senator O'Brien that it is a mistake to go after the disability payments, in particular, for those between the ages of 18 and 24. I am quite prepared...

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: That the threshold for the universal social charge has been increased from €4,000 to €10,000 is welcome. I wish I had another eight minutes.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: I will touch on one small issue, namely, the tone that is sometimes set in debate. Last night the tone in the debate on the budget was set correctly, in my view. I would use only one word in regard to the change to disability payments - result. We are in a results game. Every Member who participated last night got the tone correct and underlined there was only one message, namely, we...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: Expenses are very sweet.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: I will not take up my ten-minute allocation in case I cut other speakers short. Senator Darragh O'Brien raised several matters about costs and I wish to provide him with some more information on them. The Taoiseach's office now costs 47% less than his predecessor's with a much small cadre of people advising the current Taoiseach than was the case with other taoisigh. While I agree there...

Seanad: Renewable Energy: Motion (8 Dec 2011)

Michael D'Arcy: I move: That Seanad Éireann calls on the European Commission to clear the application by the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources for on shore wind REFIT 2 with immediate effect.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Feb 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: I wish to raise again the issue of bank repossession of property, which issue arose last night on "Ear to the Ground". I saw most but not all of that programme and I was disappointed that the information provided was not complete. The position is that a bank can repossess property, mainly machinery, following the completion of the legal process if one third of the payments have been made to...

Seanad: Local Government Reform: Statements, Questions and Answers (1 Feb 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: Has any thought been given to the demographic considerations? There is a significant disparity between some county councils. I use the example of County Leitrim with a population of approximately 30,000 which has 22 county councillors and County Wexford with a population of 145,000 with 21 members. In the case of Dáil representation, there can be a discrepancy of 20,000 to 30,000...

Seanad: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment)(No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (14 Feb 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: The IMF dates back to the end of the Second World War when it was established along with the World Bank. Certain procedures and requirements were stipulated for each institution; everything was more or less carved up in that the senior person in the IMF was to be a European, while his or her counterpart in the World Bank was to be an American. This stood the test of time until Mr. Strauss...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: On a point of order, we have one item of business to conduct today. It would not be unreasonable to allow a few minutes so that the remaining six Members can contribute.

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Feb 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: I request that the Leader extend the Order of Business by a few minutes in order that the remaining Senators can contribute.

Seanad: Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (23 Feb 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: I thank all sides of the House. The Bill was dealt with in a speedy and professional manner which is how all legislation and also the Order of Business should be dealt with. This was not the case this morning. We have a unique relationship with the IMF at this moment. Perhaps it is not quite unique as there are three of us in the programme. The IMF is proving to be the more flexible of...

Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2012: Statements, Questions and Answers (6 Mar 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: You are a tough Acting Chairman. What is the Minister's opinion on foreign direct investment jobs? The previous Government's policy of gateways and hubs effectively meant that some portions of the country were abandoned. We saw that the assessment of the number of jobs was done on a regional basis and then on a county by county basis. In my county there has not been a substantial job...

Seanad: Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: I thank the Minister for attending. I thank Senator O'Brien for his broad speech on finance but he did not say much about the Bill.

Seanad: Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (8 Mar 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: The big issue for people to realise is the legality of funding and how it works for countries in a bailout programme, including ourselves. Ireland paid €357 million to Greece prior to our entering our own programme. I do not have a lot to say and will not repeat what the Minister said earlier. The Bill shows the difference. It struck me that when we entered our programme we were...

Seanad: Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union: Statements (14 Mar 2012)

Michael D'Arcy: It is good to be here speaking about the important legislation that will be brought before the House shortly. It is also welcome that a referendum will be held on the issue. I was always of the opinion that, regardless of whether the legal advice was such a referendum was required, politically it was the right approach to adopt. The people should have the opportunity to speak on these...