Results 9,141-9,160 of 26,902 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (17 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 8:In page 21, line 26, after "inquiry” to insert the following:", and such an inquiry will be held in private although any findings made against a registered teacher may be made public,”.The last group of amendments and this one are the ones teachers are most concerned about. Amendment No. 8 relates to whether inquiries should be held in public or private....

Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill 2015: Report and Final Stages (17 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The nub of the issue is the default position. The Minister has made it clear that she favours the default position being that it be held in public without making any serious case for it except what she calls transparency. She needs seriously to consider the possible implications for people against whom there are serious allegations that could permanently affect their lives, careers and...

Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (17 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank the Socialist Party and the Anti-Austerity Alliance for putting forward this Bill. There is no doubt that the "Yes" vote in the marriage equality referendum was a watershed in Irish life and is hugely welcome. Much of the time, we in this House debate issues that are not so positive or fight over what is good or bad, so it was nice to see the political parties in this House united...

Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (17 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will. We need economic equality too.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Harbour Authorities (17 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 20. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the recent resignation of a person (details supplied), an accountant and auditor, from the Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company in County Dublin, due to concerns over financial matters, and the numerous questions that have been raised with regard to overpayment of expenses and other irregularities, if he considers it is time to...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Harbour Authorities (17 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 36. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport in view of the fact that aspects of the master plan of Dún Laoghaire Harbour Company in County Dublin do not fall under the heading of commercial shipping activities for which the company needs ministerial consent, his views that his Department was adequately consulted with regards to plans for the development of Dún Laoghaire...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: English Language Training Organisations (17 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 203. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 18 of 10 June 2015 and her stated priorities to introduce reforms in international education to protect the students who come to study here and to protect our national reputation for offering high-quality education, the measures her Department has taken, including those in conjunction with other...

Other Questions: Tax Compliance (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 106. To ask the Minister for Finance his views that there is a need to investigate possibly large losses in tax revenue to the Exchequer because of abuses of the relevant contracts tax 1 system and instances of bogus self-employment, particularly in the construction industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24599/15]

Other Questions: Tax Compliance (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Deputy Ruth Coppinger, who raised a similar issue today, and a number of other Members, including me, have for years been receiving allegations from construction workers, particularly bricklayers, plasterers and labourers, that there is widespread tax fraud taking place on building sites. Contractors and developers are abusing the so-called RCT 1 system by misclassifying people as...

Other Questions: Tax Compliance (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Will the Minister please get off the script and address what is a very serious issue? Currently, approximately 63,000 people are classified as being self-employed in construction, which accounts for about half of all construction workers. Are we seriously to believe that half of all those working in construction are entrepreneurs? I can tell the Minister they are not. If he wants...

Other Questions: Tax Compliance (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister just passes the buck; this is not Revenue's job and it does not come under the RCT system. These people are being misclassified as self-employed when they are not. It is an abuse of the system and the taxpayer is losing out, not to the mention the exploitation of workers.

Other Questions: Tax Compliance (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No, I want the Minister to take responsibility for tax fraud. The allegations are that this is rampant in the construction industry and on sites involving big public contracts. We saw this happen in Rhatigan's and it had to pay €100,000. Did it have to pay it because everything was squeaky clean? No, it was because it was abusing the system. This is tax fraud. It is a crime. If...

Other Questions: Tax Compliance (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Government needs to follow it up.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): World Economic Forum (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 10. To ask the Taoiseach if he was invited to the World Economic Forum in Davos in Switzerland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20233/15]

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): World Economic Forum (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Ironically, one of the big issues at Davos this year was inequality. This discussion at Davos about inequality in the world was proceeded by the aforementioned Oxfam report that showed by next year the richest 1% of people in the world will own more wealth than everybody else in the world put together. There is a discussion about inequality against a background of obscene and gross...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): World Economic Forum (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Those are the reports that I am reading, not that I would ever get into Davos or want to.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): World Economic Forum (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Does the Taoiseach believe it is appropriate to attend such a conference when it is a symbol of the gross inequality that has developed in the world? If we are in any way serious about the issue of inequality, we should have an aggressive policy of wealth redistribution. Did the Taoiseach come away from the conference with anything like that? Looking beyond the irony of these super rich...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): World Economic Forum (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: My point has to do with inequality and wealth. We have discovered that a shelf company has been set up in Luxembourg by the owners of Covanta. It is charging 13.5% interest on a loan-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): World Economic Forum (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----to Covanta such that Covanta's tax liability will be reduced to virtually nothing. Okay?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): World Economic Forum (23 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The point is that, after €100 million in public money has been invested in the project, Covanta will not contribute anything-----