Results 81-100 of 375 for speaker:Margaret Cox

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: Do we now want to go back to borrowing all the money so that we can give it away? That is not the type of country we want and the people did not elect this party to Government to do that. Social welfare expenditure in 2003 is almost double the level it was when the Labour Party and Fine Gael were last in Government. This unprecedented level of payment is all the more outstanding when we...

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: —pensions to €200 per week in the lifetime of the Government and we are well on the way to achieving it. Child benefit is the most significant and universally acknowledged tax free measure directed at relieving child poverty. When Fianna Fáil came into Government, child benefit was €38.09 per child and €49.52 for the third and subsequent children. This year, before the announcement...

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: These increases mean that in the period Fianna Fáil has been in office rates of child benefit have more than trebled. This benefit is paid to every family in the country. It is the fairest and most direct means of ensuring that we alleviate child poverty. There is no cut in that area. Let us look at some of the things we propose to do and the criticisms levelled against us. We cannot...

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: I know it to be a fact.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: I know it to be a fact because I have seen it happen. Any Senator who says it is not a fact is living in never-never land.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: It is a fact.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: My script was not supplied by anybody. I am stating a fact regarding this particular issue. If we see people going back to education after 15 months of unemployment through the back to education allowance, it will be a better focus of the scheme. It will allow other people to have money to which they are more entitled. It is being raised from six months to 15 months in respect of third level,...

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: It is not about the Minister, Deputy McCreevy, either, yet Opposition Senators spoke about him for half an hour. We are only following the precedent set by the Opposition.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: How many seats did Fine Gael lose?

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: It is not abolished.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: The Senator should be accurate. It will continue for those who have it.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: The rate of corporation tax is 12.5%.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: There have been more houses starts in the last few years than at any other time in the history of the State.

Seanad: Estimates for 2004: Motion. (19 Nov 2003)

Margaret Cox: There is no cutback in numbers.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Margaret Cox: I thank the Minister for listening to concerns expressed on Second Stage, although I had no doubt that he would do so. Since entering this House in 1987, I have been attempting to have the change in question made to the legislation. I had discussions with the then Attorney General, Deputy McDowell, and the previous Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy O'Donoghue. The current...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Margaret Cox: Under legislation to protect women's rights, particularly in the area of maternity leave, difficulties for employers cannot be created. They will question whether they should employ women if an environment is created in which their rights are onerous. Most employers work as hard as they can to create an environment whereby they can organise locum cover for women on maternity leave. Many...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Margaret Cox: Perhaps the Minister might use the same approach as previously, whereby a right is only as good as the use people make of it. I suggest that, in a situation where a baby is in hospital, it does not make sense that one cannot postpone one's maternity leave if one has not taken the 14 weeks. That would be ridiculous. I appreciate the Minister of State's sympathetic approach in the matter and I...

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Margaret Cox: Much of this section refers to notifying the employee in writing. The question of whether e-mail is covered should be clarified. From an employer's point of view, I have noted that many people would send an e-mail to an employer in notifications. In the overall context of the Bill, we must clarify that we are not just talking about handwritten notifications.

Seanad: Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (2 Dec 2003)

Margaret Cox: No, a letter would go automatically, but an employer should also accept an e-mail communication.