Results 1,061-1,080 of 26,396 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: I did not. I took part in a protest but I did not ask anybody to do anything. It was a broad protest about cuts.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: The Leader knows that he made a cheap shot.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: I support what Senator Reilly has said. The logic of the Government's approach is that it wants to lift the domestic economy and sort out our economic problems. There are a number of strands to that and one of those is the move to reduce the deficit. My party, obviously, disagrees with the Minister and the Government's approach to reducing the deficit. We would not have taken the kind of...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: The Government's battle cry is to point north in response to everything. I have already said that if Members have a difficulty with what is happening in the North they should pick up the telephone and give David Cameron a call. I am sure he would be happy to take their call. They can tell him about their unhappiness with the cut of €4 billion to the grants and subventions to the North.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: Citizens in the North -----

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: It is difficult to ignore them. The citizens in the North are touched by the concern expressed by Fine Gael and the Labour Party about their well-being. One only has to look at the last ten elections in the North to see an incremental rise for my party because of what we are delivering.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: The Labour Party should not be using Tory cuts in the North as justification for Tory-like cuts in this State.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: Leave the politicians in the North to deal with a very difficult situation.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: I will ignore the hectoring from Members on the other side of the House, who clearly are ignorant of the facts of the North.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: Let us be constructive. It is the North of Ireland.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: I was there three weeks ago but that is irrelevant. I would say I am there more often than Senator Harte. The question we must ask is whether the Government is making the right political, economic and social choices. It is our view - the Government does not have to agree - that it is not making the right choices across the board. I fail to see how increasing VAT by 2% can be seen as a wise...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: The initiative helped to bolster the tourism economy in this country, which we welcome because we all want to see jobs and growth. However, the Government then decided to increase the top rate of VAT by 2%. It is madness. We are opposing this section because we want the Minister to put his hands up to admit he got it wrong and that the increase is impacting on the retail sector. It will...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: That shows austerity is not working.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: The Senator proved my point.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: Increasing VAT is not the solution.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: It will deepen austerity. That would be a wise move.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: The Senator's party opposed the treaty in Europe.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: I agree with much of what the Minister had to say. I agree with him that when the economy contracts, it has consequences for GDP, the domestic economy and people's level of spending, which we all accept. I have made the point that many retailers are struggling and trying to come up with creative ways to keep the lights on. There are sales offering discounts of 20%, 25% or 50% and retailers...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: One cannot have it both ways. With respect Senators and the Minister cannot say to us we do not come up with alternatives and when we do, tell us not to come in with a party manifesto. What I am saying is that there are alternatives and I am giving them.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

David Cullinane: It is funny that those alternatives were realistic when they were Labour Party policy when it was in opposition but now that it is in government the policies have become unrealistic.