Results 1,101-1,120 of 20,725 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Order of Business (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: It is Christmas, a Cheann Comhairle.

Order of Business (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Indeed. It is Christmas time, as the Ceann Comhairle has said twice. Under existing legislation, are the facilities of this House being made available to non-Members? I think they are. They have been. I am very surprised by it. Can the Tánaiste clarify the matter? I know Deputy Hayes-----

Order of Business (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I am talking about the existing legislation of the House. Are facilities being made available to non-Members?

Order of Business (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Yes.

Order of Business (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Under Standing Orders-----

Order of Business (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: No, a Cheann Comhairle. Are they being made available to non-Members of the House?

Order of Business (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I refer to the facilities of the House.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: The Deputy earns it.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I wish to share time with Deputies Clare Daly and Thomas Pringle.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I am glad to speak on the Bill and the amendments put down by the Minister in regard to the Bretton Woods agreement. It is a difficult issue to speak on as it is not well known to the public, having been set up in 1944 and named after the place where the agreement was agreed and signed. It has more relevance today than we would like to believe, however, and is a serious issue in terms of...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: It is relevant to our constituency as well. Did we not have a jibe from Deputy Durkan about sharing a tough constituency? Every constituency is tough but I wonder where the socialists were when the budget was being formed. I do not see many of them here today either. We are in serious economic times. I can proudly say I voted against the EU-IMF agreement, not because I did not want them...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I thank my learned colleague who is very experienced, as we saw on a television programme, and quite excellent. I will promote his CD for Christmas if I can. Certainly, we all should phone a friend and try to move them on. Deputy Durkan also stated that one learns something every day. We certainly do, and it has been a steep learning curve since the IMF came in. I believe it should have...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: How much time have I got?

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: The Acting Chairman frightened me there.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Am I finished?

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I thought the Acting Chairman was really being hard on me. I thought he was learning from the Ceann Comhairle, who I should not mention when he is not here. I wished the Ceann Comhairle a happy Christmas this morning anyway.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I am. The Acting Chairman could not be hard on me, a fellow Tipperary man. I have lost my train of thought. I was speaking about the banks, and the treatment they are giving ordinary householders and small business. Big businesses, as we saw, owe them €20 million, €30 million and €40 million and the banks cannot touch them, but if one goes €200 in the red, the banks will bounce...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Yes, but this is all part of the Bill. There are many Bills we do not like but we must pay the charges. Where are we going to stop? If we do not stop, there will be anarchy in this country. The laws are in existence to protect the vultures. Those who borrowed recklessly and owe millions to the banks cannot be touched. Seánie got a telephone call from the gardaí asking him to come down...

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: I mentioned that. I am referring to what occurred over the past ten years, during which time Mr. Cardiff was in office. If he is so inept at his job here, why do we now shove him out to Europe? The Government canvassed the various parties and groupings in the European Parliament – I cannot think of their names – and changed the mind of Mr. Seán Kelly, MEP, and others.

Bretton Woods Agreements (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (15 Dec 2011)

Mattie McGrath: Go raibh maith agat. Tá mé-----