Results 1,341-1,360 of 14,090 for speaker:Marc MacSharry

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: We will not be opposing the Order of Business today. I welcome the Bill to be debated this evening in Private Member's time but it is a shame that we could not have accepted the Bill proposed by Senator Averil Power which dealt with the same area. It is regrettable that when a very good Bill is put forward by the Opposition, the set piece tends to be that the Government declares it has a...

Seanad: Order of Business (13 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: Or royalties.

Seanad: Employment Equality (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2013: Second Stage (13 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: I welcome the Minister of State to the House, as always. I also thank her for welcoming the suicide policy document my party published last week and I hope we will have an opportunity to go through it with her in the coming weeks. I welcome this legislation and while not wanting to take an adversarial position on the Order of Business this morning, I said that it was a shame that we could...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: Obviously, I join my colleagues in welcoming the election of Pope Francis the first. However, I am sorry to have to rain on that parade but I must again ask for a debate on the mortgage issue with the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, in the wake of yesterday's announcement. I had great hope preceding that announcement but it could not have been any worse, as far as I am concerned. It...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: We will not oppose the Order the Business. I wish to raise two issues. I understand the Minister will be present for the debate on the Finance Bill and as there are very important measures in that Bill which all of us wish to discuss I do not want to use up the time. Notwithstanding that, it is important that the Minister come to the House to speak specifically on the implications of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: We were responsible for it happening in Cyprus, Portugal, Spain and Italy.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: The Taoiseach can take the spoils over in the White House but he will not accept the fact that this is a worldwide crisis.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: I must apologise for having a cold. I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Notwithstanding the difficulties, having someone with the experience of Deputy Michael Noonan as Minister for Finance, ably assisted by the Minister of State, is something I welcome. As a nation, we are lucky to have him. Naturally, the targets remain the same for both sides of the House and what divides us...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (20 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: -----has managed to dictate the pace in all of those countries. Whatever about the results in last year's season, this is about this year's season. We must adjudicate on the games, tactics and resources that player managers are using at this moment. In that context, there were choices to be made on the Finance Bill. We put forward budget proposals. Some were the same, some provided...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: We will not be opposing the Order of Business. I raise two issues. First, in recent days we saw the result of the civil action regarding the bombing in Omagh, County Tyrone. It is a different jurisdiction but it might be useful to have a discussion on the outcome of that case to determine the options, if any, that are available to authorities in this jurisdiction. That bombing was one of...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: The section deals with the maternity benefit issue and my party opposes the section. As I said and tried to convey to the Minister of State at the Department of Finance, Deputy Hayes, here yesterday, nobody doubts the difficulty of the job that the Department has in trying to manage the loaves and fishes but there were clear options. The cut in maternity benefit was an unnecessary option in...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: The section deals with the increased student contribution. I am conscious of what the Minister has said about having to make difficult choices. As we said on Second Stage, the bottom line remains the same probably for all sections of the House but what divides us politically is how that is achieved. I do not want to be facetious but when the Minister was the Opposition finance spokesman I...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: I move recommendation No. 4: In page 22, before section 15, to insert the following new section: ?15.?The Principal Act is amended in section 469(1) under paragraph (f) of the definition of ?health expenses? by deleting the words ?or similar treatment prescribed by a practitioner? after the word ?physiotherapy?.?.Currently, section 469(1) of the principal Act requires that in order for a...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: It is open-ended, but we are not talking about a tax rebate for people who decide to go to a masseuse for a back massage. If that were the case I could understand the argument that this had the potential of having a queue of people seeking this relief. None of us would knowingly incur the expense of going to a physiotherapist if it was not needed. I will not delay the House on the issue...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: I move recommendation No. 6: In page 23, before section 17, to insert the following new section:"17.?The Minister for Finance shall, as soon as may be after the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the provision of early access to pension benefits in certain limited circumstances including employer paid contributions, regular employee contributions,...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: I move recommendation No. 21: In page 69, subsection (1), lines 17 to 27, to delete paragraphs (m) and (n) and substitute the following:"(m) in section 278(6) delete all words after "Any allowance which under subsections (1) to (4) is to be made otherwise than in taxing a trade shall be available primarily against? and substitute "all other income.".".We might call the scheme being introduced...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: I accept that. I am arguing that airports should be allowed to offset investment against all income, rather than rental income only. The Minister acknowledged in his comments in the other House that this amendment is being made to assist Shannon Airport, which is fine. I want to make it clear that all Senators on this side of the House are supportive of Shannon Airport. Ireland needs...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: We will be pressing the amendment. While I appreciate it is open to any airport, it is written for Shannon. I still hope that over the coming weeks appropriate cognisance can be taken not of what the whining west is looking for but rather what it can contribute if provided with something of a level playing field. Measures like this one in terms of how they are constituted and based on the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: I will press the issue. The Minister does not have the final say. We are not in a school classroom because one can articulate a view. I could equally say that the Minister has manifestly not listened to what I have said. I very specifically pointed out that while it is open to people in the west as it is to people on Arranmore Island if they want to build an airport, the reality is that...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2013 [Certified Money Bill]: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Mar 2013)

Marc MacSharry: Nevertheless, the reality is that one airport has a significant rent-roll in the context of this, namely, Shannon. That is who it is written for. The Minister said so in the other House so a basic acknowledgement from me-----