Results 1,501-1,520 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne
- Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: I just want to respond to the Minister. Many schools in County Meath got prefabs replaced in recent years, and I could name them. However, the Minister's response is bitterly disappointing. I accept the demographic issues but I hope there was no politics involved in the decision-making because rural north Meath was completely left out even though there are demographic issues there. I may...
- Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: Fianna Fáil were accused of being political over many years.
- Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: I have made my point.
- Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: That last assertion does not apply to Eureka secondary school in Kells or O'Carolan college in Nobber. As for the former, I acknowledge the previous Government announced it and put the project forward towards architectural planning-----
- Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: Yes. However, last January, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, responded to an Adjournment matter in this Chamber on behalf of the Minister and reconfirmed the position. She gave great hope and encouragement and at the time I was delighted and welcomed that.
- Seanad: Order of Business (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: On behalf of my group, my leader has asked me to express our sympathies with the devastated people of Toulouse. I endorse my leader's call for the Minister, Deputy Hogan, to attend the House to discuss the mess that is being made of the household charge. I expect that the Minister will attend when a debate on the Mahon tribunal is scheduled. In this light and given that today is the first...
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: What did Fine Gael Members do last year?
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: In light of the Minister of State's comments at the start of his contribution and the fact that the Bill is being rammed through in two days I call a quorum.
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: When we are on Committee Stage and a reasonable distance from centre stage, as proposed in the programme for Government and in its manifesto, we will cease to call quorums.
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: It is up to the Government side to provide a quorum.
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: Senator Barrett noted that the Finance Bill 2012 comprises 324 pages. It will cost each household in this country â¬2.50 per page, or â¬800 per year. That has not been mentioned in the succession of praise for all the great things we are doing for job creation. Let us compare the cost of these measures to the â¬1.3 billion bill for Irish households. The special assignee relief...
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: The Senators opposite are the ones who tax the poor.
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012: Second Stage (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: We are reserving the right to submit amendments until 10.30 a.m. tomorrow. I hope that the Cathaoirleach will agree to this.
- Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: I second the motion. It is welcome to have this debate as we approach the first anniversary of this Government's election. One of the biggest broken promises of all was the promise to implement the findings of the Moriarty tribunal which was published a year ago today. However, nothing has happened on that. Fianna Fáil will not be found wanting in reacting to any other tribunals in...
- Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: There have been no changes of any substance whatsoever, except to disimprove people's lives. There have been no changes in the approach to banking, although the system was opposed vigorously by the Government when in Opposition. There have been no changes to budgetary strategy, but the Government now claims the credit for a budget it completely opposed previously. It was ironic to hear...
- Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: The Government's amendment speaks about returning the economic, financial and political stability in the country to rebuild our international reputation. This is a much repeated mantra. I accept there was instability in the previous government. However, what have Ministers of the current Government done and how do they quantify that our reputation has been restored? What steps has the...
- Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: Fine Gael and the Labour Party took on the Government and the election based on finances that were available to them beforehand through confidential briefings and on the IMF deal. They promised that they could make all these changes, although they could not be done. I am reminded of the stag hunting ban and the organisation Rural Ireland Says Enough. Deputy McEntee defined rural Ireland by...
- Seanad: Pyrite Review Group (22 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: I will not use all of my time. I am seeking clarification on the progress the Government is making on the issue of pyrite. There is no need for me to speak about the issue in detail. It is heartbreaking to visit people who are affected by this issue because their houses are falling apart. I have seen numerous examples of that in recent years. The pyrite-related damage that is being done...
- Seanad: Pyrite Review Group (22 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: I thank the Minister for his response. I look forward to the meeting he mentioned. Like the residents, I have put my faith in the response of the Government on this issue. We are concerned that it seems to be dragging on a little while the problems of residents are getting worse. The cracks in many houses are getting bigger as the weeks go by. I had a frightening experience last week...
- Seanad: Medicinal Products (27 Mar 2012)
Thomas Byrne: Tá mé an-bhuÃoch don Leas-Chathaoirleach as ucht an dÃospóireacht seo a roghnú ar an Athló, dÃospóireacht a bhfuil an-thábhachtach, i mo thuairimse. I raise the specific issue of narcolepsy which has been diagnosed recently in at least 32 children in Ireland who received the Pandemrix vaccine at the time of the swine flu epidemic. Narcolepsy is a malfunction of the sleep-wake...