Results 15,401-15,420 of 27,080 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Foreign Conflicts (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There are 22 diplomats, which is a disproportionately high number for a small country. Given what happened in the Saudi consulate in Turkey it is ever so slightly alarming. That was the point I made. We are talking about a rogue state that, as we have seen with the killing of Jamal Khashoggi and with its actions in Yemen, is quite willing to engage in barbaric acts. The elephant in the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Precarious work of various different types is-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty, is not here.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No. This Topical Issue matter was moved on two separate occasions specifically to allow the Minister to be here to take it.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have not finished my point. This Topical Issue matter was originally to be taken about a week ago, when I agreed to defer it to another day. I have no problem with Ministers not being available but I agreed to defer it to today at the request of the Minister. I would not have bothered re-tabling it for today if I had known the Minister could not be here to take it. The reason it was not...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I take that point but the way in which this works is that the matter is deferred-----

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No. I want to have the debate with the Minister, as promised.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I mean no disrespect to the Minister of State.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Garda Deployment (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: On a point of order, for the record I genuinely understand that people have other commitments but there should be advance notice of these matters. That is a fair point.

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 1:In page 8, between lines 10 and 11, to insert the following:“(3) Within 6 months of the passing of this act, the Minister shall produce a report on the benefit of abolishing the Universal Social Charge on all income below €90,000 and replacing it with 4 new income tax bands for income earned between, €100,000 and €140,000, €140,000 and...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes.

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We do not have time to go into the issue of allowances in two minutes, but I want to make one point. The Comptroller and Auditor General identified €231 billion in allowances and losses brought forward. The figure is so big it is mind-boggling. The gross trading profits of the corporate sector were €80 billion higher than its taxable income in 2016. That is the scale of...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister did not really explain the point that the Comptroller and Auditor General made, which is a serious issue. Somehow, 90 of the richest individuals with extraordinary wealth, €50 million on average, are paying less or about the same tax as the average industrial worker. Something is wrong there. That speaks to another fact which is that, overall, income inequality in...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 15:In page 92, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following:“Report on section 481 Tax Relief 26.Within 6 months of the passing of this act, the Minister shall produce a report on section 481 Tax Relief and the social and economic impact of this expenditure particularly in relation to the provision of quality employment.”. This amendment relates to the...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: They did.

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I appreciate that things are beginning to move on this and that some work has been done to quantify the impact and tighten up and streamline matters in a good way, but I should probably press the amendment because there is more to do. I will say something before moving on to the general point. The Minister correctly agreed that, at a minimum, quality employment - this relief is not just...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I welcome that. I am not saying that there cannot be oversights. Of course there can be. People can make mistakes and there sometimes are grey areas. We are discussing quality employment. The majority of the employment in the companies that receive this relief should be direct PAYE employment. Of course it is reasonable and legitimate to employ some contractors or people on a freelance...

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thought the Minister could speak again.

Finance Bill 2018: Report Stage (20 Nov 2018)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thought he would get to respond. I would be happy to-----