Results 1,561-1,580 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I propose to share my time with Senator Mooney, with the agreement of the House.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: In other words, if Senator Mooney had a full slot, there would be no need for me to share. If we had a proper debate, there would be no need for me to share.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I will share my time with Senator Mooney, but again we want to put our strong objections to the way the debate is being held------

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: -----and to the way programme for Government commitments on guillotines are being completely ignored. This Government is surpassing the previous Government for using the guillotine. It is time its Members stood up to Ministers and told them to abolish guillotine, since that is what they promised.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Níl aon am.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Why is the Seanad always able to sit on a Friday when we are shafting people and when we are trying to attack the most vulnerable people in society? Why can we not sit 24 hours a day, seven days a week to pass debt relief legislation for vulnerable people? We cannot do so as the proposed legislation keeps getting postponed, yet the door is always open if we are to make cuts, no matter what...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: No we are not. This is a choice.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Where is this in the troika agreement? It is nowhere to be seen. This is a deliberate policy choice of the Labour Party and the Fine Gael Party and it is coming into effect next Thursday. Somebody who becomes a single parent after next Thursday is subject to the provisions of this Bill and will have not Scandinavian child care available. Let us stop talking about Scandinavian child care...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The point is that they are forced to negotiate with the banks by themselves with no strong arm, no help and no legislation backing them up, with bank managers asking why they have Sky Sports instead of Sky Movies and why they are getting Kellog's corn flakes instead of Aldi corn flakes. These are the questions being asked in banks.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Second Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Where is the Keane report? We had a report in October 2010 and the Keane report last year. We were assured all this was happening but it is now being ignored and are sending these people back to the banks following which they then have to satisfy a social welfare inspector that they negotiated some deal with the banks. These two provisions deserve a much more serious debate than that...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: That would have been over a number of years.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The Labour Party will not be around.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: With all the discussion about commitments, policies, Government decisions and the Minister's integrity, we are forgetting that this is a parliament and that it has a responsibility to pass laws. All that will matter at the end of our deliberations will be the words that are contained in the Bill when it is enacted. Nothing else matters and, as a result, any debate on commitments, promises...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: It is fine to support the Government because one is obliged to do so. However, those opposite have all stated that they disagree with the legislation and that they want it to be changed. Let us change it and do what they have stated should be done. They should vote in favour of the amendments which have been put forward and which were drafted in light of what the Minister, Deputy Burton,...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: What of deaths and separations?

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister in what was an excellent exposition of general policy in this area has not addressed or given her view on the amendment. I know that is a matter for the Cathaoirleach. Our amendment sets out what the Minister set out in the Dáil last week. It offers the chance to copperfasten for those children and parents exactly what was said by the Minister last week in the Dáil. Is she...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister is getting on well with them.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (27 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: We are dealing with the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill. These two areas are very important - social welfare payments for the present and pensions for the future. The issue of pensions is not being debated sufficiently. I appeal to the Minister that in the future separate legislation be published by the Department of Social Protection dealing with social welfare payments and pensions. It...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2012: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I have concerns about the implementation and the rush to implement this particular section, where we have the unusual provision that section 4(2) will come into operation on 3 May 2012. The Seanad sat on a Friday and is sitting today, Monday, to facilitate the enactment of the Bill. We have a motion for earlier signature on the Order Paper. We have the Presidential Commission waiting for...