Results 16,301-16,320 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Deputy Burton appealed for support for her amendment on the basis of bipartisanship and then introduced a rather partisan version of modern Irish economic history, which is understandable given the proximity of the poll. I was pleased to hear Deputy Micheál Martin make the point this morning, which was widely reported, that our expenditure base was too high and our revenue base was too low....

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: All conversions are gratefully accepted.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Many worthy sentiments were expressed in the House this morning. Of course job creation is important. Deputy Pearse Doherty argued that the Bill lacked any employment incentives. The budget contained numerous job creation incentives. Quite apart from the need to ensure economic stability, the Bill provides for the employment and investment incentive scheme and reliefs for energy...

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Happily not in mine.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: We have.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Deputy Morgan is just wrong and I will explain it in a minute. If one never studies a problem, one will never solve it.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In a sense this has been an unreal debate because the Government has tabled an amendment to address the question of bankers' bonuses. I would have preferred to have had more time to formulate that amendment. However, the Finance Bill was formulated in circumstances of haste, published earlier than it would normally be and when the Government became a minority Government, there was an...

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The bulk of that flight of money took place because of a loss of corporate deposits, not bond finance, which is term debt and which expires at certain dates. Corporate deposits were crucial to the funding and the excessive funding that took place in the banks during the period culminating in 2007. Those corporate deposits and that base was eroded out of the Irish banking system and happily...

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I never misled this House. Let us not have a debate about that at this stage.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy was given considerable latitude to give a very partial, one-sided account of the banking crisis in this country.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am at least entitled to reply to the Deputy's analysis without an interruption. If he does not like the analysis and finds it necessary to interrupt, that is his problem.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am telling the Deputy from facts at my disposal and from facts at the disposal of my officials in the Central Bank what the facts are, and those are the facts. The obsession of the Deputy's party, which I anticipate it will continue to air in the general election campaign, that Ireland should default is one that will do great damage to this country. I will try to spell out the position in...

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: -----is worthy of the international monetary conspiracy theorists of the 1920s and 1930s. It is unworthy of belief.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: We now operate in a system where we have a common currency and a common central bank. We have very high GDP still by international standards and the idea that Ireland can unilaterally default in that kind of framework is moonshine. The Deputy can peddle his moonshine for a few weeks; he may be able to do it safe in the-----

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: -----safe in the knowledge that he will not have to exercise the responsibilities of office.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I can assure the Deputy that anyone who has to exercise responsibilities of office in this jurisdiction understands this. If we to talk about bailouts and the IMF, I notice the Deputy is very happy to participate in an Administration in Northern Ireland that has been the subject matter of the biggest world bailout since 1922.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: We brought you in-----

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I thank the Deputy for that. I am obliged.

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Deputy Noonan supports this amendment, which was proposed by the Labour Party. I do not propose to accept it as it is one I have examined as Minister for Finance. Deputy Morgan, whom I wish well in his retirement and who sparred very well with me in recent years, will know this issue has arisen before. I have considered it several times in the Department. The position on it is informative...

Finance Bill 2011: Report and Final Stages (27 Jan 2011)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I thank the Deputy for withdrawing the amendment. I also wish him well in his retirement. Deputy O'Shea is one of the fair-minded Deputies whose opinions are always listened to with great care, given that they are considered opinions expressed on the record of the House about the welfare of the country and how we can progress policy in different areas. He has never been a Deputy who has...