Results 1,741-1,760 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The cuts are coming and the Government need not blame the IMF.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The family has asked for the hospital to be re-opened.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The Leader should get the Minister of State, Deputy McEntee, into the House to explain his promises to the electorate.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Yes. We want to save the taxpayer €100 million and stop ward closures.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: My remarks are not directly on the point but relates to the Top Level Appointment Committee TLAC terms to which the Minister referred. The TLAC made changes. TLAC was described to me before as being akin to the Freemasons - that is the way appointments are done. I think the Minister needs to go further. I would remove some of the civil servants who still remain on TLAC. Furthermore, I do...

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I agree with the Minister. The position he has outlined is reasonable. Members of the Oireachtas are in a different position. Members of Sinn Féin often talk about the average industrial wage, but we have not seen much evidence of it. They have not set out their policy on the pensions-----

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: During the presidential election campaign, we saw Martin McGuinness's bank accounts, which did not show any transactions other than in his local shop. From what I could see, he did not have ESB bills or anything like that. It is a matter of public concern that Sinn Féin has never set out its policy on the pensions of its own former members in this jurisdiction and the other jurisdiction....

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: We are broke.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Martin McGuinness's bank statements do not show utility bill payments.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: His statement did not show any bill payments.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I wish to state the Fianna Fáil policy on this matter, as set out in a document we published earlier this year. That document was drafted by my colleague, Senator Mary White, who has done a lot of work on this area. Our policy is that Fianna Fáil seeks to end the compulsory retirement of persons at the age of 65, whether in the public or private sector. While the provision in this...

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I have no problem imposing a cap but the Sinn Féin argument is the pure politics of envy. So few people get this type of pension or would ever get it. Most people who will get a public sector pension will get a small pension. It is fair to say that those who have retired on large pensions have caused considerable public resentment. I know this only too well from those I have spoken to in...

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Nothing here needs fixing because so few people are involved. Senator Cullinane is giving the impression to those among the general public who do not have these pensions that everyone in the public sector will be on such pensions. We need to show that people are on a fair pension. I agree that the pensions of some in the private sector have been wiped out and a great deal of work must be...

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: There seems to be a disparity between the proposed cap on salaries of €100,000 and the cap on pensions of €60,000. That does not take into account the averaging of salaries, which I think is a good way of imposing a cap because it will prevent people from coming near the cap. The Sinn Féin figure for the cap is too high; very few will be affected by it. If Sinn Féin had its way and...

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Sinn Féin proposes a maximum salary of €100,000.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: Sinn Féin is looking for it.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I do not mind Senator Cullinane arguing. I am arguing with him. Sinn Féin proposes a salary cap of €100,000 and a pension cap of €60,000. Its members are simply flying a political flag and have not even thought about the figures and how they relate to each other.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: If there were to be a cap on pensions, I would set it lower than €60,000. That figure is meaningless because so few people would be affected by it and the Exchequer would not be affected. Citing the figure makes it look as though everyone is receiving one of these sixty-grand pensions. Averaging is a good way of imposing a cap. Someone who starts off as a junior civil servant and works...

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister is agreeing with us.

Seanad: Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Jul 2012)

Thomas Byrne: I do not intend to say a great deal about this section. However, our very brave men and women in uniform are opposed to it and have made representations to and had meetings with the Department in respect of it. Perhaps the Minister might comment on what the representative associations of those to whom I refer have stated about the section.