Results 17,961-17,980 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: It is not lawful.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: They cannot be used in that way.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Profligacy.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: It is outside the door.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: No.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Yes.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: The First Communion photograph.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: A few more.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I think a general election might be called if that happened.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I thank all Deputies for contributing. I stayed for as long as I possibly could, as I try to do on legislation I am sponsoring myself. I also heard most of the contributions I was not physically present for, in so far as that was possible. Some thoughtful contributions were made, by and large supportive of the legislation, but obviously wanting to touch on extraneous matters that are not...
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: No, of course not. I am saying it has always been incrementally increased and this is the first time a Minister has ever come in and said, "I want to actually reduce the total amount payable". The second point is that we will require full and transparent accountability for the money received. There was a great deal of disquiet about some categories of recipients having what I think one...
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I know that. It is true.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: I will deal with all of these questions. One of the first things I did was to see how we could mitigate the pensions that were based on those high salary levels. I took very strong advice and that is why, in the FEMPI legislation, I introduced an additional take, so the marginal rate of deduction is very high indeed. I will give the Deputies the exact figures, although I do not have them...
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: It is a very significant reduction, in so far as I could do so without putting the entire FEMPI legislation at risk, which I could not do because it is so important in regard to economic affairs. On the Bill before us, there is an issue that has been raised again and again, particularly by the Deputies present, so I am glad to have the opportunity to respond to it. This is the fact parties...
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Some people have chosen to leave in the past. The principle I have outlined remains. This allowance, the parliamentary activities allowance, is intended to support our party political system - that was why it was introduced in 1938. It is the raison d'être for its introduction and was argued for.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Please, Deputy. I did not interrupt anybody and I listened to all of the debate.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: It was not introduced to support individual Members of Dáil Éireann. There are measures such as staff allocations for each Member and a substantial parliamentary standard allowance in place to provide assistance to individual Deputies. As I have said, the parliamentary activities allowance provides funding to political parties using the metric of the number of Deputies and...
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: It has been suggested by several Deputies that the provision in the legislation for the merger of two parties sets a precedent for the transfer of funds from a party to an individual. However, the legislation actually provides for the situation where two parties decide to merge and the parties decide to pool their resources. It is the party funding being welded together. That is provided...
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: The party decides what to do with funding, not one individual.
- Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)
Brendan Howlin: Deputy Mathews should stop shouting Members down.