Results 1,881-1,900 of 4,810 for speaker:Liam Twomey

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: There is no administrative burden. It has been said that people over 70 have lost their medical cards because of the number of millionaires and billionaires over 70 running around with their gold cards in their back pockets. If the payment of the income levy is not required by those who are extremely wealthy, it contradicts the purpose of the legislation in the first instance.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: The Senator may well be right that there is a substantial number of millionaires and billionaires over 70 benefiting from not having to pay income tax. However, it may also be the case that there are not many people over 70 with such wealth. Consequently, it serves no great purpose to abolish their medical cards.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: That is not the issue; the point concerns the actual amount. I just want the details on whether this information could be obtained. The information would point out whether there are people over 70 earning vast incomes. It may be too late on Friday evening to discuss this. Perhaps we will discuss it when considering the Finance Bill.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I will try to obtain the information myself from the Department of Finance.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move amendment No. 14: In page 3, line 11, after "CONTRIBUTIONS" to insert the following: ", TO IMPROVE REPORTING SYSTEMS IN HEALTH SERVICE DELIVERY". The Minister of State referred to the sharing of information between the Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages and the HSE, which already applies under section 45 of the 1997 Act. Will the Minister of State confirm whether there is a...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Will the Minister of State explain then how we GPs are often accused of getting paid for patients who have died? There appears to be a problem here. I am aware that the HSE in my local area is very involved in registering patient deaths in County Wexford. Concern has been expressed, and I realise it has been rebutted several times, about the HSE paying for patients who are deceased. Is...

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: They are not.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Half of patients die in hospitals. Nobody tells us half the time.

Seanad: Health Bill 2008: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: It was something I was not aware of, but I just wanted to get confirmation that it was the case, and it should be improved.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I welcome the Minister to the House. When we discuss such a serious issue as our economy we need to be far more straightforward in what we state to the Irish people. The public finances have gone rapidly from boom to bust and we need to restore order to them. The first thing that someone of the Minister's calibre should do, if he is taking the issue seriously, is to stop playing a charade...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: We might win over the people of Ireland and they will stop referring to him as the Castle's man. The Minister's announcement yesterday, Building Ireland's Smart Economy — A Framework for Sustainable Economic Renewal, has been dismissed to some degree as aspirational. The innovation fund was probably the only new aspect about which he spoke. One aspect that makes the people and ourselves...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Those debates should be held in these Houses. The Houses should return earlier than the end of January because that is what the public expect of us. They do not want us to have a show case day in the Mansion House. They want us to show the real leadership they are looking for now to deal with the domestic crisis in the public finances, the economic crisis which is caused by outside...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Does the Minister of State's gratitude extend to Senator Boyle whose party is also in Government?

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move recommendation No. 1: In page 9, before section 1, to insert the following new section: "PART 1 Commission on Taxation. 1.—The Minister shall ask the Commission on Taxation to produce a report within 6 months of the commencement of the Act to address the following matters: (a) private hospital and nursing home tax exemptions, (b) property based tax breaks, (c) the impact of the value...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: On behalf of the Fine Gael Party, what was the gratuitous insult to which the Senator referred? I was here at the time and I do not remember anything more than a misinterpretation of the historical facts being put before the House.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Some of the approaches to taxing income are a bit of a mess. With the income levy a person can change from paying nothing to paying a significant amount on the flip of a euro, which is discriminatory. This is why we propose a graded increase for people who are required to pay the levy, which would be fairer than the proposal in the Bill. The Government may need to review all such payments....

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: Someone on standard income is paying PRSI, the income levy, income tax and a health levy. They all have different minimum thresholds and exemption limits. Would it not be appropriate to tidy up them all?

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move recommendation No. 2b: In page 38, line 18, after "year" to insert the following: "except in the case of persons aged 70 years or over, when it means the highest rate at which they paid tax".

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: The last couple of sections of the Bill were approved by the House. I will point out to the Minister of State that Government Mercedes cars do not come under the heading of benefits-in-kind, BIK, nor are they liable for the parking levy. The only thing the ordinary person gets out of those sections of the Bill is a bicycle. We are making a special case for ourselves and separating...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Liam Twomey: I move recommendation No. 2c: In page 38, after line 45, to insert the following subsection: "(2) The Minister shall ask the Commission on Taxation to produce a report within 3 months on the impact of this Act on dental costs for families with children under 16 years of age.". Recommendation 2c relates to what we discussed on Recommendation 2b. The Government is taking away the opportunity...