Results 1-20 of 1,900 for speaker:Thomas Pringle in 'Dáil debates'

Road Traffic Bill 2011: Second Stage (23 Mar 2011)

Thomas Pringle: Along with other Members, I take this opportunity to congratulate the Minister on his appointment and wish him well in his term of office. I will make several general points on road safety before addressing the Road Traffic Bill 2011. I come from Donegal and as Deputy McConalogue mentioned earlier, we have seen the devastation caused by fatal accidents on our roads. In recent years a number...

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Thomas Pringle: Yesterday in the House, the Taoiseach said that Deputy Lowry and the Moriarty tribunal report represented a culture typified by arrogant, mercenary and immoral politics that almost ruined our reputation. I believe the report represents one of the last shovels of dirt on the grave of our reputation, rather than a proverbial nail in the coffin. The Moriarty tribunal report states that Deputy...

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Thomas Pringle: In light of the Taoiseach's contribution yesterday at the opening of the debate and in light of his desire to have fully open and transparent politics in operation in the House, I ask him to put on the record of the House any deal done with the three Independent Deputies, namely, Deputies Lowry, Healy-Rae and Grealish, who supported his election as Taoiseach in recent weeks. Will he outline...

Moriarty Tribunal Report: Statements (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Thomas Pringle: Was there access to Ministers?

Universal Service Charge: Motion (Resumed) (30 Mar 2011)

Thomas Pringle: It is widely accepted in civil society that the USC is an unequal and regressive tax targeted at low- and middle-income earners. The Labour Party recognised this when it called for a review of the tax in the past. To see a tax introduced that disproportionately affects workers on low and middle incomes and then, when in Government, to support its continued collection is an affront to the...

Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Second Stage (31 Mar 2011)

Thomas Pringle: The Communications Regulation (Postal Services) Bill provides for the final liberalisation of the Irish postal market. This in effect means the privatisation of the market. Liberalisation is euro speak for privatisation. Members will remember the sell-off of Eircom that took place a number of years ago, where ordinary Irish people were conned into buying shares, believing in the...

Banks Recapitalisation and Restructuring: Statements (31 Mar 2011)

Thomas Pringle: The Minister, Deputy Noonan, said that 30 September 2008 was the blackest day in our country's history since the Civil War. Unfortunately, there have been many days since then to compete with it, and today will probably go down as one of those days. It was with a sense of déjÀ vu that I listened to his contribution. I see now that Fine Gael and the Labour Party have morphed into Fianna...

Social and Affordable Housing (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: Question 8: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Heritage and Local Government if he will raise the income limits for housing applicants contained in the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2009 where Donegal County Council will not accept applications from single applicants on to the housing list on incomes over €20,000 per annum and €24,000 per annum for households over more...

Social and Affordable Housing (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: I join in the congratulations offered to the Minister and Ministers of State on their appointments. It definitely appears as though the Minister of State, Deputy Penrose, is carrying all the weight today in the Chamber. I welcome the increase in the income limits that was introduced last week and I had submitted this question just before I learned of them. However, placing such income...

Social and Affordable Housing (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: I hope the increases announced last week will improve this situation. Certainly however, the view of Donegal County Council was that a large number of people on the housing list would be affected. Members will monitor its implementation in the coming months to ensure this is not the case.

Water Services (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: I welcome the Minister of State's indication that there is no intention to privatise Irish water when the new utility company is established. I say this as somebody who worked in water services until 25 February this year. Does the Minister of State have any intention of reversing the privatisation that has already taken place within water services? In Donegal there is Veolia Water, Severn...

Bank Reorganisation: Statements (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: The Minister's restructuring plan and the provision of an additional €24 billion in capitalisation for the banks are intended to solve the problems of our banking sector once and for all. The plan includes a deleveraging of €57 billion of assets in the next three years which, with the addition of €24 billion in capital from the State, is designed to free up credit of some €12 billion...

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: This motion calls for the bank bailout deal with the IMF-EU to be put to the people. It is as simple as that. The bailout that has been debated in this House over the past few days is in the form of a further capitalisation of the zombie banks. I refer to Deputy Nolan's contribution, in which he stated that it was not €24 billion of taxpayers' money that was going into the zombie banks....

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: I will just use 30 seconds more. The amendment tells me the Government knows it is wrong, does not have confidence in its actions and is afraid of its people. After only a month in office, it has relinquished its mandate and rejected the people who voted it in by taking on Fianna Fáil's clothes.

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: On a point of order, I asked earlier in regard to Standing Order 53.

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: During my contribution earlier I asked for a ruling from the Chair in regard to Standing Order 53.

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: I put the question during my contribution earlier.

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: I asked for a ruling from the Chair in regard to Standing Order 53.

Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil under Standing Order 32 (7 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, that the House consider yesterday's announcement of the opening of the agri-environment options scheme for 2011 and call for the scheme to be open to all farmers leaving REPS 3 this year and at similar levels of funding as the current scheme.

Criminal Justice (Community Service) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Apr 2011)

Thomas Pringle: Like other speakers I welcome the Bill. It is a welcome move forward. Any legislation that will reduce the number of committals to prison will have a positive impact in communities and on the levels of recidivism within the criminal justice system. There has been an increase of more than 35% in committals to prison in 2009. The number of three-month committals has increased by 63% from...