Results 21,521-21,540 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Funding (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: Deputy Varadkar does not want this Chamber to be here in the first place.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Funding (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I need not give way on foot of those comments. We are trying to facilitate the Minister. An important debate took place in the House facilitated by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. She came to the House to answer questions about what happened in Swinford. That was the reason for the delay.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Funding (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: It is very unfair of the Minister to say the way the business is ordered in this House is a disgrace. The Minister may wish to consider how it works in the other House, the use of guillotines and how the Government orders its business.

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I am well aware of it.

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: Why do we not meet them together? Then we will see what they are saying.

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: Part of it.

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: They have got worse in the past two years. The deficit doubled in that period.

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: The Social Welfare and Pensions Act 2009.

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government allowed AIB to put €1.2 billion into its pension fund.

Seanad: Restructuring of Pensions at Aer Lingus: Statements (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I appreciate the Minister coming to the House at short notice. I put forward an amendment to the Order of Business this morning which was accepted and I welcome his attendance. It is just one day since we received good news in the context of Waterford Crystal because of a European Court judgment. Waterford Crystal is doubly insolvent. It is an insolvent company with an insolvent pension...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I am not as concerned as others, and I figure the Revenue Commissioners will be pragmatic about this matter. Where there is abuse we need to crack down on it. On Second Stage I remarked that the Government should really examine the exemption limits. I take issue with the point that anything up to €225,000 is free. We are talking about family homes. This is an inheritance tax.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: I will get back to the point made by the Minister of State. I welcome the commitment given that the Government will examine the limits, because they need to be increased somewhat. The sum of €225,000 represents a rather standard home now. The Minister of State has covered the other points about living expenses and so on well. I do not share the concerns of others in this regard.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: Senator Quinn covered it. I could bet on my phone sitting here right now. That is the reality. I have dealt with many independent bookmakers and Senator Cummins has been raising issues as I have in relation to the betting tax Bill to provide for a level playing pitch particularly for independent bookmakers against the multiples and offshore online betting. In fairness, the Government is...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: To make a procedural point, a number of recommendations did not make it to this Stage for technical reasons. I will outline them briefly because they have been re-tabled. I do not expect the Minister of State to respond, nor should he on this Stage. There will be a proposed recommendation relating to zero-rated goods and services in respect of nicotine replacement therapies. They are...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: We had to.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: There was nothing for them in the budget.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: The section is about taxes.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: A number of amendments did not make it in, and I have re-tabled them for tomorrow. These include a new section to provide that where the primary carer has insufficient income to avail in full of a single person child care credit, the other parent may avail of the full or unused amount of that credit on condition that he or she has met any court-ordered maintenance payments. Secondly, the...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: There is no electoral cycle in North Korea.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2014: Committee Stage (10 Dec 2014)

Darragh O'Brien: While I note the Minister of State's explanation, with no disrespect, I do not accept it. The Minister of State should go back and have a look at it. In the context of an overall debate on pensions, at 2 p.m. today 15,000 airport pension scheme members will have their benefits savaged due to legislation passed by the Government. In terms of pension coverage and enticing people into...