Results 22,801-22,820 of 26,293 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Our debate on the social welfare Bill will be an honest one and I will be interested to hear people's views. There are no easy decisions. Talking about this budget being progressive is ironic. When the ESRI and the OECD examined the two previous budgets of this Government, they found them to be the most regressive of the past six tough budgets. I put it to Members that this one is even...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I will conclude on this important point. Mr. Tony O'Brien and Deputy James Reilly cannot stand over these figures and they cannot tell me or, more importantly, the citizens-----

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I have asked for a debate and for a commitment that, when the service plan is published, a full debate takes place with the Minister for Health in this House. What specifically is the figure for savings in the Department of Health next year? Is it €666 million, is it €1 billion or is it somewhere in the middle? We have the unprecedented situation where the Minister for Health...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Will the Acting Leader ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, to clarify whether the €10 million announced for the pyrite resolution fund will, as we are now hearing, be closer to €50 million over two years? If correct, the increased allocation is a welcome development. Will the Acting Leader also ask the Minister when he...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: That is a bit rich coming from Senator Gilroy given how the Labour Party broke its promises.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: You are always good at protecting the wealthy.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: What is fair?

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: We do not mention them at all.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: The Government is trying to take a further €133 million out of------

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Their cards have been taken off them this year.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Yesterday we debated the provisions of the latest budget brought forward by Fine Gael and the Labour Party. I welcomed some aspects of the budget and pointed out the many which are deeply troubling. We will have an opportunity to debate those provisions further when the Social Welfare and Pensions Bill comes before the House. Can the Leader indicate a provisional timetable for when that...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the Minister of State. I am sure it is a bitter-sweet day for him today to come back to the Seanad.

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I am personally delighted the Minister of State is back. I note he is much better behaved here today than he was on the last occasion he was here. He is always very welcome. I will commence with a few positive points. I welcome the retention of the 9% VAT rate. It was a Government initiative that I welcomed at the time it was introduced and it has worked.

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: What is the Senator talking about? That is stupid. I welcomed it at the time it was introduced and it has worked. I remind the Deputy that other initiatives were paid for by the pension levy - there were other elements of it. This measure worked but others did not. That aspect is certainly to be welcomed and there is no question about it. The removal of the travel tax is also a welcome...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: What I note from this budget, and I will go through some of these points, is how irrelevant the Labour Party has become. It is irrelevant in government. It has not been able to bring forward any measure whatsoever. It has had to stand over another €113 million worth of medical card cuts - these are called "medical card reviews" or, as the Civil Service has said, "probity reviews on...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Only €30 million is going to be allocated for social housing. That is pathetic. The telephone allowance is being abolished with the Government having taken more than €26 per month from people. That is real income for old age pensioners. For pensioners who are solely dependent on their old age pension or for those who may have also some small residual pensions, that is a big...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy does not consider that allowance is relevant. That is fine and she can tell anyone who contacts her that she does not believe it is important.

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Fewer and fewer people will be contacting the Senator after this budget. The Government had options. Fine Gael has been strong in its record over the years on protecting the wealthy and the privileged in society. The Government has done that again. Fine Gael was the party that said that would be not be any income tax increases. The Labour Party barked like a poodle last year about the...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I will finish on this point. I put it to the Minister of State that there is a bomb waiting to go off in the Department of Health. It is all over the place and all of those in the Government know it. I refer to the fact that there are €600 million to €700 million in additional cuts which the Minister for Health cannot deliver and he has had to bring in the Taoiseach, the...

Seanad: Budget 2014: Statements (15 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: I will finish on this point.