Results 23,621-23,640 of 26,986 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I address my questions to IBEC, the Irish Business and Employers Confederation, which talks about the need to stimulate the economy, with which I agree. Will IBEC respond to me on the reasons the economy has collapsed? What is the problem? What has happened to our economy that there is no investment?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: That is a very interesting response, but I completely disagree with Mr. O'Brien. His analysis is that the major reason is that the banks are not lending.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Is it because people are saving?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not agree with that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: The witnesses talked about the need for stimulus.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Why are the members of IBEC not investing?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Okay. I will pass over because we have no time for a discussion on it but I fundamentally disagree with the points made by Mr. O'Brien. I will address the question on the property tax to each of the witnesses. Is there not a recognition on the part of all of the delegates that they accept this proposal? I find it surprising that the unions would accept it rather than actively campaigning...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: We are all socialists now.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: The witnesses are the good guys and they are pointing in the right direction in terms of what we need to do. They are right in asking do we want to have an American-style tax structure or a European-style structure and the services that go with it. It seems we want Berlin services with Boston taxes but I do not believe that works. The witnesses are right in what they said and the points...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I want to set the scene for the points with which I disagree. On the pensions issue, the witnesses have hit on something important. They are right that 80% of the benefit going to 20% of the people is problematic and we need to deal with that but why would they not go a little further? Some €2.5 billion is given in tax reliefs and most of that goes to the top 20%. Why would they...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: On a point of clarification regarding council houses, I am not clear on this in the context of the witness's position. Is he suggesting-----
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: It was not made clear. It is a serious question. Mr. McDonnell said certain groups would be excluded but not all council houses. He might clarify that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Including council houses.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Child benefit.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Let us talk about bin charges.
- Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: The great German playwright Bertolt Brecht said that the crime of robbing a bank is nothing compared to the crime of owning one.
- Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: His words were written in the 1930s.
- Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I put it to the Tánaiste that the situation with the pay and pensions of both current and former bankers and bank executives in this country gives new meaning to the words "bank robbery". This is being done in the face of ordinary citizens who are raging about the fact that they have been battered with unemployment, health and education cuts, savage cuts to their incomes and cuts to...
- Leaders' Questions (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: The Tánaiste did not listen to me. I said it should be imposed on all incomes. Instead of further attacking working people, the poor and the vulnerable by imposing cuts in health and education and increasing student registration fees, why does the Government not impose a 10% super-levy on all incomes over €100,000 per year in the budget? That would yield a clawback not just from...
- Written Answers — Department of Health: Mobility Allowance (8 Nov 2012)
Richard Boyd Barrett: To ask the Minister for Health his plans to review the mobility allowance for persons over 66 years of age; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48892/12]