Results 2,381-2,400 of 4,178 for speaker:Paul Gavan

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: Agreed.

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: No, with respect, it is a matter of fairness.

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: It is not a fair characterisation.

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: We can do that.

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: It is not magic.

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: On a point of order-----

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: The Minister's own Department projects that the percentage of the national income spent on pensions-----

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: -----will rise to 10.8% from 8%.

Seanad: Social Welfare (No. 2) Bill 2019: Second Stage (4 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: It is eminently doable.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: The last time I asked for a debate on equality or inequality in the Chamber, Miriam Lord wrote in The Irish Times the next day that there was some hope of ever having that. However, I have faith and I would ask the Leader that we have a debate on the issue of inequality in our society. I want to give two examples that popped up over the weekend. The first was the data on private fee-paying...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: Yes, it has. We saw no welfare rate increases and no pension rate increases.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: Senator Buttimer can say "Ah Jesus" but if he is up there, I do not think he would be impressed with Fine Gael lavishing moneys on the very wealthiest sections of our society. There is a €90 million subsidy to fee-paying schools. That is what Fine Gael stands for-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: -----while people struggle in their everyday lives. It is not good enough and I call again for that debate on equality.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: The Minister has just frozen it.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2019: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: I will take up that last point on the percentage of people that do not pay income tax, because it is trotted out by conservative politicians all the time. I respectfully remind the Minister of State that those people pay plenty of VAT. As the Minister of State knows, VAT is not correlated to income, so it is disingenuous to talk about people who do not pay tax. Everyone pays tax in this...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2019: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: The Minister of State forgot to mention that we also have the third-highest rate of low-wage earners in Europe. That is why they do not pay tax. Their wages are so bad that the State subsidises low-wage employers, to the tune of €300 million a year. We should be ensuring those employers pay a living wage. That is Sinn Féin's policy.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2019: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: The Government has now frozen it.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2019: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: That is the one.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2019: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: It is, for bad employers.

Seanad: Finance Bill 2019: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2019)

Paul Gavan: It would not be necessary if workers were paid a living wage. That is the point I am making.