Results 2,441-2,460 of 4,363 for speaker:Arthur Morgan

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: I welcome the opportunity to respond to the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance in this budget debate. I intend to expose the hypocrisy of the pre-election promises made by this and other Governments on tax cutting which grossly misled voters on the state of the finances and the management, or mismanagement, of the economy. I will also give examples of how things could and should be done...

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: Shame on the Government for not providing for the local authority. The Government has never enabled the local authorities to deal with those issues.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: The Government has stood back and hand strapped them.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: That is what the Government has done. Some 43,600 people are on the list and the Minister stands over that situation. Shame on you, Minister. You were in that Department long enough and should have dealt with the issue.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: It is outrageous of you not to deal with the crisis.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: The people of north Wicklow who experienced the awful tragedy of the death of two firemen are forced to campaign for funding for a full-time fire service for an area which has experienced huge increases in population but no commensurate increase in essential services. Across the State, teachers are forced to teach children in prefabs. In particular, I am aware of a number of Gaelscoileanna...

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: The only net saving from the closure of that unit for the month relates to the artificial body parts involved — the new hips and knee joints that would have been implanted. We all know that the people who now require those hips and knee joints will still require them in January, February and April. However, they must endure pain and suffering over the Christmas period and then wait in the...

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: And the Government, because it is its policy with which the Minister is proceeding.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: In Tullamore, there is still no date for the full opening of the new hospital which has been ready for about a year.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: The Government should be ashamed of themselves for the scandalous, disgraceful condition of the health services in this State.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: Twice as many people are lying on hospital beds and sitting in chairs in corridors now compared to last year. The health service is going downhill because the Government is neglecting it.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: It is the Government backbenchers who are most responsible for it. They are taking it.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: Backbenchers sometimes need to be woken up.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: While an open day was held at the Tullamore hospital before the election, it is only providing very limited day services. The poor conditions in the old hospital have been highlighted in the media. At one stage, patients in the hospital had to go for a week without hot water, yet Deputy Curran is shouting. Sinn Féin wanted a small number of key commitments addressed as part of this budget....

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: Who introduced tolling? It was some of the Deputy's colleagues, including Liam Lawlor, who introduced it. I would love to see the history of that being teased out on some occasion.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: We have a serious public transport deficit both in urban areas, where there is not enough capacity, and in rural areas, which, in many cases, have no public transport at all. For example, in a situation mirrored across rural Ireland there is no Government subsidised public transport available to the people of north and west Donegal connecting rural parishes to larger urban areas. These...

Financial Resolution No. 1: Excise (Tobacco Products) (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: Is that a proposal?

Financial Resolution No. 1: Excise (Tobacco Products) (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: We support the resolution. I feel a little sorry for smokers who already must endure inclement weather when they are otherwise enjoying themselves in order to get a bit of what was described as the "dreaded weed".

Financial Resolution No. 1: Excise (Tobacco Products) (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: That is the way it comes, as the Ceann Comhairle knows. On many occasions I have heard the organisation ASH call for an increase in the price of cigarettes because it suggests that it deters people from starting to smoke. Dr. Fenton Howell, who heads up that organisation, used to be with the North Eastern Health Board before he moved on to those greener pastures. I accept that argument....

Financial Resolution No. 1: Excise (Tobacco Products) (5 Dec 2007)

Arthur Morgan: Is the money ring-fenced?