Results 24,641-24,660 of 26,320 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: This in no way, shape or form relates to the ongoing discussions in Government in regard to social welfare payments to employers.
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: Fine. I will not oppose the section.
- Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I raised the issue of the household charge yesterday. Every day that passes shows the current method of attempting to collect it is failing. The information campaign is negligible and the Government is not speaking with one voice. The Tánaiste seemed, to put it mildly, confused yesterday afternoon when answering questions about how individuals would go about paying the charge To be...
- Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: In fairness, we did the Seanad some service yesterday by informing and educating some Members on the other side of the House, particularly some of the newcomers to Fine Gael who may have learned some lessons.
- Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I was not talking about the Senator. Yesterday's debate was important and covered new politics. I mentioned the breaching of pay caps for special advisers. The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Simon Coveney, has a great friend, Mr. Fergal Leamy, who was his special adviser and is an eminent individual. He said he would come on board as his patriotic duty and left...
- Seanad: Order of Business (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I refer to the new special adviser to the Minister, Deputy Coveney. Ms Mary Minihan and The Irish Times gave us a very clear insight into the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party meeting yesterday evening when the matter was discussed at length. I ask my Fine Gael colleagues on the other side of the House to consider the fact that the most recent adviser appointed to the Government has once again...
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: Does the Department or the Office of the Revenue Commissioners track the excise duty on motor fuel? I am interested in hearing the answer to the question on the proportion of tax taken on a litre of fuel. At budget time, it was stated the cost of a litre was approximately â¬1.50 or â¬1.51 but this has increased to â¬1.68 to â¬1.70. The international pressures that bring themselves to...
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I remind Senators this is the Seanad of the Republic of Ireland. We have no jurisdiction over Northern Ireland. In fairness to Senator Cullinane, I understand why he is getting tired of hearing constant jibes about what is happening in the North. It is irrelevant in the context of what we are doing in this House.
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: The memorandum of understanding agreed a phased increase of VAT to 23% over a two-year period rather than 2% up front. I ask the Minister to review the cut he made to VAT not only for the hospitality sector but also other industries. The Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, who is wont to make off-the-cuff remarks in this regard, questioned whether the reduced rate...
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I want clarification on this section, which relates to the increase in the imputed income to 5% or 6% for approved retirement funds, ARF, or a vested PRSA in excess of â¬2 million. The previous Government introduced the imputed annual distribution on approved retirement funds and it makes sense. There are also significant changes to section 18, resulting in the reduction of the allowable...
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: That is fine.
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: AontaÃm leis an tSeanadóir à Clochartaigh. We have discussed this on many occasions. This is an anti-competitive tax. The Minister mentioned that the Government made a commitment on income tax. It is the Government's choice to decide whether it wants to increase income tax for higher earners or introduce a disproportionate tax such as this one. In recent months in this Chamber and in...
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: They are not around anymore.
- Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: It still is.
- Seanad: Tourism Amenities (21 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ring, and thank him for coming to the House to take this matter. I did not think in the last Dáil that I would be in the Seanad speaking to him about a model railway but I will explain why it is very important. Fortunately, Malahide has seen substantial investment in Malahide Demesne and Malahide Castle over the past number of years. In January 2009,...
- Seanad: Tourism Amenities (21 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: For the clarification of the Minister of State, his reply states that Dublin Tourism received unsolicited submissions from a number of interested parties to house the railway. Last week the organisation stated it had had a public competition to this end which was not correct. I contradicted it at the time and am glad to see Dublin Tourism has changed the statement. Its efforts to find a...
- Seanad: Tourism Amenities (21 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: I am sorry. I am getting mixed up. Mayo in particular - or anywhere else. This is too important. We only have until the end of April. This would be a great news story. I thank the Minister of State for attending and giving his time. I would appreciate it if he would bring the points I raised back to the Minister, Deputy Varadkar.
- Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: While the debate became a little heated towards the end. Senator O'Neill said enough in the short time in which he spoke.
- Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: The irony was not lost on me that the Fine Gael group's summation was given by a former member of the Progressive Democrats. I will not take lectures from former members of the Progressive Democrats on economic management.
- Seanad: Programme for Government: Motion (21 Mar 2012)
Darragh O'Brien: The Government had committed to producing a report card on ministerial performance and the performance of various Departments. The Taoiseach, Deputy Kenny, good publicist that he is, made this firm commitment on "The Late Late Show". I acknowledge that some progress has undoubtedly been made by the Government and that there are difficult economic times. This year is not as difficult as the...