Results 241-260 of 2,698 for speaker:Paul Gogarty

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: I have been to Belvedere House. It is a great place and anyone internationally reading the Official Report-----

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: Connemara and Wexford are places I visit as well but I happened to be in Clara and we heard the Minister for Finance state on a radio programme that he would not consider cutting the minimum wage and that it was not on the agenda at that time. He said if it affected employment prospects he might revisit the issue, but he thought it was something that would be more applicable to the Labour...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: I will yield to the Deputy.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: The Deputy's point is taken but for people who have a part-time contract they are working for the period of time that gives them the legal protection, and they cannot be taken out of that situation. The vast majority of workers in the country now cannot be told to take a pay cut. If it is above the minimum wage, people can and have been told to take pay cuts. I suppose the positive side to...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: Two thirds of the reason we are cutting back in this budget is because we are spending more than we are taking in. We have to reign ourselves in. Everything has a knock-on effect. We cannot have very high levels of social welfare that are a disincentive to work while at the same time cut amounts for people who are on the borderline. Everything must be proportionate and while I personally...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: All I am saying is that the Germans have always been a frugal people. We should be learning from them and cutting our costs, particularly in the catering and hotel sectors. Then we might be able to employ more people and encourage some of the Germans with disposable income to come here.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: Rather than us asking the Germans to give us an extra €1 billion to put on our credit cards we should be saying that Ireland is a cheap competitive place to visit, we welcome Germans, they love Ireland, they should come over here, we will give them a good time, and we will take their money and give good value for it. That is the way it should be. We should be trying to develop good ways...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: I welcome the pension reform measures. Some of the public service pensions will be reduced by approximately 4% on average. This, as the Minister for Finance stated, will generate a €100 million saving in 2011. It is a significant saving in the context of a €6 billion adjustment, and it had to be done. It does not please anyone to have to do it, but the money must be found. Earlier...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: The other measure I welcome is that on vouched expenses. It means that people can prove where they spent their money. They can also prove that being in politics is a costly business. I do not subscribe to cutting pay so much that it provides an incentive either for corruption or for merely the wealthy to get into politics, but we must set an example at a time when everyone else has been...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: It is 19 minutes now.

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: ----- sought to cut €2 from the contributory old age pension, I would vote for it because, on balance, that might make it a little easier for some of the more vulnerable, as those who are also vulnerable, albeit slightly less so, might be able to take a small hit. However, no such amendments have been tabled; there is only opposition to the proposals. Let us now look at the opposition to...

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: It is not true to say the budget does not affect higher earners.

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: The PRSI ceiling is on the way out and higher earners pay more. Also, as I mentioned this morning, Deputies and local authority members are taking a cut in their pay, along with Ministers. Many people did not seem to be aware of this. I suggest that if parties cannot put forward a credible amendment that would ensure money is saved somewhere, they should explain from where the money will...

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: Fine Gael should put forward its amendment.

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: Deputy Noonan could have tabled an amendment.

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: And screw the economy.

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: Like Sinn Féin's relationship with the DUP in the North, we have to compromise.

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: There was no capitulation in education.

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: The PRSI cap was abolished.

Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Paul Gogarty: On a point of order, there is a precedent for the Minister to elaborate on the wider context. The first amendment that was proposed to open up this debate involved opposing the entire Bill.