Results 26,121-26,140 of 26,790 for speaker:David Cullinane

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: -----many Senators, on both the Government and Opposition side, have, over the course of many years in this House and outside it, spoken about high salaries for people in the public sector. The Minister of State's party opposed benchmarking, for example, which served to drive up pay for those at the top of the public sector. I make no apology for seeking pay parity and insisting that those...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: Senator Sheahan might get to go on Vincent Browne's programme himself after this. We will see how he gets on.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: The Senator should not forget the expenses.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: We know where they go.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: I will not waste my time, because I have two minutes. I have a number of amendments down and I am sure I will get to many of the substantive points I want to make. However, it is important to put on the record that guillotining Bills such as this, which are important and which deserve proper scrutiny, is not what the Government promised in its programme for Government. Many among the...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: It can. Senator Gilroy should take a look at the amendments which my party put down and he will see that it can deal with it.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: We are talking about reducing pensions again for senior officeholders and Government representatives. The problem here is that people get angry when they see Bills such as this being rushed through when it is about pensions and pay for those at the very top in the public service, whether they be judges or Ministers. It is regrettable that again today we are rushing through important...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: -----Bills such as this.

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: I wish to second the amendment to the Order of Business tabled by Senator Marc MacSharry in regard to the cutting of fuel allowance from 32 weeks to 26 weeks, and the impact that will have, especially on many older people. We know from Age Action Ireland that 2,000 older people die every year because of cold. Reducing the number of weeks of fuel allowance from 32 to 26 will increase that...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Second Stage (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: Part of the problem is that we have had four austerity budgets in recent years. The Fine Gael Party and the Labour Party voted against those four austerity budgets because in their view they were unfair, penalised working people and targeted people who were out of work. People on social welfare, on disability payments and older people had their entitlements cut. Generally, the then...

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: Shame.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: Shocking.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: Hear, hear. All those who want to speak should be allowed to speak. The Senator is right.

Seanad: Budget 2012: Statements (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: Other speakers wish to come in.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: The disability allowance has been cut and in my view this is one of the cruellest cuts from any Government in a long number of years. To cut the allowance of young people who are disabled is an absolute disgrace. Child benefit has been cut and also rent supplement and the lone parent allowance. It is an untruth for anybody from the Government to say that social welfare rates have not been...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: Sinn Féin proposed alternatives in its pre-budget submission which is available for Senators to read. The Government had an opportunity-----

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: -----to target wealth and high earners and address the myriad of tax breaks and tax shelters available to the wealthy. It could have achieved public expenditure savings without targeting the young, disabled people and older people by cutting their fuel allowance while driving up the cost of fuel. It targeted the same people the previous Government targeted. The Labour Party and Fine Gael...

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: The Minister, Deputy Rabbitte, got his answer last night on the North. The Labour Party does not know anything about the Six Counties. Its members waltz in here and speak mistruths.

Seanad: Order of Business (6 Dec 2011)

David Cullinane: They do not have the first notion of what is happening in the Six Counties. I would welcome a debate on the Assembly.