Results 26,301-26,320 of 31,374 for speaker:Eamon Ryan

Financial Resolution No.5: General (Resumed). Debate resumed on the following motion: (10 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I can understand the anger and upset of the gardaí who have to take a cut in a difficult time. An equal society means that an older person, who might be scared at home at night because someone is acting in an anti-social way, can ring the gardaí at any hour and make sure they arrive. That is a basic essential service that we must keep as we manage our budget. This Government made a call...

Financial Resolution No.5: General (Resumed). Debate resumed on the following motion: (10 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: They are difficult but we must come out for our people with a sense of where we want to go and what we want to do. Every section of society has a role. Those farmers dealing with the difficult floods, caused by climate change, need a sense that they have a role. They are the front line of a green economy. As they go into forestry and high value and low-emission food crops, which we do...

Financial Resolution No.5: General (Resumed). Debate resumed on the following motion: (10 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: It was difficult but I say to the parent that we had to do that to make sure that the teachers were available for her children. That was the decision we had to make.

Financial Resolution No.5: General (Resumed). Debate resumed on the following motion: (10 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: We also have to work with our unions. I do not believe partnership is dead. We will work better as a nation, for the evolution that we must achieve, when we work together. We need to work with our unions and our business people to make that happen. This budget does not address one constituency over another. It gives us an economic stimulus to work towards a new society.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The Decentralisation Programme as originally announced in December 2003, included the proposal to relocate the Headquarters of the Central Fisheries Board to Carrick-on-Shannon, County Leitrim. As announced by the Minister for Finance in his statement of 14 October 2008, the Government has deferred decisions on the timing of the implementation of elements of the Decentralisation Programme...

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: My Department has entered into a contract with "3", a Hutchison Whampoa company, for the delivery of the National Broadband Scheme (NBS). 3 is required to provide services to all residences and businesses that are within the NBS area and which seek a service. The company is progressing its network roll-out and services have gone live in a number of areas. The entire NBS area must be covered...

Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: There is a full time equivalent total of 11.9 staff currently employed in my private and constituency offices and 3.8 staff employed in the private office of the Minister of State. The Minister of State does not have any staff engaged on constituency matters in my Department. Further information requested by the Deputy is outlined in the following tables: Minister's Staff Office Number of...

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Carbon tax has been considered for a long time. We have an advantage in that regard as there has been much economic analysis and study on it. The best analysis was done by the ESRI, which had a fairly clear and simple message as to how to go about this. It indicated that the price should be matched to the European emission trading system, ETS, price. The European system has been set up...

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: It is not pathetic. I will give an example of the scale of ambition compared to other countries. President Obama has spent approximately $400 million as a stimulus for retrofitting.

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: We are spending €130 million next year. We are not as big as the United States but that is a fair percentage in comparison. We will not stop there. We are going to 100,000 houses per year and we will meet the public sector buildings targets, which equate to a third of an improvement in energy efficiency in the next ten years. That will require massive retrofitting.

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The €130 million - which the ESRI has indicated we should put back into the economy - is real.

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Half of that is for social housing to keep the poorer people in our country warm and healthy.

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The second indication from the ESRI on a carbon tax-----

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: -----is that revenue should be used-----

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: I want to finish my point. The revenue should be used to reduce labour taxes-----

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: -----so that we end up taxing the bad and not the good.

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: The revenue we are raising from a carbon tax would allow the Minister for Finance to reduce PRSI for people coming off the dole. It is exactly as the ESRI recommended. The ESRI also recommended that VAT should be reduced and we have again done that with some of the carbon revenue raised.

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: Finally, with regard to protecting those on lower income, the Minister for Finance has given a commitment to introduce the initiative on solid fuels and other heating oils, the fuel allowance will be increased on a vouched basis to cover the cost so those in fuel poverty will not be affected.

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: In any rational analysis of the best economic advice we have had for ten years in advance of this, we can check if we have done what economists believe we should. We have invested in energy efficiency that is leading the world.

Financial Resolution No. 2: Excise (Mineral Oil) (9 Dec 2009)

Eamon Ryan: We have invested in reductions in labour taxes, which it was argued we should, and we have reduced VAT with some of the revenues, as it was indicated we should. We will protect those in fuel poverty.