Results 27,161-27,180 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee and Remaining Stages (Resumed) (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: As a former múinteoir, the Minister will know that many young people, particularly those between 18 and 23, who participate in a FÁS course have a very high drop out rate, and many of them have serious literacy and numeracy problems. Putting up a barrage of so-called courses will be of no benefit to many of these young males. The Minister should consider putting forward aggressive,...

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: In support of Deputy Shortall, if there is such a document available, it would help the Members in the discussion on the various sections of the Bill in order that they can have confirmation of what the Department and Government were talking about in terms of poverty proofing in respect of each of these sections.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: After all, as the Minister is aware, she has the unenviable task of being the first Minister to cut social welfare payments.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: Have arrangements yet been made for discussion on the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill which is to be debated next week? Is this to be guillotined through as well or has the Chief Whip made arrangements for full and comprehensive discussion of the Bill next week? Has the Government considered having the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform call in the...

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: I will ask the question again. What are the arrangements for the discussion on the Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill, in which there is much interest? Is this to be guillotined through next Tuesday or Wednesday, or have arrangements been made in that regard? What is the current situation arising from the GRA's decision to ballot its members for industrial...

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: The Tánaiste should answer the Deputy's question.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: This proposal is not agreed to. The behaviour of the Government, in the context of the way it wants to do its business, is the most arrogant of any Administration I have ever seen. The Order of Business is absolutely contemptuous. It is proposed that we take statements on the carbon budget for 65 minutes and then guillotine the debate on the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill at 6.30...

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: I listened to Deputy Kennedy's contribution to the debate on the Bill. If he played corner back in the same way when he was involved in sport, he would be dropped from the team immediately.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: I must inform the Tánaiste, who represents a constituency in the north west, that what she is attempting to do here is both contemptuous and disgraceful. The Government is acting in a way that is completely contradictory to the norm. Ned Kelly is famed in song and story for robbing the rich to help the poor. The Government has made many people very rich and has left them untouched while...

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: The Tánaiste may believe that because the Government squared up to deal with a particular situation on Wednesday, it has now talked the talk and acted in a tough and decisive manner.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: She may believe that by alienating the public service, the members of which are obliged to deliver a huge range of services on a daily basis, the Government is influencing those in the private sector who cannot obtain loans from any of the banks.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: In the meantime, there are those in receipt of pensions in excess of €100,000 and gross incomes of well over that amount who have been left untouched. The Tánaiste, as deputy leader of the Government, seems to be of the view that it is fine to take €8.60 from people who care on a full-time basis for their loved ones - mothers, fathers and other family members - be they incontinent or...

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: Members of Fianna Fáil from areas throughout the country will have received representations from private sector interests which are indicating that they cannot obtain money from any of the banks to keep their employees in work or their businesses in operation.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: At the same time, the Tánaiste appears to be of the opinion that it is possible to create a situation whereby this Fianna Fáil-led Government will obtain great support from the private sector because it took on the public sector and walked all over those in receipt of the lowest rates of social welfare payments.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: That is not good politics. The Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, challenged Fine Gael to put forward an alternative view prior to the budget. We duly produced a costed, detailed document which, if accepted, would have achieved €4 billion in cuts while protecting children, pensioners, those with disabilities, the blind and the carers.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: Our proposals would also have protected the 55,000 public sector workers who earn less than €30,000. They would also have provided an €18 billion stimulus for job creation in an area - namely, key infrastructure - in respect of which Ireland has fallen so far behind other countries that it has lost a serious amount of ground in competitive terms.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: I propose that the Tánaiste scrap the Order of Business. I want every Member from my party to be able to contribute to the debate on the Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: I am sure the Labour Party wants the same thing.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: If the Tánaiste thinks she can come in here and do whatever she wants, she has another thing coming. It is very easy for the former Minister of State, Deputy Michael Ahern, to talk tough from the comfort of a State car with an armed garda. He should remember that the bottom line is that the garda is there to protect State property, which is the car and not the Minister of State.

Order of Business (11 Dec 2009)

Enda Kenny: I hope we do not have a period of serious, aggressive unrest in this country.