Results 281-300 of 784 for speaker:Jimmy Harte

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: This amendment seeks to provide that account be taken of any outstanding liabilities. In other words, where a property is valued at ¤100,000, on which the mortgage is ¤90,000, the remaining ¤10,000 will be the amount on which property tax liability will be based, which sounds straightforward. However, there are many properties worth ¤2 million to ¤3 million, on which the mortgages are...

Seanad: Finance (Local Property Tax) Bill 2012: Committee Stage (20 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: On valuation of the property, in my experience open market value would be defined as sale within a reasonable time, perhaps three or four months. Like other Senators, I had queries from constituents who asked how would one value a property that was valued at ¤500,000 five years ago. There are two ways of valuing a property. One is comparable valuation where the house next door was sold,...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: The Minister is welcome. It is not easy to stand up in the Chamber and deal with this and no one here is welcoming any reduction in the respite care grant. The centenary of the First World War is not too far away and I have previously said in the Seanad that one of the most telling epitaphs of the First World War was: "For your tomorrow, we gave our today." The previous Fianna Fáil-led...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: -----because Bertie Ahern was elected three times and the Members opposite were the people who carried him shoulder high.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I would like to talk about the respite care grant and the spending measures the Minister introduced for the children plus initiative for the school meals programme, which is part of the positive spending in the budget the Minister has brought in. It is very easy to say that the money can be found somewhere else but no one on the opposite side has yet said where the social welfare budget can...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I know personally what is involved as there is autism on both sides of my family. It is difficult for my sister and my wife and family but they are positive in their outlook on this budget because they feel they have good services. They are feeling the pinch but we can live in the Sinn Féin fairy land and the Fianna Fáil borrow land until we end up back in the same position.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: We have Sinn Féin, which is the right wing party in Strabane and the left wing party in Lifford, and we all know that. If one goes to the Ballycolman Estate in Strabane-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: This is related to the respite care grant. Lifford and Strabane are the one community.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: Lifford and Strabane used to be in the one parish.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I support the Minister in this respect. No one can say it is a good day for the country when the respite care grant is being cut but we must look on the positive side of the budget. The Minister's task was that if funding was not reduced in one area it would be reduced in another area. I still have not heard anyone say which part of the social welfare budget could have been reduced.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: There are many views in the House on how that can be done. The Minister has grappled with this problem for months, as has the Government. It is a difficult task for anyone but it is a very easy task to challenge the Senators here. I take exception to someone saying; "where are all the Labour Senators today?". I could very well throw back the commment: "where are a lot of the Senators most...

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2012: Committee Stage (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: On the section, respite care is very important for a family who needs it. Equally the whole package is important to the family. To protect the whole package, if reductions in some parts are needed we have to move with them. I want to be judged on this not tomorrow or next weekend but in two or five years time when the public will judge us and say that this was a good Government because...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I will not go into detail in respect of the comments of Senator Terry Leyden and others on how difficult yesterday was and how certain individuals should be praised for standing up for the people of Ireland. I must point out, however, that the reason we are in the position we occupy is the Senator and his colleagues opposite voted for Bertie Ahern as Taoiseach on three separate occasions....

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: The Senators opposite protest too much.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: Yes, I have a few, if I am allowed to ask them in this season of goodwill. Thankfully, Senator Brian Ó Domhnaill is present and I can address directly his comments on stopping Irish overseas aid to Third World countries. In the week approaching Christmas it is very dangerous to be discussing putting a stop to aid to such countries as a result of the fact that we are borrowing the money...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I do not know whether it was appropriate for the woman in question to dump him.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I request a debate on our contribution to Third World aid which should be maintained. We should be proud of our record in giving money to Third World countries.

Seanad: Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (13 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I thank the Minister of State for attending the House. I agree with Senator Barrett and others on the technical need for this Bill to be passed. Democracy does not come cheaply, however, and we are all aware of the cost of the budget and the pain many people are feeling. As happened in the past, there was a certain constituency of people who said democracy was not working, but it was the...

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: I will appear next Monday night again for everyone.

Seanad: Order of Business (12 Dec 2012)

Jimmy Harte: The Senator was a witness to the chaos. It is important to have the debate on the property tax in the House next week. Again, I see Sinn Féin talking about the consistency of its manifesto. The Labour Party and Fine Gael have not changed their manifestos. It was not too long ago that in Sinn Féin's words, private property "has been and remains an instrument of oppression". That...