Results 33,581-33,600 of 34,833 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: He is also increasing his Department's office expenses by 27% and there is an increase of 11% for retired civil servants. The Office of Public Works, which comes within the remit of the Minister, Deputy Howlin, is increasing its office expenditure by 8%. Yet, everyone else is to take a cut. How does the Government reconcile these increases with fairness for the public? The Minister for...

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: The equality, integration and disability service at that Department has been also cut by 15%, from €19.7 million to €16.8 million. Will the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, who left the Chamber a few minutes ago, explain to those on whom she proposes to impose cuts the reason she has increased office expenditure in her Department by 23%, from €11.9 million to €14.7...

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: This is a cut in the rates. The child benefit rate of €140 in respect of the first and second child is not to be cut but the rate in respect of the third and fourth child in respect of whom €166 and €176, respectively, is paid is to be cut. This is a cut of more than €1,000 per annum or €100 per week for a family with five or six children.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: The Government said this was a red line issue.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: A Cheann Comhairle-----

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: A Cheann Comhairle, I am cutting-----

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: It is stated on page 29 of the document "...phase out entitlements to higher rates for the third and subsequent child over the next two years...", from which €70.7 million per annum will be saved.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: That means the Government is cutting the rate of child benefit.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: What aspect of that does the Minister, Deputy Howlin, not understand? Child benefit rates are being cut while expenditure in the Minister's office is being increased.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: The fuel allowance is also being cut. What are people to do during cold weather in September or April? Are they to freeze for an extra two months? That is a nasty thing to do. Old people should be treated with kindness and respect. They are the people who brought all of us into this world.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: This Government is being mean and nasty to elderly people. It is hitting the old by cutting their fuel allowances and it is hitting families with young children by way of cutting rates for third and fourth children at the same time as it is looking after its friends in terms of extra travel expenses and so on.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: Another shocking measure is the change to the redundancy insolvency scheme to reduce the employer rebate from 60% to 15%. The Government is practically eliminating that measure. The Minister did not say when that will come into effect.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: The Minister has introduced a scheme to incentivise employers to make people redundant before these new rates come into force.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: When these new rates come into effect it will be more expensive for an employer to make a person redundant.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: This is saying to employers with two or three employees who are hanging on by their fingertips hoping to get over Christmas that it is more effective for them to make those employees redundant now. To include that in a Budget Statement is a disgrace.

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: On student contributions, why must students pay for the salaries of the 99 people in the third level institutions earning more than €200,000? School capitation grants are being reduced by 2%. This will result in parents having to take to the streets to collect money to keep their children in school. Postgraduate maintenance support is also being abolished. It is to be phased out. This...

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: As for the additional charges, the Minister intends to make matters more difficult. At the end of each month, some families which are coming close to the €120 threshold for paying for private medicines will skip going to the chemist for antibiotics for their sick children. This is the type of society the Minister is making. He is making it harder for people to buy medicine and it is not...

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: I note the Minister's statement included a few sentences about generic drugs and how the Government will secure lower prices from those concerned. However, everything the Minister has announced today is predicated on a growth rate of 1.6% for next year. This is well and good and all Members hope this will happen. However, if it does not, it will make some of the Minister's announcements...

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: I refer to several announcements. For example, the changes relating to the redundancy scheme will force employers to make people redundant tonight-----

Statements on Expenditure (5 Dec 2011)

Seán Fleming: -----before the new rates come in, in order that they can claim back the payments.