Results 33,721-33,740 of 34,779 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme) and Remuneration Bill: Second Stage (19 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: However, he is walking the walk for the future. I understand that the Secretaries General in place are in place but vacancies will arise in the immediate future. I cannot understand it. No one in Ireland, not one among 3.5 million people, except those getting these payments would agree with the new people getting them other than the few people involved and the few people around them who...

Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme) and Remuneration Bill: Second Stage (19 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: That is good.

Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme) and Remuneration Bill: Second Stage (19 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: When we raised the matter with the Minister by way of a parliamentary question, the longest paragraph in the reply stated: "I should point out that, before the end of this month, I will introduce the Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme) and Remuneration Bill 2011." The Minister spelt it out. The Minister tries to give the impression when we talk about obscene payments for new Secretaries...

Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme) and Remuneration Bill: Second Stage (19 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: It is extra information but I am simply dissecting it so that people will not take the view that the issues are directly related. The Minister should move on the matter sooner or later. I understand the Minister wishes to exclude certain commercial bodies. The Schedule to the Bill refers to bodies to which the definition of "public service bodies" does not apply. These include any body...

Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme) and Remuneration Bill: Second Stage (19 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: A Secretary General might get the job and decide to retire, taking that extra seven years. Or, because the arrangements of a Secretary General may be slightly different, we could consider a position close to that grade. As drafted, there is a tremendous incentive for a person who arrives at a high rate to leave on sick leave because he or she will get the extra seven years at the maximum...

Written Answers — Appointments to State Boards: Appointments to State Boards (18 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 69: To ask the Taoiseach his role in relation to appointments to all State boards and agencies; his views on introducing a cap or ceiling to the number of boards on which one person can serve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29982/11]

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: The Minister replied to a parliamentary question that the Department was considering possible candidates for further asset sales to inform further decisions. I agree with remarks on Coillte made by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. I fully understand the Fine Gael position but I cannot fathom the Labour Party's support for it, it has walked away from its people. I accept...

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Yes, but the Government is looking at assets that will generate revenue further down the road and getting their value now for the taxpayer to invest. I appeal to the Minister when he is looking at assets to look at the State's financial assets. We own 99% of AIB. The chief executive of the bank was before the Oireachtas committee recently and he said they want to dispose of some of it to...

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: We can. Perhaps the Minister thinks we should not have nationalised it and it should have been closed down. If he wants to say that, that is fine. There are shares to be sold in AIB and there are shares being sold in Bank of Ireland. If the sale of assets in such a bank is worth a lot to the Exchequer, could that money not be used to fund the economic development programme we all want to...

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: I am bemused at the Minister's answer that we would not realise the value of the State's shares in the banks at present. Is the Minister not aware that during the summer - this arose at the meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts and in a response to a question to the Minister for Finance last night - the Government sold €1.123 billion worth of Bank of Ireland shares and that the...

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: I am not a bit confused because this is black and white. The Government claims the State cannot realise the value of its shares but it is doing the opposite. I am glad the Government got €1.123 billion and reduced the State share-holding in Bank of Ireland. There was nothing in the emorandum of understanding we signed last December about using the proceeds of State assets. The...

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: They are State assets.

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Why not use those proceeds for job creation not for writing down debt?

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Perhaps 40%.

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Selling the ESB is the first nail in the coffin of the Labour Party in this Government. That should have been the red line issue on going into Government, but there was no red line because the Labour Party was so eager to get into government. It is not necessary to sell these assets. I accept from this side that mistakes were made in the past with selling the likes of Eircom, but it is...

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: The Government should sell the banks - that is constructive.

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: We are too strategic.

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue. I am disappointed the Minister is not here, but I am sure he will be back to take questions. It is a sad day. It is sad that we are here to talk about selling shares in the ESB, EirGrid, Bord Gáis, Coillte and Bord na Móna. Each of these is a strategic asset. The Minister will almost try and tell us that the provision of light, heat,...

Sale of State Assets: Statements (13 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: They will have no job at the end of it. That is the same thing to me. I am shocked that the Labour Party has been snookered into this. The Minister, who is a shareholder, is selling these assets. Another Labour Party Minister, the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Rabbitte, will be the front line Minister for the sale of some of these assets and we have a...

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (12 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 14: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation his plans to bring forward proposals in relation to developing the digital gaming industry here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28830/11]