Results 35,161-35,180 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: Deputy Morgan should not go there, that referred to duvets. The country prospered at the same time as the concept of freedom of information. I am not a capitalist but capitalism thrives in a free market where complete knowledge is the hallmark of being able to make good decisions on how to allocate capital among competing companies and projects. Closing down information means that we do...

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: This is a simple amendment concerning accountability. I strongly commend the amendment to the House so that the annual report will be of assistance to the Minister, his officials, the National Pensions Reserve Fund and the National Treasury Management Agency to get some sense of the purpose of the rescue of these banks. It is not about the banks, it is about rescuing credit and sustaining...

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: The Minister's remarks have made me very angry and people listening in to the Minister's comments will also be very angry. I do not know if the Minister realises how frightened, angry and despairing many people are out on the street.

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: It is astonishing for the Minister to suggest that the method of assessing the salaries of these people by means of a review committee of top people is a scientific method of assessment as compared with—— What was the word he used? He said it was scientific as opposed to——

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: It is "popular". There is a place in every country for popular feeling, particularly when we are listening to the representative of the government which has driven the economy into a ditch. I recall all last summer another scientifically based report on which the Taoiseach ducked, dived and weaved for six or seven long months, namely, the report on the remuneration of higher paid public...

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: I know the Minister is an historian and I am not. However, I think that was the high point of English republicanism. Last weekend when Deputy Noel Dempsey invoked Cromwell, I think it was as one republican party to another on our sister island. I felt the hand of history was hovering over Deputy Dempsey and it might have given him a clout at any point. Is the Minister serious, a scientific...

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: Has the Minister had the time to read the report? A bit like the Anglo report——

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: One would imagine it would be hot off the presses and into the Minister's hands and that he would be very anxious to read it. The Minister is indicating to the House that the scientific basis of this study will put these bankers on a comparison for payments with the top people in the top companies in Ireland. He indicated that these are companies with very large balance sheets with, as I...

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: I thank the Minister.

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. a1: In page 3, before section 2, to insert the following new section: "2.—The remuneration of any officer, employee or director of any financial institution to which funds are paid out of the National Pension Reserve Fund under this Act shall not exceed the sum of €250,000.". I ask that a list be provided of the groupings of the amendments. I have a list of my...

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: I appreciate that. Does the Minister have a copy of my amendment?

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: I have a copy of it.

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: I would not like to have the Minister turn the amendment down because he did not have a copy of it.

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: The proposed new section states: "2.—The remuneration of any officer, employee or director of any financial institution to which funds are paid out of the National Pension Reserve Fund under this Act shall not exceed the sum of €250,000.".

Investment of the National Pensions Reserve Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: This amendment is similar to an amendment moved by the Labour Party on the night of the debate concerning the bank guarantee scheme and recently with regard to the pension levy on public service pensions. The proposed amendment is very simple in that it states that bankers' pay should be capped at the same level as that of the Minister for Finance. I do not have to explain the idea. I heard...

Order of Business (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: Regarding the budget, what is the position on Estimates? This budget will probably be larger than last October's.

Order of Business (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: I simply want to know the procedures. What is the situation regarding Estimates and the provision of information? We have no expenditure guidelines or outlines. By now, each Department's Estimates should be on their way to the different committees. Is the Government suspending all of that procedure? Will we get any information on the Estimates? The Government is asking us for proposals.

Order of Business (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: It is difficult to take a shot in the dark, given the fact that the Government has not given us the information.

Order of Business (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: Briefly——

Order of Business (4 Mar 2009)

Joan Burton: What about the work on Estimates normally done by committees at approximately this time? The Taoiseach stated that it was a great improvement on Dáil procedures, but we are being asked to go without information. Is the Commission on Taxation operating in a separate parallel universe with no input into the budgetary process?