Results 35,561-35,580 of 36,138 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: As if your economic policy makes sense. You have made 165,000 people unemployed in the last year and you believe your economic policies make sense. Your budget has been planned to put a further 75,000 people on the dole next year and you think this makes sense.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I am finished now.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: There is a 27% cut in the provision for school buildings.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Some of those borrowings are used to support tax breaks for property developers and to support the wages of the Taoiseach and Ministers. Do not blame it all on social welfare recipients.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: What he is saying is crazy.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: He should be factual at least.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Senator Butler should name one proposal Sinn Féin made in its pre-budget submission. He is waffling and does not have a clue.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I support the deletion of the section. This is one of the two most awful sections in the legislation, the other being the section that attacks those under 25. This section represents an attack on child benefit. I do not understand what young people and, in particular, children did to the Government to deserve the punishment that was meted out to them in last Wednesday's budget. This...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I am.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I am trying to be fair and to understand why these decisions were made. On salaries of €200,000 per year, with State cars and drivers escorting them from A to B, it is difficult while networking in the golden circle for Ministers to understand what it is like for families on the ground and to understand the fear and anxiety these measures are causing. That is a problem in politics and one...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill: Committee Stage (Resumed) (16 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I will do my duty to ensure that each Member will understand.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (15 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire, cé go bhfuil mé go huile is go hiomlán in éadan an reachtaíocht seo. Sílim gurb é ceann de na Billí is scannalaí a tháinig os comhair an Teach ón am gur thoghadh mé. Níl aon dabht faoi ná go raibh ar an Rialtas cinnithe contúirteacha a dhéanamh an seachtain seo caite. Ní thuigim cén fáth gur shocraigh an Rialtas ar laghdú a thabhairt dóibh...

Seanad: Health Services (15 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. An cheist atá os comhair an Tí agam ná cúram baile dóibh siúd atá tacaíocht de dhíth orthu sa bhaile agus na ciorruithe a cuireadh i bhfeidhm sa scéim sin. I ndiaidh dom an cheist seo a ardú don chéad uair thart ar mhí Iúil agus ceisteanna Dála a chur, fuaramar eolas go raibh ciorruithe á gcur i bhfeidhm agus go raibh thart faoi 1,746 uaire á...

Seanad: Health Services (15 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: As on 9 July, the Minister of State has given no really relevant information on the question I asked. At that time the Department refused to tell me that it was to cut home help support hours and it has since cut them by 10,476 hours in County Donegal. The Minister of State has failed to say whether there will be cuts. I can pick up two elements from this. When the service plan is given to...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I ask the Leader to arrange a debate as soon as possible on the implications of the budget for young people. Listening to the speeches yesterday, I could not understand what young people had done to the Government but its treatment of them yesterday was appalling.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: There is talk about having a knowledge economy and getting people back into education but those in receipt of the back to education allowance will no longer receive a maintenance grant. That does not make sense. There is a 27% cut in the primary school building programme at a time when there are more than 1,200 schools on a waiting list, with others on a waiting list to get onto the waiting...

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: -----is expected to take a 50% cut. It is absolutely shameful and will lead to emigration. It is about sending a new generation of young people abroad. Is a disgraceful act on the part of the Government and I ask for an urgent debate on the matter.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: The cost of fuel went up following the introduction of the carbon tax.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: That is not true, as the Budget shows.

Seanad: Higher Education Grants (9 Dec 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Curran. The issue I raise affects many young people in Donegal. I preface my remarks by saying I will focus on Donegal, in particular the situation in Letterkenny Institute of Technology, but this is a State-wide issue which needs to be dealt with. I am conscious of making these remarks a number of hours after the Government's attack on young people...