Results 3,541-3,560 of 11,861 for speaker:Brian Hayes

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: For the purposes of clarification, will the Leas-Chathaoirleach confirm that we are dealing with recommendations Nos. 9 and 10?

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I apologise for interrupting the Senator.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I understand that recommendations Nos. 9 and 10 are in the name of Senator Byrne. May I respond to them first and then deal with the other issues raised in the context of the section? In dealing specifically with recommendations Nos. 9 and 10-----

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I am in the Cathaoirleach's hands. These recommendations seek to deny an insurance company or pension scheme trustees the option to adjust current or future benefits of the pension scheme or contract of assurance to take account of the levy being paid by them. It is up to the trustees and administrators to decide whether and how the levy should be passed on and who should be affected, as...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: The increase in the minimum wage is part of the package.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: In reply to Senator Jim Walsh, I stand over the package in its totality. It is crucial that we create an environment in which tax on new jobs will be reduced - we have done this in the legislation dealing with employer's PRSI - and people are given a clear incentive to take up employment. The PRSI changes announced in the package are clear and will be funded directly by overturning the...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I am probably responding to another agenda, for which I apologise. While I do not propose to accept recommendation No. 1 for the reasons I have outlined, I thank the Senators opposite nonetheless.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: This is an interesting debate on all sides and we will do our best to answer all the points made. Senator Quinn is right in saying that this is a delicate plant. It is not an exact science. Our commitment in the programme for Government was to reduce tax on labour-intensive industries from 13.5% to 12% across the board. We examined this again and, as an initial measure, decided the way to...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: That is why newspapers were included. The Senator also asked why hairdressing was included. The rationale is that, first, it is a labour intensive service and, second, if there is any improvement in the domestic economy, it is one of the areas in which we will see some pick-up in terms of people getting their hair done for a night out and so on. It is not something I have done often myself.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I am told by people who get their hair done on a regular basis that it can be expensive. That is why this measure was included. Senator Jim Walsh makes a fair point about the construction industry which has gone through an enormous collapse from a point some years ago where it employed 85,000 to the current dire situation. Despite all the palaver about developers and the like, the reality...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: It is one of the areas in which the economy is doing well. We must ensure our approach is successful in stimulating greater demand and facilitating the creation of jobs. We have done our best, as part of the initiative, to introduce new funding on the construction side. We will not get back to the numbers employed in the industry at the height of the boom, but I agree that we must work to...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: Nobody wants to talk about this and the fact that not everybody wishes to live in an apartment. We must acknowledge that the construction industry is part of the country's future, despite all of the understandable anger directed at certain people because of the effects of the property bubble. Senator Paschal Mooney asked about certain musical performances. I understand from my officials...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: Yes.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: Ten out of ten.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I would like to be helpful to colleagues. My understanding is that a number of amendments were ruled out of order. I fully respect the views of the House on that issue. With respect to Senator Byrne, rather than having a single discussion on an omnibus amendment, it might well be more beneficial to discuss all the amendments, including those that cannot be proposed. If we raise and deal...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I know.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: We can turn them into questions on the sections. I am not trying to be difficult. We are not celebrating. No one is celebrating today. People need to stop being so hurt about all this. It is beyond me how anyone can suggest that any group of politicians in this country could be celebrating at a time when 14.5% of the people are out of work.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I did not interrupt the Senator. We really have to stop this kind of silly Punch and Judy performance. We are here to do a serious task. We should deal with it together in a comprehensive way. I hasten to add that no one on this side is celebrating 100 days of anything. We have to be honest about that. Yesterday, I described this entire initiative as a modest proposal. No one is making...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: I think it is taking the fellows opposite a while to realise where they are. This is Seanad Éireann.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2011 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Jun 2011)

Brian Hayes: They will be here for a long number of years.