Results 35,641-35,660 of 35,973 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Public sector employees who earn €40,000 pay more than 50% of their income in tax.

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2009)

Pearse Doherty: What percentage of the income of a public sector employee earning €50,000 is paid in tax?

Seanad: Order of Business (10 Feb 2009)

Pearse Doherty: It is a lot more than the top earners.

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I thank Senator Bacik for sharing her time. My party and I fully support the motion and I commend the Senators on putting it down. In recent times, under the cover of recession, the Government has systematically dismantled the human rights infrastructure of the State. In the case of the bodies whose finances are directly under its control it is doing this through crippling cuts. In the...

Seanad: Human Rights Issues: Motion (4 Feb 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I want to clarify a point because Senator Hanafin said no person in these Houses supports rendition. That is incorrect. I will prove to this House that the previous Minister for Transport called for rendition flights to be brought to Donegal.

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Earlier Signature Motion (20 Jan 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I heard Senator Norris clearly call for a vote. It will take a number of minutes to have a vote on this Bill. All of us on this side of the House want to vote on this Bill, and a vote was called — we can check the transcripts.

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Pearse Doherty: It is being pressed. I apologise to the Minister of State for calling this a partitionist Parliament. I have not been in the Dáil Chamber recently and may have missed the 18 chairs set aside for those directly elected by the Irish citizens in the Six Counties who have been facilitated by this Parliament. I apologise to the Minister; it must be an all-Ireland Parliament after all and I...

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister of State's party made a commitment on speaking rights in the Dáil, the all-party committee agreed to that and the Minister of State's party agreed with the all-party committee in that respect, but then withdrew its agreement.

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Pearse Doherty: We are here to deal with the banking issue. I would welcome a debate on the other matter another day.

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Second Stage (20 Jan 2009)

Pearse Doherty: Go raibh maith agat agus gabhaim buíochas le Senator Bacik. We are being asked to support the nationalisation of what is, in effect, a failed business and a failed banking policy by a failed Government. The Taoiseach warned this afternoon against the making of rash comments, but if we were not to voice the concerns of the majority of the Irish people, the economic experts and the media, we...

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I move amendment No. 1: In page 6, line 24, after "Minister" to insert "on behalf of the Oireachtas". This amendment changes the definition of the role of the nominee. Some Senators complained on Second Stage about the lack of consultation on this legislation with other parties which are offering sensible solutions to the country's economic situation. Unfortunately, the Government is...

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Pearse Doherty: I am saddened to hear that the Minister of State will not accept this amendment. When he clarified why he will not do so, he basically said the Government will do the same thing it did with the HSE. This elected Parliament, which may be a partitionist Parliament, met for the first time 90 years ago tomorrow. The First Dáil was democratically elected. Its members were not afraid of...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I move recommendation No. 5: In page 122, line 21, to delete "21.5 per cent" and substitute "19 per cent". This recommendation deals with the 0.5% VAT increase that is proposed by the Government in this Bill. It could be argued that a 0.5% change in VAT will make little difference, but we have an option in this Bill to help the retail sector in the State. When the Government announced the...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Pearse Doherty: That is proved by the Government's own figures, which show that there has been a decrease in VAT receipts of €2.1 billion. The Government needs to acknowledge that it is making a mistake and intervene now.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Listening to the Minister's reply, I had a sense of déjÀ vu. When we were in here last year talking about the Government's over-reliance on the construction industry and the need to plan for the time when the bubble would burst, the Government sat on its hands. It only recently recognised how things are. When we talked about the need to do something with the banks, similar responses were...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I support this recommendation. It is very sensible and causes no real cost to the Exchequer. It is only a delay in bringing in the VAT intake. As I said with reference to my previous recommendation, we will be back here to revisit this problem. Senator Quinn's proposal and others, including my earlier recommendation, will be discussed and brought forward by this Government. This is a...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Pearse Doherty: Ar son mo phairtí, Sinn Féin, ba mhaith liom cur leis an méid atá ráite ag na Seanadóirí eile. Guím Nollag shona agus sásta ar gach éinne sa Teach seo — na Seanadóirí uilig agus an foireann a dhéanann freastal ar an Teach. Guím athbhliain faoi mhaise orthu go léir freisin.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Pearse Doherty: The Minister of State quoted the Indecon report. Let us be clear on what Indecon called for with regard to property-based tax incentive schemes. It called for direct public investment to be used as an alternative to property-based tax breaks. This is what my recommendation dealt with. Tax exemptions apply only to very wealthy investors who can offset a large amount of rental income from...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Pearse Doherty: I move recommendation No. 4: In page 52, before section 20, to insert the following new section: "20.—Section 26 of the Finance Act 2008 is repealed.". This section deals with capital allowance for qualifying specialist palliative care units. In layman's terms it is similar to the recommendation ruled out of order. It concerns subsidising private hospices throughout the State. I propose...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Pearse Doherty: On a point of order, if the wrong information was given to the Senator when he asked——