Results 37,501-37,520 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: Inflation was 4.8% in October, which is more than most people's pay increases. Many private sector workers have had no pay increases at all in the past year. Due to Government incompetence, consumers have had to endure large increases in electricity and gas prices which the Labour Party were proven correct to describe as totally unnecessary. Inflation impacts most on those on low incomes...

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: This budget constitutes a frank admission of economic incompetence on the part of the Minister for Finance and the Fianna Fáil-Progressive Democrats-Green Party coalition. That a Minister for Finance should think it necessary to change the stamp duty regime twice in six months is an extraordinary admission of failure. The mismanagement of the housing market is written all over the budget....

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: It is true.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: Deputy Kennedy is a great survivor from the old Dublin County Council. Let us not get into tribunals now. I would not advise the Deputy or his party to talk about land values or rezoning. The Government must take responsibility for what happened in the housing market. The short-termism of winning votes in the general election led the Minister, his Department and financial regulators to...

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: Rising rents help only investors. We need houses as homes for families. It is notable that tax relief for people renting increased by 11%, but by 31% for people renting out a room. The Minister is still trying to have it both ways. He is trying to keep the investors, above all else, happy, but he is not prioritising families that want to buy homes to live in. Given the way the market is...

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: There would be no need for higher electricity prices to buy CO2 allowances and no need for the Government to pay fines to the EU. What was mentioned with regard to the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources and the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, namely, €13 million for this and €20 million for that, is a demonstration. The Minister will receive little for real changes...

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: I must be excused because I am not good on cars. The tax on vehicles under 2.5 litres will increase by 9% and on vehicles over 2.5 litres by 11%. A person with an average car living an hour from Dublin but with no public transport must use that car to get into Dublin.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: This will not change people's behaviour with regard to emissions. It will simply tax people because they must drive to and from work in the absence of public transport.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: Let us not call this a great green revolution. When we consider the budget with regard to the Green Party, we see €13.27 million has been provided for energy research. This is welcome but not great. A further €13 million has been given to the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Ryan, for issues relating to energy consumption.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: I do not know where the Green Party members were. They must have been out doing the Brussels sprouts rather than at the Cabinet discussing this matter. They must have been cooking up a storm. The key issue is that in the transport programme, €1.7 billion out of €2.7 billion is for the roads programme. Leaving the M3 and Tara out of this, we were told by the Green Party that we would...

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: ——where Deputy Kennedy lives.

Budget Statement 2008 (5 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: Is this a green budget? The quantum leap we need to make to decarbonise our economy and society requires a strength of purpose which comes from a genuine belief that we have a genuine duty to halt global warming. It will never come from a political marriage of convenience where the senior partner went for tax raising on green issues rather than trying to genuinely change people's behaviour....

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (4 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 126: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the progress with regard to the commitment made in the Programme for Government to integrate the tax and social welfare systems fully to allow for more efficient data and money transfer mechanisms and provide for a fully integrated PPS system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32173/07]

EU Issues. (4 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: The Taoiseach said he will attend the EU-Africa Summit before the January Council meeting. What is his view of President Robert Mugabe attending that summit, given the current plight of the Zimbabwean people? Does the Taoiseach feel anything useful will be achieved by the Irish Government being represented at that summit, without in some way specifically noting the state to which President...

Order of Business (4 Dec 2007)

Joan Burton: With regard to the budget tomorrow, will the Estimates be produced as a separate volume or included in the budget? Will they be the subject of a specific explanatory statement by the Minister for Finance? At what point will they be released to the media? The Opposition will be placed in a difficult position in that we may have virtually no details of the Estimates. In what format will...

Special Educational Needs. (29 Nov 2007)

Joan Burton: A new specialist unit for children with autism has been lying idle for a number of months, almost a year, in the Castleknock Educate Together school in Dublin 15. Similarly to many other parts of Ireland, Dublin 15 — Castleknock, Blanchardstown, Mulhuddart and Clonsilla — has a significant number of children with autism. When the Department of Education and Science decided, with the...

Written Answers — Sports Capital Programme: Sports Capital Programme (29 Nov 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 20: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism when he will make a decision regarding the announcement of the 2008 National Lottery funded sports capital programme; his views on whether it is appropriate that the date of the programme be purely at his discretion; his views on establishing a fixed date, which would allow clubs and organisations to better prepare their...

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (29 Nov 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 37: To ask the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism his views on establishing a child protection unit in sport; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31464/07]

Written Answers — Freedom of Information: Freedom of Information (29 Nov 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 49: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Finance if, with reference to his Department's circular number 20 of 1998, dealing with the classification of material by Departments as top secret, following upon a Government decision that the classification top secret should in future be applied to particularly sensitive material which, because of its nature or content, should receive...

Written Answers — Casino Gambling: Casino Gambling (29 Nov 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 166: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on changes in legislation which would facilitate the introduction of casino gambling here; if he has received representations favouring the introduction of casinos here; if so, the number of same and the organisations and individuals from which they were received since 1997; and if he will make a statement on...