Results 38,001-38,020 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: What does that mean?

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: The Government will now subsidise the private——

Leaders' Questions (20 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: What is the Taoiseach talking about?

Price Inflation. (20 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 87: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the risk posed to the Irish economy by continued high inflation; his further views on the resulting loss of competitiveness in the Irish economy and the significant number of redundancies particularly in traditional manufacturing jobs, and the fact that Ireland lags behind other EU member states on a number of indices including...

Price Inflation. (20 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: The policy initiatives the Minister has announced to improve competitiveness are too little too late. I do not know if the Minister has had a chance to read the annual reports of the National Competitiveness Council and Forfás. According to that data, Ireland performs poorly across a range of infrastructural areas, including energy, waste and broadband, to mention but three. How does the...

Price Inflation. (20 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: I will repeat the figures in this regard. In 1996, before the creation of the regulator, electricity prices here were 15% below the+European-15 average. The Government's attempt at regulation was supposed to benefit industrial, commercial and domestic consumers but since it began electricity prices have risen to 13% above the European average. Talk of regulators is well and good but the...

Interest Rates. (20 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 90: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on the fact that monthly mortgage repayments have increased by approximately €40 to €50 on a €300,000 variable mortgage as a result of the latest quarter point increase by the ECB on 8 March 2007; if he is aware that this is the seventh successive such increase since December 2005, that sub-prime mortgage holders are reported to...

Interest Rates. (20 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: The Minister referred three times today to the additional mortgage interest relief provided in the budget. Does he agree that the latest increase in mortgage interest rates, the seventh since December 2005, means the impact of the increase in mortgage relief has been fully absorbed for most mortgage holders? Welcome as the increased relief was, it is now effectively used up. Has the...

Written Answers — National Genotyping Programme: National Genotyping Programme (8 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 86: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food her views on introducing legislation here to deal with the issues it raises while she awaits the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection to deal with the issue of the importation of embryos from cloned animals; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9090/07]

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (8 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 106: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food when the annual progress report on the implementation of Agri Vision 2015 Action Plan will be made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9093/07]

Written Answers — Commemorative Events: Commemorative Events (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 136: To ask the Minister for Defence the progress made on preparing for the Easter Rising Commemoration in 2007. [8764/07]

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 227: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the fact that people in receipt of contributory pensions who were due an extra days payment in January 2007 due to changes in the system of payments have received this payment at the 2006 rate instead of at the 2007 rate; if his Department will make arrangements for recipients to receive the...

Written Answers — School Enrolments: School Enrolments (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Question 278: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the fact that there is a waiting list of 60 applicants for a first year place in a school (details supplied) in Dublin 15 for the school year starting in September 2007; the measures she is taking to provide the additional second level places that are required in the area; if a decision has been...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: To help Deputies, could the Minister supply the House with the current figures for all of the pension funds under the small self-administered pension schemes as discussed on Committee Stage? Regarding exemption certificates, could the Minister supply the House with the figures in bands of €5 million? The €1 million to €5 million band would be the relevant one because of the...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Deputy Bruton's point was that if some of the benefits received by the very wealthy through the Minister and his predecessor's schemes were made available to people on lower incomes through attractive schemes, we might start to see a higher level of desired pension provision.

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: Restrictions on the amount of the capital sums, as regards BES, came as a surprise. One of the problems for small to medium sized business, SMEs, is the lack of capitalisation. I do not know whether it is a matter of the capital a company will get or whether the Minister is more attracted by the personal tax relief for investors, but I was struck by the fact that he included recycling under...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 16: In page 21, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following: "14.—Where an employer provides a childcare facility directly to an employee, or pays the childcare costs of an employee to a third party, the provision or payment shall not constitute a taxable benefit in kind.". Will the Minister outline his response to this amendment?

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: I thank the Minister for his reply. I am not sure whether he appreciates that there are two different scenarios for employees. Those who work for large companies or in the public sector often have quite attractive arrangements available to them on foot of employer-supplied child care provision. While not all employees may want workplace crèches or crèches associated with the workplace,...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: I am disappointed with the attitude taken by the Minister and surprised he is not more familiar with the burden parents carry in terms of child care costs. It is increasingly the reality for young couples that both parents have to work in order to pay their mortgage. The cost of child care is prohibitive and the availability of places is limited, particular for people at the low wage end of...

Finance Bill 2007: Report Stage (Resumed). (7 Mar 2007)

Joan Burton: I move amendment No. 17: In page 21, between lines 1 and 2, to insert the following: "14.—The provisions of the Principal Act regarding travel benefit in kind shall be extended to make provision for disregarding the benefit of monthly and quarterly tickets provided by an employer.". The purpose of this amendment is to make it as easy as possible for employees to use public transport. The...