Results 4,721-4,740 of 24,308 for speaker:Jerry Buttimer

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Alcohol Pricing (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Minister of State, Deputy Byrne, for attending. I am a former Chairman of the health committee, which engaged in pre-legislative scrutiny of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015 which became the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018. The Minister of State, who was a very valued member of the committee, is now Minister of State at the Department of Health. We have been waiting on the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Alcohol Pricing (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: It is every day, a Leas-Chathaoirligh. If one compares prices over a ten-year period, a bottle of Jameson is €20 today, while it was €26.99 in 2009. A 700 ml bottle of Smirnoff was €30.99 in 2009, while it is €22.49 today. A bottle of Bailey's is €10 today, while it was €18.60 in 2009. A bottle of Hennessey is €25 today, while it was...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Alcohol Pricing (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Yes. Some shops are advertising that a person can buy two for €20 or €30. I am not complaining about the retailers, a Leas-Chathaoirligh, but we have a problem with below-cost selling. I want to ensure local businesses survive and jobs are created. However, we have not dealt with the misuse of alcohol. I refer to the importance of the Public Health (Alcohol) Bill 2015. We...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Alcohol Pricing (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I try to be. What I am saying is that alcohol is so cheap and the retail sector is using it in the way I have described. Why can Dunnes, for example, not say to the mum and dad, the single mother, the two dads or the two mums that they may use the loyalty card to buy nappies or other baby products for their kids rather than alcohol? We need to see a change around the price of alcohol. Let...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Alcohol Pricing (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the Minister of State for her response and her personal commitment. The main point is that retailers are using alcohol products, particularly those with high alcohol by volume, such as whiskey and vodka, to drive footfall and increase market share. As the Minister of State said, young people today are drinking at an earlier age and drinking a variety of alcohol products. Minimum...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: The Order of Business is No. 92, motion 7, re Oireachtas secretarial assistants, to be taken at the conclusion of the Order of Business, without debate; No. 1, Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2019 - All Stages, to be taken at 12.45 p.m. and to conclude after 45 minutes, with the contributions of group spokespersons on Second Stage not exceed five minutes and the Minister to be given no...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: There is a "but" coming.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the 25 members of staff-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I am sorry. I meant the 25 Members of the House who contributed on the final-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank the 25 Members of the House for their contributions on the final Order of Business of the term and, as Senator Marshall stated, of the decade. When we come back, it will be a new decade and a new opportunity for this House. Senators Clifford-Lee, Lawlor, Reilly, Mulherin and Horkan raised the issue of insurance and the disappointing news of the withdrawal by Ironshore Europe from...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: We must nail the myth that the Government is closing rural Ireland down. On the contrary, the Government is keeping rural Ireland open. I will not have a row on the last day of the term, but let us not talk rural Ireland down. Let us remove the myth altogether. It behoves us all to support rural Ireland, be it the farmers, SMEs, shopkeepers, retailers or whoever.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Let us shop local. And-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: There you go again. You always come in with the béal bocht.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I accept that there are challenges in insurance, but not one Senator from the Opposition benches who spoke about insurance gave any recognition to the facts that car insurance and house insurance were reducing, legislative proposals had been put in place and the Minister of State had set up the cost of insurance working group.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: The béal bocht will get the headline.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: The béal bocht will always get the headline and Members' votes. That is what this is about. I accept that. In 2020, let us bring perspective and give a bit of praise to the Government, which is trying to do something.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Senators Bacik, McDowell and Higgins and many other Members of the House spoke very eloquently about the sad and tragic passing of Cormac Ó Braonáin. I was not here for the Order of Business yesterday. On behalf of Fine Gael and on my own behalf, I offer deepest sympathies to his family, his parents and the members of the Labour Party. He was a fine young man who was making a...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I was not referring to the Senator. If the Senator took notice of what I was saying, she would know I am not talking about being against any issue. This is about one issue that unites all of us in the House. We should have a forum for debate and consultation with a view to ending the scourge of domestic violence in our society. As Senator Lawlor said, this issue affects men as well. It...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: I thank Senator Ruane. She did not get an opportunity in her contribution to address the Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019 which is coming before the House later on. In light of that fact, and to be fair to Senator Ruane who has done a great deal of work on this issue, I propose an amendment to the Order of Business with regard to that Bill. I propose we extend debate by an...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Dec 2019)

Jerry Buttimer: Yes. The Education (Student and Parent Charter) Bill 2019.