Results 5,721-5,740 of 7,975 for speaker:Joe Higgins

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Deputy Buttimer again.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: No proposal was voted today to guillotine this tomorrow.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: It is not a matter for the Whips. Our Whip is Deputy Murphy and she objects. It is a matter for the Dáil tomorrow morning.

Written Answers — Air Corps Investigations: Air Corps Investigations (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Question 493: To ask the Minister for Defence the number of complaints against commanding officers in the Irish Air Corps submitted since 2006 under section 114 of the Defence Act 1954 and covered by Defence Force Regulation A7. [15546/11]

Written Answers — Air Corps Investigations: Air Corps Investigations (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Question 494: To ask the Minister for Defence the action taken by him and the general staff in the Irish Air Corps to implement the recommendations of a 2006 report of an investigator appointed to investigate complaints against senior officers in the Air Corps made under section 114 of the Defence Act 1954. [15547/11]

Written Answers — Air Corps Investigations: Air Corps Investigations (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Question 495: To ask the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact there have been a number of instances in which serious complaints against commanding officers in the Irish Air Corps were sent for investigation to the commanding officers who were the subject of the complaints and that these investigations consisted of those commanding officers conducting one to one...

Written Answers — Air Corps Investigations: Air Corps Investigations (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Question 496: To ask the Minister for Defence if his attention has been drawn to the fact there have been unacceptable instances of reports on investigations into complaints submitted under section 114 of the Defence Act 1954 being returned to the investigating officer who submitted the report with a direction to substantially change the findings of the reports which is a serious...

Written Answers — Air Corps Investigations: Air Corps Investigations (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Question 497: To ask the Minister for Defence if there are any commanding officers in the Air Corps selected for promotion while a series of complaints against them under section 114 of the Defence Act 1954 remain outstanding; and if such promotions will be not confirmed until such complaints are dealt with. [15550/11]

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Could we hear the Minister on the section?

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: I wish to hear what the Minister has to say on the section.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: I thank the Minister for that clarification. We strongly support civil partnership and the civil and human rights of same-sex partners. I am slightly conflicted because the substance of the section is to limit the amount of welfare somebody gets. However, in any case, I will not make a meal of it and will withdraw my opposition to the section.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: In a short vote a majority in Dáil Éireann has disposed of the right of workers to opt for retirement after a lifetime of work at 65 years of age. It is a shameful decision. I regret that more of the Deputies who came into the Chamber to vote for that, and who will probably come back to vote again to increase the pension age to 67 and 68, did not remain to engage in the debate. I would...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: The Minister does not persuade with her arguments. I said earlier that the idea of anybody wishing to stay on working should be embraced. A certain cohort of people take that option and it is the best for them but it should be voluntary at the age when people should have a free decision on whether they wish to continue to work in paid employment or retire and take a pension. In the past...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Could the Acting Chairman clarify which amendments have been ruled out of order?

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Could I ask for clarification on the amendment? Is it the case that neither the Government nor anyone else has a clue as to how many jobs the reduction in employer's PRSI will create? Is it like the removal of the €3 tax for travellers which is supposed to do marvels for the tourism industry? One of the problems we have in trying to get to grips with what the effect of Government policy...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Nílim chun mórán ama a chaitheamh ar seo. Why is the Minister bothering to introduce a section to discontinue the dependent parent pension scheme for new applicants? I know there are only a small number of people availing of this scheme, but in some cases it was the most suitable remedy for people who found themselves in the tragic situation of losing a son or daughter to an occupational...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: This proposal on the part of the Government to raise the pension age initially to 66 and then on to 67 and 68 is reactionary, regressive, crude, cruel and heartless. It flies in the face of 150 years of history of the working class and the labour and trade union movements. In times much harsher than those we are currently experiencing, brave men and women made enormous sacrifices in respect...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2011: Committee Stage (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Section 3 and the Bill in general deals, in part, with the implementation of the jobs initiative announced a few weeks ago by the Government. The initiative is pathetically inadequate against almost half a million people unemployed. This was recognised by the Government itself in the way it dampened down expectations leading up to the announcement of the initiative. It was downscaled from...

EU Summits (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: My question to the Taoiseach was to outline the issues he intends to prioritise for the EU summit. Unfortunately, he did not answer that question so I must ask a number of key supplementary questions. It beggars belief that the Taoiseach did not come in here today and say that his priorities for the EU Heads of State meeting were the conditions laid down by the EU-IMF-ECB diktats, a demand...

EU Summits (15 Jun 2011)

Joe Higgins: Having travelled before the election to meet his political big sister, Frau Merkel, to establish what we thought was a best friendship forever on the basis that she would insist on supporting a reduction in interest rates and burning bondholders, what has happened? Has the Taoiseach abandoned completely the promises he made and his strong hint that his Government would demand the speculators...