Results 5,901-5,920 of 7,082 for speaker:John Paul Phelan
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: The Minister of State has gone very thin-skinned.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: The Minister of State has the cheek to sit there and complain about other things and then gives out about something like that. That is pathetic.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: Come on now Senator O'Rourke, you would not have done it.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: That is nonsense. When he left Government, 1,000 new jobs a week were being created. Unemployment was cut from 16% to 10% in two and a half years.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: The Senator is talking through his hat. If he had been more spendthrift, he would still be in Government.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: The Government committed to reduce it to 40% by the end of this Government's life.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: Tell that to the farmers.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: Senator Ross simply did not listen.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: Senator Ross should have been here to listen to the debate.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: Senator Ross was not here for the debate.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: Senator Ross is talking through his hat.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: I was wondering when the Minister of State would mention it.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: This one is a good story, all right.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, and his officials to the Seanad to discuss the Budget Statement by the Minister for Finance. We are growing accustomed to these debates over the last couple of years. I have made a list of notable omissions from the contribution of the Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, in the other House. One of these was decentralisation and I am glad the...
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: I realise that, but I am referring to what the Minister spoke about. With due respect, we are commenting here on the Budget Statement. It is difficult to fully grasp everything in the accompanying document distributed in the other House, although I have seen most of it. This budget will probably be most noteworthy for what it does not contain. Last year's budget was referred to by many as...
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: I am referring to the Minister's comments. We have ten minutes to speak, so I am disappointed that heââ
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: I am not. In fairness, I shall be pointing to a couple of areas in the budget that are quite positive.
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: I am disappointed, however, that the Minister for Finance did not mention the spiralling in serious crime over the last year. I am particularly disappointed that he did not touch on mental health, as I thought he would, after the dogs' dinner made in the media by the Minister for State with responsibility for that area, Deputy Tim O'Malley. There is the fine print but the Minister could...
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: I will use another cliché. The budget almost has one for everyone in the audience. However, no sector in particular will be jumping for joy as a result of the budget's contents. I was disappointed the Minister did not use the opportunity either to abolish completely the means test for the carer's allowance or to increase its threshold greatly. While he made changes in this regard, they...
- Seanad: Budget Statement 2006: Motion (6 Dec 2006)
John Paul Phelan: It would have only cost â¬44 million to abolish stamp duty for first-time buyers and the Minister could have done so. It would not have gone directly to the pockets of builders and developers because first-time buyers are not the most significant component among those buying houses. I am disappointed the Minister did not do so. The Government promised it would ensure that all children...