Results 641-660 of 5,034 for speaker:Billy Timmins

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Billy Timmins: I agree with the Taoiseach in his assertion for several months that the Seanad is dysfunctional and elitist, points we all recognise. This has happened because of the way various Governments treated the Seanad. Snowing it under with additional work might not be the solution. There is enough consensus around the House to make the Seanad more productive, more representative of the people and...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Charities Regulation (4 Feb 2014)

Billy Timmins: 253. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of funding that Rehab received through sales of its lottery scratch card for the years 1997 to 2011, inclusive; the profit made on this aspect of Rehab business for those years; the amount of grant aid it received for these years based on these sales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5590/14]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Job Protection (30 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: 73. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will assist in ensuring the security of jobs at a company (details supplied) in County Carlow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4708/14]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Carcase Disposal (30 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: 172. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the controls that are in place to deal with a situation (details supplied) regarding an infected animal found in woodland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4584/14]

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: I have not been outside the door.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: Deputy Mathews can use those posters during election time but they do not count as election expenditure. That is my understanding of the legislation and the election expenditure. It does not count towards the election expenditure, if it is purchased outside the election period. Am I correct in that?

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: Am I incorrect?

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: I am not so sure that I am incorrect. The Minister might deal with that point in his response. I have used posters for two or three elections. Like Dorian Grey, I have never aged. Like most Members, I have used posters from two or three elections back.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: I have re-presented them.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: How much time do I have left?

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: When one lives in a constituency like mine, one learns to have eyes in the back of one’s head so I can see all four clocks. I have used posters from one or two elections back and did not declare them as expenditure in the election. I hope I am not going to get the cosh now. No better buachaillí, I am thinking to do it when I leave here. That would be my interpretation of the...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: That was my understanding. Maybe I am talking too much and will get myself into a bit of trouble. Maybe it is time to stop. I listened to Deputies Naughten and Terence Flanagan speak. I apologise for missing Deputy Mathews’s contribution. I also listened to Deputy Creighton. They all made very genuine points. No matter how one considers it, in the realm of fairness and equity,...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: I know the party has that appendix, like some of the other parties. It is amazing that, unlike the human appendix, most of the good in this Parliament seems to lie in the appendix to each traditional party. The logic of this legislation is that if 29 of those Labour Parliamentary Party members decided to lose the Whip, their funding, which is approximately €1.4 million, would be...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: That may well be. I know I am taking this to an illogical extreme but it shows the weakness in the legislation. I heard quotes from “senior Fine Gael sources” but most people in Fine Gael are fairly honourable, decent people, as they are in every party. I do not know if such a "senior source" exists. Most people are involved in the administration of fairness. Will the...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: I will not take the full 20 minutes or anything near it. I forewarn the Minister that he will be summing up shortly. I am delighted to speak on this legislation. I wish to elaborate on the point Deputy Terence Flanagan made about funding being used to prevent an individual getting elected. What he is talking about is that the money would be currently used to promote or support a...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: It is important to remember that notwithstanding that we cannot borrow, we must be responsible in what we do. Throughout my time in this House I have grown tired of the Opposition consistently looking for expenditure and being very reluctant to outline how to gather in taxes other than the simplistic approach of taxing the wealthy by imposing a levy on everybody with incomes in excess of...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Health Insurance Levy (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: 43. To ask the Minister for Finance the tax implication of the budget changes for a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow, with respect to private health insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4546/14]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Textbooks Rental Scheme (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: 62. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will allocate a grant to a school (details supplied) in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4551/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Charities Regulation (29 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: 154. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of funding that Rehab received through sales of their lottery scratch card for the years 1997 to 2013, inclusive; the profit made on this aspect of Rehab business for those years; the amount of grant aid they received for these years based on these sales; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4544/14]

Local Government Reform Bill 2013: From the Seanad (Resumed) (22 Jan 2014)

Billy Timmins: I, too, welcome the amendment. I notice the Minister’s two party colleagues from Waterford are in the Chamber. The statement springs to mind about the 20% reduction in rates in Waterford thanks to the Minister’s grant. I am not sure if my memory serves me correctly, but if it does, I would not mind some of the grant going to my local authority.