Results 6,601-6,620 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----we have restored Ireland's reputation-----

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----so that we are now the fastest growing economy in Europe.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: That means we have 135,000 more people at work.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: Not only that but we now have the capacity, in terms of our economic strength, to build-----

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----not just an economic recovery but a social recovery as well. Hence, in this year's budget, I was very happy to be able to restore the Christmas bonus that Fianna Fáil abolished in 2009.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: I was very happy, for the first time in about eight or nine years, to be able to increase the pension and other payments for people over 66. It was a modest increase but, nonetheless, the first increase.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: The Christmas bonus for a pensioner-----

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----was worth €170 and for a pensioner couple it was worth €320.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: People have been able to spend a little bit more-----

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----coming up to Christmas on things that are important to them.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: Also, from 1 January the fuel allowance increased by €2.50 a week.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: I would be the first to acknowledge that these increases, which are the first increases after we increased both the Christmas bonus and the living alone allowance in last year's budget, are modest, but it is important that we prioritise people like pensioners. In this year's budget, in last year's budget and in every budget we have provided an extra €200 million a year in social...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----carer's allowance and the extra number of children in respect of whom families are being paid the domiciliary care allowance. All these increases in the number of people receiving important social welfare benefits in each budget have cost well in excess of €200 million. If Deputy McDonald knew anything about social welfare, she would know that the actual time it takes people to...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----IT platforms and systems to pay people.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: First, this month we will have removed 700,000 low paid workers from the USC net. That is a move that has been widely welcomed by workers and employers throughout the country. Second, on 1 January we increased the minimum wage by 50 cent an hour.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: That helps about 100,000 low paid workers.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: During the Labour Party's time in government, that is the second time the minimum wage has been increased, and somebody on a very low wage has benefited from that increase in the minimum wage over the life of Government to the tune of €3,000 an hour.

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: Three thousand euro a year. Third, from 1 January civil servants throughout the country have seen the rolling back over a carefully designed three-year period of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation, which saw their Civil Service pay being reduced. That means that many workers have seen increases in their wage packets this month of approximately...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: The Government devoted an extensive part of its meeting on Tuesday to the issue which received priority from all of the Deputies in the House, namely, the very serious situation regarding the Shannon. Deputy Michael McGrath and Deputies from other parties raised the issue. On Tuesday, the Government gave the go-ahead for the Shannon co-ordination group. This will mean all of the different...

Leaders' Questions (28 Jan 2016)

Joan Burton: -----this is the first time that a Shannon co-ordination group has been established.