Results 661-680 of 2,722 for speaker:Paul Gogarty

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: In the interests of putting a clear speech on the Dáil record I will try not to invite more heckling.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: We are considering the social welfare cuts. The cut in social welfare is small in the grand scheme because the amount of increases in social welfare in the past 12 years more than compensates for the small cut that has to be made this year.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I do not like the fact that social welfare has had to be cut.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I do not like the unfair cuts on the public sector.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: However, they are unfair-----

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: -----because of bankers and speculators-----

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: -----and other people wrecking our economy. However, the fact that the economy is wrecked means it needs to be remedied and there is no way out of remedying it.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: There is no way out of remedying it. The Labour Party has probably missed a digit in its calculations in trying to get €5.1 billion from its proposals.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I will not even comment on that, mean-spirited as it is.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: The public sector cuts are fundamentally unfair but absolutely necessary. That is the problem. It has to be done. Taking back something one has given to vulnerable people is fundamentally wrong.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: So, if one does not take from the sector that makes up a third of expenditure then one will have to inflict more pain on the public sector and those on middle incomes.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: People are paying a fair whack of money. Unfair as it may be-----

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I am not taking a point of order at this stage.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: No one likes a bad Santa coming and taking stuff back. That is the reality. Do I like it? Absolutely not, but I am going to vote for it-----

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: -----because it is fundamentally the right thing to do. Two months ago-----

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: Two months ago on 9 October I got a telephone call from my parliamentary colleagues asking me why I was not at the parliamentary party meeting. We had not made a few decisions at the time on education. We had not got exactly what we were seeking.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: I said I would go in when there was something to be agreed. I was asked what I was doing and I said I was shaving as I was getting my election photograph taken. On an issue of conscience I would have been prepared to urge the Green Party to go to the country.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: However, we did secure reversals in the cuts to education, which is overwhelmingly protected compared to other areas.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: That is where the money is going, to protect the children.

Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (10 Dec 2009)

Paul Gogarty: On that basis we are prepared to make tough, nasty, unpopular cuts. I fundamentally believe there is no other option.