Results 6,781-6,800 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: I do not doubt that and it raises a question about the role of genuine local government vis-À-vis the Oireachtas. The DIRT inquiry caused more lustre to be visited upon this House than anything that has happened in the past ten years. It is remarkable we have this elaborate committee structure, yet we cannot replicate a DIRT inquiry on the largest crisis that has ever affected this economy,...

Written Answers — Irish Language: Irish Language (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 57: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the amount spent on the promotion and teaching of Irish abroad in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47047/09]

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 66: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the grants made to the various organisations in the Irish language voluntary sector in 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008 and to date in 2009; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47046/09]

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 194: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will detail his response to the report of the Special Group on Public Sector Numbers and Expenditure Programmes as it relates to his Department; in particular if he will outline his response to the McCarthy group's conclusions that there is room for a structural reduction of at least 540 staff across his Department...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 195: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will detail his response to the report of the Special Group on Public Sector Numbers and Expenditure Programmes as it relates to the justice group of Votes (Table 13.4); in particular his response to A.2 - slowdown replacement of Garda fleet; A.5 - shelve new urban CCTV placements; and if he will make a statement on...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 196: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the recommendation E.5 in the report of the Special Group on Public Sector Numbers and Expenditure Programmes - Abolish the Office of the Minister for Integration has been implemented; if he intends to continue this office; the budget it has been allocated for its operation in 2010; and if he will make a statement on...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: The factor running through, this, as with earlier amendments is the question of fairness. It highlights again in a dramatic manner how unfair the terms of the Bill are. I have a great deal of sympathy with the majority of staff in Anglo Irish Bank. I presume it is a fact that they had no hand, act or part in the skulduggery that went on there, which has brought the banking system to its...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: It is a State bank, however.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: It took ten years for it to bring in Jim Lacey.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: This is a novelty.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Not any more.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: That is some statement.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Will the Minister of State give way?

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: I want to return to the question of who is covered by the Bill. It is simply not acceptable that we should conclude all Stages of it without receiving an answer from the Minister of State. There seems to be very little point in prosecuting the Anglo Irish Bank amendment. The Government has decided to treat Anglo Irish Bank like the drunken uncle who turns up on St. Stephen's Day, gets at...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Anglo Irish Bank has been put into the shade by Fianna Fáil, which wants to pretend it does not exist. In telling us the bank is conducting its business at arm's length on a commercial basis, what does the Minister of State take us for? As Deputy Bruton stated, the bank is on a drip feed from the taxpayer. The Government, by not wanting to include Anglo Irish Bank in the legislation, has...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: No, I do not question the Minister's pedigree; instead I am complimenting him.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: The least we can expect from a pedigree Minister is an answer to a simple question. Who is covered by the Bill? Otherwise, we will all be down in the courts, like the staff of the Central Bank recently, as the three months of the new year go by with the Department laterally deciding X, Y and Z are included in the Bill's ambit. Other queries will emerge with chief executives of agencies...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: These stories are quite irrelevant to this legislation.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Amusing anecdotes can be resumed later on in the bar. However, they are not relevant to who is covered by this legislation. Can the Minister tell the House if it is people who pay the income pension levy and only them? Can the Minister get a formula from his departmental officials? If they were able earlier to correct the Minister of State, Deputy Pat Carey's speech, they must be able to...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (16 Dec 2009)

Pat Rabbitte: Was it for this the Wild Geese spread the grey wing upon every tide?