Results 6,801-6,820 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The measures Fianna Fáil put in place would have a disproportionate impact on the middle to low income families. As promised, the Government has not increased income tax, and has begun to unravel Fianna Fáil’s universal social charge, USC, and other huge income tax hikes.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: We reversed the cut to the minimum wage, which Fianna Fáil imposed on the lowest of the low paid and which it said was unchangeable.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: We cut the VAT rate for the tourism sector and abolished the air travel tax, which helped to stabilise the industry and create 30,000 jobs. These changes were made by the Government. We cut the lower rate of employers' PRSI by half for three years to encourage job creation and we kept our promise not to increase the standard rate of employers' PRSI.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: We also secured lower interest rates on our programme loans, as did others. We replaced the onerous Anglo Irish Bank promissory note.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Deputies Martin and Adams and others used to ask, week after week, whether we were going to borrow €3 billion every year to pay the interest on it. We reached an agreement with the IMF to replace expensive loans with cheaper market funding, saving the taxpayer billions of euro over the period of the loans.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The changes we made were often very difficult in other areas, such as spending cuts and the temporary pensions levy. These were not easy decisions for us to make and they were difficult for people. While this was never going to be an easy path, it led us out of the bailout that was foisted on the country in which no changes could be made by Deputy Martin’s party. I am glad our...

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: As I said, I was at the meetings at which the Greek Prime Minister made his case and outlined what his Government intended to do and where it intended to stand. I am glad there is some movement, as we speak, between the authorities and the institutions to work out a problem caused by instability and confusion which is having a great impact on ordinary people all over Greece. I am sure...

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Some 330,000 people were removed from the USC entirely in 2012. This will rise to 500,000 this year.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Income tax changes in the 2015 budget benefitted 742,000 people and a further 87,000 were removed from the USC.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Every taxpayer who paid tax and-or USC in 2014 will have benefitted from the tax changes introduced this year.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: During the first 100 days of the Government, in 2011, we introduced a 9% VAT rate for the hospitality sector. Well Deputy Martin may laugh at it.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: When he saw the hospitality sector going down the tubes, he said it was irreversible. Employment in the accommodation and food sectors increased by 6,200 jobs, or 6%, within a year. According to Fáilte Ireland, 30,000 people are employed in the 9% VAT categories, which apply particularly to the hospitality sector.

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: I am pleased to learn there is some movement today from the Greek authorities in respect of the difficulties in which the Greek people find themselves at the moment. It is not the first time Deputy Martin has accused me of telling untruths in here. I happened to be at three European Council meetings where Prime Minister Tsipras spoke to the assembled leaders of both the eurozone and the...

Leaders' Questions (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: I would be the first to say that the alternatives that were presented were by no means easy but those that were suggested and accepted were on the basis of being pro-growth, being competitive, and not increasing the tax burden and allowing for jobs to be created. The first thing we had to do was deal with and reverse the situation Fianna Fáil had left of €750 million in tax...

Deaths in Tunisia: Expressions of Sympathy (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: On behalf of the Government and the people of Ireland, I express my sadness and horror at the deaths of Lorna Carty and Martina and Laurence Hayes - go ndéanfaidh Dia trócaire orthu. I know I speak for the House and the country when I say our hearts go out to all those who loved them in their lives and mourn them so deeply in death. Nothing we say or do can make up for their loss...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Diaspora Policy (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Key elements of the Diaspora Strategy which was published in March of this year, include further welfare support for the diaspora; measures to deepen connections with the diaspora and facilitate further diaspora engagement as well as continued recognition of organisations and people who engage with the diaspora and also support for further research on diaspora policy. Some recent actions...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Equipment (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: My Department does not use any system of software for the auto-deletion of email messages with the exception of some incoming emails that are blocked by our email filtering product. All email messages received in my Department pass through filtering software and certain messages are automatically blocked e.g. emails classified as spam, emails with viruses and emails with potentially dangerous...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Low Pay Commission Report (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The Low Pay Commission was officially launched on 26 February 2015.  This independent body is advising the Government on the appropriate rate of the National Minimum Wage. It is expected to submit its first report to Government by the middle of July and the Commission will examine the rate of the minimum wage on an annual basis from now on.  The establishment of this...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Dublin-Monaghan Bombings (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: With regard to the Dublin and Monaghan Bombings, the Government continues to press the British Government to respond positively to the reasonable demand of the All Party motions passed in Dáil Éireann in 2008 and 2011 that an independent international judicial figure be given access to all material held by the British Government on these terrible atrocities. I raised the issue...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Seanad Reform (30 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The Report of the Working Group on Seanad Reform was published on 13 April last. The associated draft Bill prepared for the Group, with an explanatory memorandum, was published on my Department's website on 14 May. I issued a statement at the time of publication of the Report in which I welcomed the Report, describing it as innovative and radical, and containing some far-reaching...