Results 6,881-6,900 of 9,894 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (5 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: The allegation he made has nothing to do with the Standing Orders relating to the perception of bias.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (5 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I congratulate Senator MacSharry and Senator Barrett on their appointment by the Committee of Selection last night. I presume the Clerk of the Seanad has notified the clerk of the banking inquiry of the appointments by the Seanad. Senator Bradford is correct that there is no requirement for the Seanad to approve or not approve this decision as that job has been done. There will be a...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (5 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: It is already done.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (5 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: On a point of order, there are very specific statutory procedures.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (5 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: The Leader has been pressed by Deputy Paul Kehoe.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (5 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: The Senator was handing them out

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (5 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: The person to whom you gave the discretionary medical card.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (4 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: May I ask a quick question?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (4 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I have been listening to this with interest. It is good that there is a discussion on it. It is good that the officials listened to some of the comments that have been made here, because there is the hangover of what happened when we effectively deregulated the banking sector in this country and there was no debate about it. How many jobs are there in this country in money market...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (4 Jun 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I think Mr. Carrigan is conscious of the balancing act that is needed here. That is what I am reading from the text and the debate, but one should never forget what happened in the past few years. I must go to a vote.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I thank my colleague. I welcome that this document has been published in draft form because there is a glaring omission in it regarding the potential for a deal on the bank debt to move it away from the sovereign debt. Obviously, that would have a huge impact on the future public finances if it happened and I was surprised to see that it was not down as an upside risk. It is not down under...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: However, upside risks and downside risks are described in the document. There is also a section on European developments and a section on long-term sustainability. If a deal were to be reached, and a deal was announced to have been reached in July 2012, it would have a major impact on public finances. As a constructive comment on this, which the Minister invited, I believe it should be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: We are not looking for hard numbers, and the Minister does not include hard numbers in his upside and downside risks section. An agreement was announced by the Taoiseach almost two years ago. That agreement, which would have a massive impact on the public finances, should be included in this document. It would also remind Europe that we are still looking for it because someone reading this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I find that hard to believe because there are so many items in the document. The Minister mentioned a number of upside risks that in no way could be described as hard figures, and they have not been announced as decisions reached at a European level. The Minister states regarding upside risks that economy-wide investment remains close to record low levels, therefore, if they go up there...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: That is fine.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Irish Stability Programme Update: Minister for Finance (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I will be making a submission, based on what I said earlier, that the Minister might consider incorporating it. It would be helpful to the country's case, and I believe it is an omission.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospital Accommodation Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: Táim an-bhuíoch don Chathaoirleach as an deis luath seo a thabhairt dom an t-ábhar tábhachtach seo a phlé sa Seanad anocht. Táim ag caint anocht maidir le hospidéal réigiúnach d'oirthuaisceart na tíre. I wish to raise the issue of the proposed regional hospital for the north east. This was promised by Fine Gael in the run-up to the last...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospital Accommodation Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I accept that.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Hospital Accommodation Provision (15 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I do not expect the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley, to reply to this because he is not the Minister of State at the Department of Health. The Minister of State has been given a response dealing with Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. The question related to the regional hospital that is proposed for Navan, but there was nothing in the reply about that. One can conclude there are no plans at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Bank of Ireland (10 Apr 2014)

Thomas Byrne: I will just ask the question again. Could Mr. Boucher provide us with the figures?