Results 7,221-7,240 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Seanad Reform: Statements (23 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Taoiseach as teacht isteach sa Teach inniu. I am grateful the Taoiseach has come to the House. One issue in regard to the referendum on the abolition of the Seanad rankles with me, namely, the position of the universities in society. Unintentionally perhaps, during the referendum the idea was put about that graduates of our main public universities were somehow...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Some of it is coming from his fellow Cabinet Ministers.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Mortgage interest supplement was abolished.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: We made those changes to the taxation policy.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Government made no contribution to this.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Senator Bacik is speaking about our budgets.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Government had nothing to do with it. It was Fianna Fáil budgets.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I am speaking about our budgets.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Government side did it in the Seanad referendum.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I second Senator MacSharry's amendment. I wish to ask the Leader what happened the Protected Disclosures Bill that was due to be discussed on Report Stage today. It was deleted from the schedule without any reference to the Whips, or certainly not to the spokespersons. I do not think that is appropriate. I wish to refer to the glossy brochure that landed in our pigeon holes today....

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: It is €3.1 billion.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The document even boasts about Fianna Fáil budgets.

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Road Safety Issues (17 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Cathaoirleach for allowing me to raise this issue on the Adjournment. I am calling for action to be taken to ensure roll-over protective structures, ROPS, also known as roll bars, are installed in all vintage tractors. The phenomenon of vintage tractor runs is increasing in popularity and is a pastime enjoyed by many people in this country. Many tens of thousands of euro are...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Road Safety Issues (17 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Minister for setting out the law in this area. A review of the regulations, which were introduced in 1969, might well be timely. Will the Minister ask the Road Safety Authority to give more priority to raising awareness of this issue? I again thank the vintage clubs for all the charitable work they do and the tens of thousands of euro they raise for worthy causes. I join them...

Seanad: Statistics (Heritage Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (16 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I am delighted that Senator Ó Murchú has introduced this Bill. He is performing the function of a Senator, which is to propose legislation rather than simply discuss it. This Bill is both simple and eminently sensible. It will create a major opportunity for historians and society at large. I have studied the published census details online and they are fascinating to behold....

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: We have heard a good deal today about the benefits for employment creation in this budget but let us consider some of the specifics. When the retention of the 9% VAT rate is removed, there is very little left. The Start Your Own Business scheme provides an income tax exemption of €40,000 per annum for unemployed people who have been unemployed for at least 15 months and who somehow...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Some 500 houses will be built or renovated in local authority estates this year. That is welcome but it is necessary because any of us who walk into local authority housing estates will know that many of them are boarded up waiting for funding. I suspect those targeted 500 houses will not even cover the number of houses boarded up throughout the country. An important point was raised by the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I want to talk about fairness and to have a debate on fairness. The Government issued a leaflet on fairness in budgets yesterday. Again this year, the only way it could stack up the fairness claim was to include the Fianna Fáil budgets going back to 2008 or 2009. In its leaflet, it proudly boasted about how fair the budgets were from 2009 to the present because that is the only way it...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The Fine Gael-led Government is boasting about Fianna Fáil budgets in its leaflet on fairness on its website. I do not know if the Senator got a copy of that?

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The real Labour Party.