Results 7,541-7,560 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Order of Business (14 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Does the Leader have plans to discuss changes to the health service, in particular, the hospital network? Buswell's Hotel seems to have been booked by the Department of Health today to launch its policies and plans. Why the Minister for Health sees fit to book hotels in order to launch his health and hospital strategies needs to be discussed. He has asked Oireachtas Members to go across...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Six Month EU Scrutiny Report: Discussion with Department of Finance (9 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Are local authority budgets affected by the two pack and six pack in terms of their process?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Six Month EU Scrutiny Report: Discussion with Department of Finance (9 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Yes. Deputy Michael McGrath has asked me to pass on his apologies for his inability to be in attendance at this meeting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Six Month EU Scrutiny Report: Discussion with Department of Finance (9 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I might not take all of that time. I have a number of concerns. I will raise two of those issues this morning. The first of them relates to the multi-annual financial framework. People are starting to perceive a certain degree of backslapping on the political side about the brilliance of the deal that was done. I do not expect the witnesses to comment on that. The Irish Presidency has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Six Month EU Scrutiny Report: Discussion with Department of Finance (9 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I am not surprised that politicians have over-egged the pudding in trying to claim credit for the roles they played in these negotiations. However, I was surprised to hear an official say in an official statement that "the final outcome represents a good outcome for Ireland" because there are differing views on that. We accept Ms Campbell's point that it can be classed as good that Ireland...

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Yes. The Government is breaking its promises.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: At least the Leader will explain what is happening. The Minister goes hiding.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Senator Kelly could support our motion.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: The promises have been broken.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: People were promised free GP care time and time again.

Seanad: Order of Business (Resumed) (8 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Hear, hear.

Seanad: Order of Business (8 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: Today the country was greeted with the news of yet another broken promise by Fine Gael and the Labour Party. This was not just a pre-election promise but one that was made repeatedly in official statements from Ministers and the Government. That promise was on progressing the introduction of free GP care. The Government made a specific commitment to introduce free GP care for those on the...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I take the opportunity to put on the record that Fianna Fáil Senators, while broadly in favour of the principle of the Bill under discussion today, did not partake in the vote.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: On a point of information, there was nothing in the original troika agreement about the sale of assets. There was a reference to a review of what we might be able to sell but there was nothing forcing us to sell. Repetition of that point must be stopped.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: It was not.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Minister for the debate. We, as a party, did not have fundamental differences about the issue. However, we did not agree that the regulator should be appointed and felt that it could be done quite adequately from within Government. We await the concrete implementation of the Minister's plan to put the money aside for the children's hospital, which must be central to the debate....

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: We will not persuade the Minister so I am happy to withdraw the amendment noting the point has been made. There is no question that a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation is being created here today. The Government should redouble its efforts to close down unnecessary quangos, non-governmental bodies and regulators. I hope the person who will become the regulator reads this debate...

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I accept what the Minister has said.

Seanad: National Lottery Bill 2012: Report and Final Stages (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 2: In page 7, to delete lines 12 to 19.If the Minister says he is changing his approach to the issue of the regulator, I will move the rest of the amendments, but, if not, I may withdraw them, even though they are being discussed together. I had suggested a slimmed down version of the regulator and that we proceed with the model that has applied heretofore. There is the...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 May 2013)

Thomas Byrne: In light of the Leader's reasonableness on the other matter and in light of the court proceedings that are under way, as pointed by Senator Hayden and myself, I withdraw the amendment. I thank the Leader for his reasonable approach to No. 2. The Seanad is not a rubber-stamp for these issues. I also thank my party's spokesperson on European affairs for indicating his immediate availability...