Results 8,601-8,620 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: While I compliment my colleague, Deputy Michael McGrath, on getting the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, to admit on live television that the cuts would be reversed, the fact is that these are not cuts but prospective cuts. We have not succeeded in getting the Government to reverse the cruel, cold cut to the fuel allowance. It will affect the poorest, oldest, sickest and the...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: They are the people who will be down €2 a week. They are the people that Government targeted because it was afraid to do what we did in previous years and what were described in The Irish Times today as brave budgets where everybody across society was hit according to what he or she could afford. In this budget specific sectors have been targeted. It thought it would get away with the...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The most important issue facing us is the European situation and it is crucial that we have a full debate on it. The story on the front page of The Wall Street Journal today noted the Central Bank was considering printing punts again. We need a debate on what is happening, what the Government negotiating position is and whether we have put anything forward. There is a lot of talk about...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Why have your colleagues asked to join the finance scrutiny committee?

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I was watching "Prime Time".

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The fuel allowance, perhaps.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We should speak to the section when the House is full.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The import of the section is that the charge of €100 may be increased by ministerial fiat. If Fine Gael and Labour Party backbenchers are prepared to accept such uncertainty and hand the powers of the Oireachtas over to a Minister, let them do so. As I state almost daily, if they are happy to turn the Dáil and Seanad into rubber stamp Chambers, let them do so.

Seanad: Business of Seanad (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I ask the Leader to increase the amount of time allowed for the debate. We will be discussing the impact of the household charge on social welfare recipients, and if he stops the debate about the poorest of the poor, shame on him.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Sinn Féin made a mistake by not having separate amendments because we can certainly support the first part but not the second part as it would be wrong to exclude Senators from the measure. The figure of €75,000 is approximately twice the famous average industrial wage. One must have some sympathy for people on the average industrial wage who might own two or three properties such as...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister can enlighten me as to whether he has bought a house in County Louth yet. He will get a massive bill for property tax-----

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I certainly feel sorry for him.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: He has acknowledged on my local radio station that he owned a holiday home in Donegal.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: There are people who claim to be on the average industrial wage, who own two or three properties. They certainly should be given some consideration.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is in his constituency.

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Tá an prionsabal anseo an-difriúil ar fad. An prionsabal atá i gceannas anseo ná an prionsabal an táille a leagan ar ghach teaghlach sa tír, gnáth daoine na tíre. Séard a a bhí sa chostas a chuir Fianna Fáil i bhfeidhm i sa bhliain 2009, ná costas ar daoine a bhí infheistíocht acu i dtithe saoire nó i dteach eile seachas teach an teallaigh. Níl sé cothrom ná ceart go...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is not exactly the same with social welfare. The Minister for Social Protection cannot increase or decrease social welfare payments without reference to the Oireachtas. There is nothing to prevent this charge being changed by means of a Financial Resolution on budget day. I do not see why it cannot be subject to the democratic will of the people. I ask the Minister of State to...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I have a fundamental difficulty with trading companies - even if the properties they own are empty - not being required to pay this charge. Either it is a property tax or it is not. If such companies own properties, why are they not required to pay the charge? I accept that there are exemptions in respect of certain unfinished estates. It would certainly be galling to live in such an...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: An alternative to applying the full charge to the houses to which I refer would be to apply a charge to the property. In such circumstances, the €100 would build up each year until a house was sold and then the solicitor involved would be obliged to hand over the total amount at the end of the sale process. There is no good reason trading companies are being excluded. We are introducing...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Will Senator Norris be looking for one? I hope not on George's Street.