Results 9,101-9,120 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 8c: In page 15, between lines 9 and 10, to insert the following subsection: "(3) In carrying out his functions in relation to the processing tasks of public service bodies, the Minister shall not identify or propose self-contained areas of processing tasks that could be considered for outsourcing/transfer to the private sector.". The Minister is probably aware that the...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We thought we had to save €3 billion last year but it ended up being €6 billion. We lost our seats, partially as a result of that. I hope the same fate does not befall the Minister's party. The reality is that the bond markets turned against this country last year, not only for internal reasons. It is not always the fault of the people or the nation. The people generally have a great...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We felt it was reasonable that the Minister would be accountable for his actions up to now. We know what he is doing, we see the media briefings and press conferences, but there should be some accountability for what he has done up to now. This amendment is part of that because it relates to a letter sent out on his instructions.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: We are starting that process now.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Except welfare.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I do not want to delay the debate on the Bill in dealing with this amendment. Is the debate to be guillotined at 8.30 p.m.?

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I am conscious that Senator Barrett has a number of important amendments further down the list and that I have more or less hogged the debate but there are some issues I wish to raise. I will not talk for long on them. We have raised important issues. I agree with much of what the Minister said. I resent the implication that we will be bystanders.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: That is a natural human reaction one would find people have anywhere. The point being made in this amendment on outsourcing is that if the Minister is considering it he should let the Oireachtas know about it. The Minister said he has made himself available to the media. That is not acceptable. A Minister, first and foremost, is accountable to Dáil Éireann and he has not really been...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: There are no rules in this House as far as I see.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It says in Standing Orders that you can do what you want.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I believe the Government can.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I move amendment No. 9: In page 15, before section 11, to insert the following new section: "10.—The Minister shall where the Minister for Finance proposes a measure to grant tax relief in order to achieve a specific policy objective in relation to the provision of a service or activity which is also funded through public expenditure prepare a statement of how this relief relates to public...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Will the Government adhere to the commitment contained in the programme for Government on the publication of such expenditure data? This has not happened and will entail considerable work. While one can have transparency in respect of spending figures, Estimates and so on, I understand it took the Tories in England one year to get down to providing the details in this regard. Obviously, it...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: I am merely highlighting some measures. I must admit I have never been a fan of the Tories, but I hope to highlight helpfully-----

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: ----- the inspiration the Minister has received from Mr. David Cameron and his colleagues.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: There is a list of worthwhile measures which have been copied directly, the most surprising of which is privatisation, the headline Tory policy from the era of Maggie Thatcher. Will the Government follow through on the commitments made in the programme for Government?

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It would not be acceptable to simply provide an explanatory memorandum because it would only relate to the Bill. The report we propose in the amendment should be provided. The Bill must include a reference to the delegation orders which are separate and any other statutes not mentioned in it but which relate to functions of the Minister for Finance. We are talking about billions of euro of...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: Listening to Senator Paul Bradford, it was not------

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is incorrect of the Minister of State to say she will not accept the amendment on the basis of the debate here going beyond the terms of the amendment. Perhaps the debate has gone beyond the confines of the amendment but I have not gone beyond the confines of my simple amendment. It seeks within 40 days a report listing consolidated details of the powers conferred directly by this Act in...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Thomas Byrne: It is not. For example, section 10 transfers any powers under statute relating to the functions of the Minister in broad terms in so far as they relate to the administration of the business of the Department.