Results 9,221-9,240 of 20,831 for speaker:David Norris

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I will do so straight away.

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: The final example concerns someone who is now aged 61 and who left in 2013 with 40 years service and a final retiring salary of €81,160. The expected pension will be reduced from €57,353 to €31,000. One could probably live on that but it represents a loss of 44.4%. I apologise to the Minister for not presenting her with the details. Before I leave, I will ask my...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions (No. 2) Bill 2013: Committee Stage (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I apologise to the Minister for not having been in the House earlier and I am afraid I will have to leave but I will read her response. I know she will understand the situation because she is in a much more extreme situation than me. I am trying to juggle about nine things at the same time and I can only imagine what her life is like. I wish to endorse a great deal of what my colleague,...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: The Minister did not refer to my suggestion to consider tax relief. The McKenna judgment is important and I agree it is important to have a level playing field, but it is instructive to see from the judgment that it is the government that is precluded in that judgment.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: Yes, public moneys, but the Minister referred to moneys expended by the Government. The Government was mentioned in virtually every sentence of the judgment.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: All right, but let us exclude parties and just provide that Independents can.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I am happy to withdraw the amendment, but I would like the Minister to consider the possibility of a tax provision, including for unsuccessful candidates.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I move amendment No. 3: In page 6, lines 40 and 41, to delete “or to an independent member”.I regard the keeping of accounts as a curious bean counting exercise that is good for taking up a considerable amount of time and diverting us from our lives. I am not saying we should not be accountable for moneys; I believe we should. However, we are asked to comply with all the...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I am happy to withdraw the amendment, but I recommend my argument to the Minister that at some stage we should put this issue to an independent assessor and ask him or her to assess the rate for the job and for that to be paid. Then all this pettifogging with dozens of different amendments regarding irritating requirements would end. It is not that I want to avoid paying what is due. I...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, to delete lines 36 to 40, and in page 5, to delete lines 1 to 5.I thought the amendments would be grouped together but apparently it is only amendments Nos. 3 to 6 that are being grouped.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: You said No. 2 is on its own, a Leas-Chathaoirligh.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: The amendment is about recouping election expenses. It seems to me it is a perfectly reasonable thing to expect. I also made the point that people who are running for the first time should get an allowance proportionate to the amount of votes they got. This will be particularly important when the reforms go through and there are constituencies of 750,000 people. How could a young person...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I would not give it up.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: There have been times when Governments have been brought down by the vote of one person who was elected on a platform of support for the Government.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: It is.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: It was rather daft whoever made it. There is a lot of daftness around.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I am afraid it is.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I do not mind being interrupted. As I am a bit of an interrupter myself, what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander.

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: I am sure the Minister is going to be involved in discussions on Seanad reform. I have outlined my reservations about the way in which reform is being pursued. As Minister with responsibility for reform, it is important that he put the entire Seanad under review rather than single out what is possibly the most vocal group. The Government estimates that there are 750,000 university voters -...

Seanad: Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Report and Final Stages (28 Nov 2013)

David Norris: It is worth emphasising that there is nothing selfish or partisan in this proposal. While the amendment tabled by my two colleagues affects their own case, they are not seeking any aggrandisement or financial reward for themselves but addressing the principle that the labourer gets paid for his or her hire. It is daft that a political party or an organisation should be paid for the work...