Results 10,601-10,620 of 11,979 for speaker:Billy Kelleher

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Mr. John Trethowan will draw up proposals in this regard. The process is in train and the new mechanism will be of critical importance because, as every Senator and Deputy knows, there are difficulties in getting credit flowing into the broader economy. On competitiveness, Ireland lives or dies by its exports. In recent years, we have lost competitiveness in the international arena....

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: On the budget proposals for dealing with competitiveness, the stabilisation of the public finances sends out a clear message. The flow of credit into the small and medium size business sector will be addressed in the context of the capitalisation of the banks and proposals made in the budget. The costs of electricity and energy are also key components of competitiveness. While the...

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Labour unit costs have declined by 4% here and increased by 3% in the rest of Europe. Ireland is becoming more competitive in the European Union, in particular in the eurozone. Exports held up well in 2009 and the indications are that 2010 will also be positive. While we face major challenges, we must take all the opportunities available to us. Competitiveness is the key to resolving the...

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I am trying to be helpful by pointing out that sterling has depreciated by 30%. The Senator should be aware of that.

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The weakness of sterling has created the added difficulty that tourists from the United Kingdom will not visit Ireland. In addition, exporting to the UK is extremely difficult for exporting companies. These are major challenges which are, unfortunately, outside our control. We must, therefore, try to be as competitive as possible by cutting and paring costs where possible to enable...

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I consider them helpful interventions rather than interruptions.

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The motion outlined by Fine Gael gives us an opportunity to explain to this House why the Government has taken this necessary action. Many of the decisions were unpalatable and difficult for many members of the Government. The Government had to make these decisions in the national interest to ensure we had credibility, to ensure we could survive in 2010 and to ensure the Government and the...

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: While we were dealing with serious issues in the public finances and the crisis facing the country, we considered what we had to do.

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The Fine Gael policy document contains a number of assumptions that certain key components, such as electricity supply, would generate a certain amount of money if sold. That can be seen as aspirational.

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I will let the Senators rebut these points in their contributions and I will gladly listen in silence.

Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: Et tu Brute?

Written Answers — Job Creation: Job Creation (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The role of the Waterford County and Waterford City Enterprise Boards (CEBs) is to provide support for small businesses with 10 employees or fewer in the start-up and expansion phases, to promote and develop indigenous micro-enterprise potential and to stimulate economic activity and entrepreneurship at local level throughout Waterford City and County. The CEBs deliver a series of Programmes...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: It is important to deal in facts when speaking about important issues. No Government or employer takes lightly the need to reduce the wages and salaries of its employees. However, in the context of where we are and with the budget deficit we were faced with, it was critically important, first and foremost, to stabilise the public finances. It has been suggested that this budget was aimed...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: No. That is being addressed.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I would not mind sharing my time. It was not that I harshly wanted 20 minutes to myself, but the Minister of State, Deputy Martin Mansergh, will contribute at a later stage. Our international reputation is of critical importance because we are borrowing large sums of money. It would be very expensive for bond markets and lenders to get the insurance to lend money to a country with a damaged...

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: We all know the reasons.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: If Opposition Members take a simplistic view that all the mistakes were made by internal decisions, they would not be able to address the problem.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: The simplistic view is that all this was due to internal decisions.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: When I hear commentaries inside or outside this House, by and large, that simplistic view is put across.

Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Dec 2009)

Billy Kelleher: I am quite happy that Deputies can correct the record at any time when they stand up to deliberate here this evening. We lost competitiveness during the sustained period of an economic boom. That is an accepted fact. We paid ourselves increased wages, which undermined our competitiveness vis-À-vis our European counterparts and further afield. There was a property bubble, but I did not see...