Results 11,001-11,020 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: I want to see this Government carrying out an inquiry and having it done by a competent authority. It surprises me that the Deputy suggested there is no basis in any business transaction for any level of commercial sensitivity. Anyone who has worked in business or even run a sweet shop for an afternoon would know there is commercial sensitivity but in the case of the Minister for Finance,...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Let me explain it to Deputy McDonald. It was done not to have politicians directly running businesses. Deputy McDonald's and Sinn Féin's version is that there should be no relationship framework because presumably Sinn Féin politicians will run the businesses and then we know what would happen.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: I disassociate myself, in the context of Leaders' Questions, from a number of the statements naming individuals. I do not know who they are but there is long-standing rule in the House on this. I know of some of them, but there are other names the Deputy has mentioned. I do not know who those people are.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The Deputy asked what was going on. What was going on was that the construction industry in Ireland was in an absolute meltdown because the banks had failed.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: The Deputy asked what was going on. She does not seem to know what was going on.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: What was going on was that the construction industry in Ireland had collapsed with the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs and hundreds of businesses, and losses to the Irish taxpayer in the case of the particular bank which was taken on by IBRC with the purpose of liquidating what was actually a rotting carcass of a bank. That was what was going on, major job losses and the destruction of...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: On foot of the work done at an earlier stage by Deputy Murphy, Deputy McDonald wants some of the matters inquired into. I have said to her and Deputy Martin very plainly, and I want to repeat it to her in case she was not listening, that I want to see an independent inquiry by a competent authority. There are a number of ways of doing this. This country has a great deal of experience of...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Not only has the company recovered, but it now employs more than 3,000 people. Her approach to an economic meltdown which was affecting the whole of society is to seem to imply that nothing should have been done. By the way, the Minister for Finance acted on concerns which were expressed by his officials in the context of the relationship framework which had been established by the previous...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: That is not true.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: There is a bit of bodhar Uí Laoghaire because I have already said that I want to see an independent inquiry by a competent authority. I find the Deputy's suggestion that everything was hunky-dory at this period in Irish history a little bit odd-----

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: -----because there we were in the middle of a meltdown of the whole of the Irish economic landscape, brought on by this particular bank which, in effect, was being wound down and its different businesses being salvaged in so far as they could from the mess. Deputy McDonald described that as hunky-dory.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: I would like to see an independent inquiry by a competent authority and a review of any related or similar transactions of similar magnitude.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: In any series of events that involved transactions in Deputy Martin's time in government and during the term of this Government-----

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Deputy Martin talked about losses to the taxpayer. The biggest loss in this case is the €34 billion that Fianna Fail put on the shoulders of Irish taxpayers in respect of Anglo Irish Bank.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: That is significant. I do not know whether Deputy Martin took much interest when the construction industry and many major businesses collapsed. I do not know the detailed background to the Siteserv but presume the company was among many construction companies and trades, allied to construction, that ended up with unsustainable debt and, therefore, ended up, in Deputy Martin's time in...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: -----to give the company a possibility of recovery. In that context, there was a mechanism whereby-----

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Several reports issued during Deputy Martin's time in government identified and discussed options. Deputy Martin wants all of this examined. I have no difficulty with that and am perfectly happy with it but I would like to see the matter examined by a competent authority. I would like to see all the matters reviewed and would like to ensure it happens in a reasonable timeframe. The...

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: Not at all.

Leaders' Questions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: I note the very valuable work done by Deputy Catherine Murphy on this. I am in favour of a review of Siteserv and any transactions of equal magnitude that may also be worthy of inquiry. I want to be absolutely clear. I would like to see an independent inquiry by a competent authority, which is the way to get the correct and honest answers on any issue like this. I have heard the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (23 Apr 2015)

Joan Burton: I am glad to say that earlier this year, I introduced regulations and approved amendments to guidance issued by the Pensions Authority to provide for the recognition by the trustees of a pensions scheme of groups representing the interests of pensioners and deferred members of pension schemes. These changes mean that all groups representing the interests of the various categories of pension...