Results 1,121-1,140 of 1,591 for speaker:Eugene Regan

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: A Chathaoirligh, I believe I am allowed to formulate my question in the manner I consider appropriate. The question is whether the revolt of the elderly has ended and whether the Government's policy of divide and conquer has succeeded. We will find out today whether the solidarity of the elderly will hold. The Government has solved a problem within its ranks but not necessarily the problem...

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I note that Members on the Government side of the House are quite smug this morning. The revolt in Fianna Fáil over the medical card for those over 70 has ended.

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: Yes, but I wish to explain the question. The revolt has ended on the Government benches but has——

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: Does the Senator have a question for the Leader?

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: Ask the Leader a question.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: With the medical cards, the quangos and the income levy, Members on the Government side of the House are getting very excited.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: They are so self-congratulating on the strong measures taken but they are measures taken by the Government to correct mistakes of the Government. The Government provided free medical cards for over 70s.

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: The Government created the quangos it is now trying to amalgamate and the Government reduced taxes but is now imposing the income levy on gross level. The Government is correcting its mistakes, the Leader might agree with me on that. Whether speaking about the budget, the world financial meltdown or the economic recession, the elephant in the room is the Lisbon treaty. Discussions in the...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: Whether he is right——

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I have a specific question. Whether the MEP is correct, it is a symptom of the change from understanding the Irish position to anger, particularly with regard to the European Parliament elections next year. The failure to pass the Lisbon treaty referendum means that the European Parliament elections will be based on the Nice treaty. This affects 12 member states and in the case of Spain...

Seanad: Order of Business (16 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: The institutional arrangements for the European Parliament were never an issue in the referendum. No constitutional issue arises. It is a problem we have created and there are no objections to the European Parliament elections being held on the basis of a change in the number of MEPs, as envisaged by the Lisbon treaty. It is incumbent on the Irish Government to contribute to a solution to...

Seanad: Budget Statement 2009: Statements (15 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: The Minister of State claims that the budget is designed to stabilise public finances. It may be designed to do that but it does not do so. We will borrow an extra €2 billion next year in order to subsidise current spending. Looking back, that is the situation we were in when the man with whom the Minister of State worked, Charlie Haughey, brought the country to near penury in the late...

Seanad: Unemployment Levels: Statements (15 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I am puzzled by the Minister of State's statement in regard to what we are doing about unemployment. I did not find any justification for some of the assertions made in the statement. In bringing forward the budget by six weeks, the Government recognises that further measures will need to be taken to bring further stability to the economy. I do not see where we are going by bringing...

Seanad: Unemployment Levels: Statements (15 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: In the interests of procedures of the House, the Minister of State should not be worried about the time I have been allocated, or will take, to relay the few comments I wish to make on this issue. The basis of the Minister of State's statement was that the way to deal with unemployment was through lifelong learning, our education system, etc. There is no basis for that statement because when...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I also have a question on the budget although I know we will have a debate. This budget is mean, nasty and sneaky. It is mean in terms of the 1% levy because this is regressive. It is nasty in terms of the increase in an array of health charges. It is sneaky in many respects, particularly the one by which one must qualify for health benefits. That is at the micro level. Many of the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I am sure the Leader remembers those years well. That was the cause of the problems in our public finances. We will have a doubling of the national debt over two years. We will also exceed by over 100% the 3% borrowing limit against GDP. We will increase inflation, reduce growth and increase unemployment. Does the Leader agree with this assessment of the impact of the budget on the...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: ——and the scrutiny by this House of decisions made which have European implications. The Leader should explain why the scheme was not brought back to the Seanad for debate last week. We might have pointed to further frailties in it as we did in respect of the State aid and discrimination aspects when it was first introduced.

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: I note a draft of the bank guarantee scheme has been sent to Brussels for approval. It is curious that it has been sent to Brussels for approval before it comes to the Oireachtas. I appreciate this matter was debated in the other Chamber yesterday. However, in last week's debate, Fine Gael pointed out some issues in the scheme and the legislation, concerning State aid rules, which were...

Seanad: Order of Business (9 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: ——to whatever. The only statement the Minister can make is that it is unacceptable that people do not have clean water. Does the Minister not appreciate that he is responsible and that he must outline measures to tackle problems to do with the environment and water quality and not just complain about the condition of the environment? He is the Minister. He is responsible and we would...

Seanad: Order of Business (8 Oct 2008)

Eugene Regan: Do I take it that the Senator agrees with me?