Results 13,661-13,680 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: Some of the Deputies opposite want the threshold of pay cuts to begin at €100,000 but nobody in the country thinks that people on €95,000 or €98,000 should be exempt from making a contribution.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: It was tabled by the Deputies opposite; they want to exempt Members of the House. How would it go down with the public if Deputy Joan Collins was to exempt herself from a pay cut? It would look ridiculous.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I think this is the third lecture we have received from Deputy Boyd Barrett in the course of this debate alone. I am used to it, both in committee and in the House.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I will answer the questions as they were put. There is a view among some Deputies opposite that if one says something often enough, no matter how absurd it is, it is the truth. That is the view.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: Deputy Boyd Barrett goes on again about low-income public servants, and he wants to exempt people on €100,000.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: So anything below €100,000 is low income in Deputy Boyd Barrett-land.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: That is the new socialist revolution.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: A person is on a low income if they earn less than €100,000. It is so ludicrous.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I think a contribution from people earning over €65,000 is a reasonable ask. This is a reasonable set of measures. Deputy Donnelly talked about waste but in all honesty the whole notion that we will not have to cut anybody's wages is a cop-out. He says he agrees with the ask and reducing the wage bill, but we should start by tackling waste. There is always something nebulous over there.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: They do not want to do anything hard because there is waste to be found.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: If Deputy Donnelly or any other Deputies want to bring forward suggestions about identifying waste, they will have a ready ear in my Department. I have set up a reform and delivery office. We have set out a radical waste elimination process to amalgamate, eliminate waste and have shared services. We are driving that agenda. I would be happy to give the Deputy chapter and verse on it. The...
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: It is a terrible strain, I know. Deputy Donnelly is probably preparing his Sunday Independent article and it is very difficult for him to listen to another discordant voice from his perch of authority.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: That is all right. I would rather have had more time to debate these issues and go through every section, particularly the issues concerning pensions. I have not had an opportunity to do so, but over time we will have an opportunity to do all that.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I have given my view. Deputy McDonald has stated there should be a ceiling for everybody but she has not figured out the consequences for the hospital service or the judicial service.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: Nor does she speak about the impact of ratcheting down to preserve differentials, which would mean everybody would melodeon down unless, of course, everyone should be paid the same wage. I believe they tried this in Albania. These are matters we should honestly debate but we should do so in a way which is realistic. I want to be honest about Deputy Fleming's proposal. I am concerned...
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: We will get to it.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I will come back to it.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: It was a shot in the dark so.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: I will give an explanation.
- Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2013: Committee Stage (29 May 2013)
Brendan Howlin: On a point of clarification, it is 40% of the wage saving, not 40% of €300 million