Results 1,481-1,500 of 4,717 for speaker:Martin Mansergh

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I cannot help but reflect on the irony that on the previous amendment the question was raised by the Opposition as to why the President and the Judiciary were excluded from the pension levy, whereas this amendment seeks to exclude the Central Bank from the operation of the levy. While I will give a full response, I am not convinced the matter deserved the length of time given to it. I was...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: It often happens that different branches of the EU and Government express concerns and seek reassurances, which they are given. They put forward propositions seeking the Government's response. The notion that the European Central Bank has rejected or condemned what the Government is doing is not true. It expressed certain concerns and it is the intention of the Government to reassure it....

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The deduction is in recognition of the superior, or better, pension arrangements public servants enjoy compared with the generality of their counterparts in the private sector. It is not intended to fund directly the cost of these pensions. As I said, the imperative for this deduction is the need to reduce the size of the public service pay bill. Non-pensionable payments, which include...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I accept that but the Leas-Chathaoirleach did not prevent Senator O'Reilly raising the issue.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: That was after he had spoken for about five minutes. While I am supportive in broad principle, it is subject to the Government having money to do it and taking into account the many other pressing demands. There is also an issue about what interest the banks might charge in the particular circumstances. The jury is still out on that. The Government is in discussion on the matter.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: On a point of clarification, does Senator O'Reilly mean members or officials?

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I would be second neither to the Leas-Chathaoirleach nor Senator O'Reilly in my deep respect for the contribution made by councillors and members of local authorities. Prior to my current office, as a Member of this House and the other House, I expressed sympathy with the medium to longer term aim of them becoming pensionable. Speaking on a personal basis, I have little doubt it will come...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I must clarify that what I stated was on a personal basis and corresponds to what I said as a Senator or Deputy. I am not speaking in an official capacity. As a junior member of the Government I am not making any ex cathedra pronouncements.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I will begin by replying to the amendments in the strict meaning, after which I propose to address some of the broader issues raised. The inclusion of a review section in the Bill seems to me to be the Government's response to the meaning of the term "emergency". The provision of an annual review mechanism is consistent with the title of the legislation. Section 13 provides for an annual...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Germany has a rather different history with emergency legislation. A Bill was introduced in this jurisdiction to abolish the Free State Senate but it took some considerable time to work its way through. It was not emergency legislation in the true sense.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: The Senator will be pleased to hear that I would be totally opposed to such an initiative. The bottom line of the Bill is that the public sector wage bill must be reduced. I was glad to see support for this from Mr. Jean-Claude Trichet yesterday. This Bill can be most accurately described as a pension related levy rather than a pension levy as such. It is a pity that, in this morning's...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Perhaps this was not benchmarking in the formal sense but I referred to the remuneration committee. I was in the public service, albeit as an adviser, until 2002 and it seemed to me that when the private sector was running away with itself, as it was in that period, there was a feeling that public servants at the top were no less entitled to good remuneration than top bank executives. I...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I am excluding the commercial public sector, which would add another 50,000. From the top of my head, the figure is between 300,000 and 320,000 for the total public sector, and the figure for the commercial public sector can be added to this. The total figure would be 350,000 to 370,000. If that is subtracted from approximately 2 million, there is something over 1.6 million left.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: With respect, it is probably one of the most important amendments and perhaps the others will go a bit quicker. I cannot put a figure on jobs that are secure or insecure in the private sector. Most people working in the private sector are under smaller or greater degrees of pressure, with relatively few people not under some pressure. I have several children working in the private sector...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I want to make a few points in a brief response. One must be a public servant and have membership of a public service pension scheme or an analogous arrangement in order to be subject to the deduction. It is worth pointing out that the accrued liabilities for public service pensions is now approximately €75 billion. At the time of the publication of the commission's report, to which...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: I thank the Senator for bringing this to our attention. It is the case that the drafting convention is to use "as amended" which is a generic term covering, for example, additions or deletions. The phrase commencing "as amended by" in this case governs the immediately preceding words, that is, "the Defence Act 1954". It is this Act that was amended by section 34 of the Defence (Amendment)...

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: No.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages. (27 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: Probably not.

Written Answers — Decentralisation Programme: Decentralisation Programme (26 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: On 16 August 2007, following a competitive tendering process, the Office of Public Works awarded a Fixed Price Contract to Michael McNamara & Co., in the sum of €20,142,446.00, inclusive of VAT, to construct new decentralized offices for Bord Iascaigh Mhara and the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food. The project consists of Blocks A, B, C and D, of which Block B is being...

Cost and Efficiency Review of Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann: Statements (26 Feb 2009)

Martin Mansergh: As a public servant, a Member of this House and as a Minister of State, my habit is always to ask myself whether I can do any journey efficiently by public transport. I will only get into the car if the answer is "No" for various practical reasons. This applies equally to journeys between Tipperary and Dublin, journeys within Dublin on sitting days, or attendance at events around the...