Results 1,481-1,500 of 4,363 for speaker:Arthur Morgan

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Committee Stage (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I support the intent of the amendment. We all know of cases in which an elderly person without family members moved away from the county or even the province and was not in a position to think about notifying the Department. There are other cases in which people are so traumatised by the elderly relative leaving the home to go into nursing home care, probably for some considerable time,...

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Committee Stage (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I move amendment No. 4: In page 4, between lines 15 and 16, to insert the following new section: "4.—This section shall allow for the abolition of the current PRSI ceiling and will come into operation on 1 May 2009.". In their recent contributions, Government Members have begun to use the language that I and other Members on this side of the House use, with references to "fairness" and an...

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Committee Stage (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I accept the Minister's point. However, it is reasonable and fair that those on lower incomes should benefit most from the PRSI system. Anybody with a social conscience would want to see that level of wealth distribution applying so that those who are least well off can have adequate social insurance from the State. For that to occur, it requires the well-off to make their contributions....

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Committee Stage (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: My point is that if we are to strengthen the social insurance fund, this is the way to do it.

Infrastructure Stimulus Package: Motion (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I thank the Labour Party and Deputy Burton for sharing time with me. I am generally supportive of the thrust of the Fine Gael motion. Just over two years ago, the Taoiseach wrote in the foreword to then new national development plan, that the document, Transforming Ireland, was "a road map for sustainable economic expansion, social justice and a better quality of life for all our citizens...

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Committee Stage (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: We do not have an opportunity to examine this legislation properly. That is not a whinge - it is a simple fact. This is not an example of good practice. The interested groups, including the trade unions, have not had an opportunity to get their experts to consider this legislation and express their considered opinions, which would have been of benefit to many of us in this House. The...

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Committee Stage (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: Good man, Seymour. Fair play.

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Instruction to Committee (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I thank the Minister and her Department for her offer of a briefing on this legislation. I very much regret that I could not attend it at the very short notice. That is most unfortunate for all of us. In a way I welcome the fact that something is being done on this pensions issue but I am very disappointed at how little is being done and particularly at the manner in which it is being...

Order of Business (28 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I too object to taking this Bill in a rushed fashion this evening. It has far-reaching implications for people depending on welfare payments and it is completely unacceptable that it should be rushed through late in the evening. There is no reason not to make time to deal adequately with this business tomorrow. It is all right for some people in this House who will retire on three pensions...

Written Answers — North-South Ministerial Council: North-South Ministerial Council (23 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: Question 26: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the discussions he has had with the Executive and with the British Government regarding the establishment of the All-Ireland Consultative Civic Forum. [15872/09]

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (23 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: Question 111: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the Health Service Executive is continuing to obstruct movement of a person (details supplied) in County Louth; the obstruction in respect of same; the further reason the HSE will not transfer funding internally to meet the needs of this person who has a disability; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16015/09]

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: The Deputy's money is safe.

Social Welfare Bill 2009: Second Stage (Resumed) (23 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I have also spoken to significant numbers of people caught in the trap described by Deputy Lynch. We call it the C2 trap, where people did not appreciate they would not be entitled to welfare benefits if they did not pay PRSI. People did not know this was a cost saving exercise on the part of contractors. Unfortunately these people were not given adequate advice on what they were doing....

Written Answers — Prison Accommodation: Prison Accommodation (22 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: Question 106: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the way he will respond to the latest visiting committee report on Mountjoy Prison, Dublin, which reportedly found that overcrowding is so bad that conditions are degrading, rival gang members cannot be segregated and drugs and mobile phones continue to be smuggled in; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14195/09]

Social Welfare Benefits: Motion (22 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I thank the Labour Party for sharing time and commend it on tabling this motion, which homes in on one nasty element of the recent emergency bankers budget. I am not surprised it was not until after this debate had commenced that the Government could cobble together an amendment to it. It is worth reading one paragraph of the amendment in which the Government "acknowledges that in the...

Departmental Bodies. (22 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: Question 99: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if, further to Parliamentary Question No. 539 of 24 March 2009, he will confirm the statement (details supplied) that an independent review of the Equality Authority's budget will be conducted; if so the make-up, form and timeframe of that review; if he will offer a guarantee that the 43% budget cut will be reversed and...

Financial Resolution No. 11: General (Resumed). (8 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I accept that difficult decisions need to be made, but I am not sure that the decisions announced yesterday are the right ones.

Financial Resolution No. 10: Stamp Duties (7 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: The Tánaiste is faced with a diversity of opinion on this side of the House. I have no problem with the change in capital acquisitions tax and not much difficulty with the change in capital gains tax. However, I have a major problem with the introduction of a levy on life assurance policies and the increase in the levy on non-life assurance policies. The vast majority of those fortunate...

Financial Resolution No. 10: Stamp Duties (7 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: That is fair enough but we must examine what the Government is doing on the expenditure side because the cutbacks are scary. The centrepiece of this budget should have been job retention and job creation. Deputy Gilmore and I both made the point that the revenue stream will not improve unless we maintain existing jobs and create new jobs to cater for the 370,000 people on the live register....

Financial Resolution No. 4: Mineral Oil Tax (7 Apr 2009)

Arthur Morgan: I have no problem with the tobacco increases. I would even be tempted to advocate a higher charge because of tobacco's adverse effect on people's health and all the consequences. If that happened, however, I would have concerns about the enforcement issues the previous speaker has addressed. The diesel increase is unfortunate. The Government probably went for a quick fix here on the basis...