Results 15,601-15,620 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Order of Business (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: I have no idea at all about how speculation gets into some of the newspapers and, therefore, I do not comment on it.

Order of Business (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: None.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: When the crisis hit Ireland, we were required to borrow €64 billion. In recent days, some people have been talking about this being all due to bankers and that no one besides them had any impact on it. Let us not forget why the crash happened or why it was allowed to happen. There were extraneous circumstances-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: -----but there were people at home who could have done something about it. They did nothing about it and they deny all responsibility for it since.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: The prayer we learned at school was mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. We have had side excuses about who was responsible but the people know because they are paying.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: The Government is trying to rectify problems in a way that people have the opportunity to come back, create employment, create jobs, grow the economy and provide opportunity for their children. I disagree with Deputy Joe Higgins fundamentally. The Government's programme is one of change, expansion, economic reform, restoring credibility of our economy and getting people back to work. It...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: The real problem is with the 330,000 people genuinely unemployed. Our focus will be, unremittingly, on giving opportunities to small and medium-sized enterprises to employ two, five, ten or 20 people. That is the challenge and where our focus will be.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: We do not get question and answer, we get filibuster and the filling of time so other questions are not answered. However, that is the system and we only have one day because the Taoiseach does not want more than one day a week answering questions.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Martin said that two thirds of the reforms in dealing with the public finances had been put in place by the previous Government.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: Some 100% of the 250,000 people who lost their jobs in the private sector did so on the watch of the previous Government. Some 250,000 private sector jobs from all over the country were lost in three years. That is the message. On more than one occasion, I heard Deputy Martin say during those tumultuous times that there was no need for a bailout in Ireland. His colleagues at the time had...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: Unlike my penultimate predecessor, the handball is returned to Deputies by me, sometimes with more than they bargained for. I assure Deputy Higgins that Deputies are not playing against a haystack in my case. I recognise the Deputy's strong Kerry tradition and roots in the basis of the questions he asks. When the Minister for Social Protection spoke, she was addressing 1,000 members of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: She was referring to the potential of the Eurogroup to help deal with Europe's problems, which are many and include the problems of Portugal, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Greece and, of course, Ireland.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: Ireland is making its way through challenging times with modest projections for growth for 2013 and 2014, whereas many other countries are in negative positions with real difficulties ahead. That is the context in which the Minister for Social Protection was speaking. I do not accept that Government set out with anything other than a programme to rectify our problems and restore our...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: Other Departments can assist by making decisions to allow the resources and talents to be used and accessed for everybody's benefit.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: What Deputy Higgins wants is for everybody to get what they want by entitlement and to pay for nothing. He does not want to pay for water or services to properties and wants to increase taxes on some mythical figure as if there were a small number of wealthy people who could sort out this country's ills. It is absolute nonsense. I remember joining Mayo County Council as a young fellow back...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: In the fair and equitable negotiations with the 21 unions which took place, the result was that 87% of workers - those who earned less than €65,000 - would not have had their core salaries affected. I do not agree with Deputy Higgins that I should make an announcement to abandon ship. The Government has set out its position very clearly. There is a requirement as espoused by the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: That is a litany of righteous indignation.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: I suggest we get a few facts straight. Between 2008 and 2011, 250,000 people lost their jobs in the private sector. The Deputy chose not to mention that statistic. He chose not to mention the mess we were left to deal with. Some 1,000 private sector jobs are now being created per month, for which I am grateful, as it is a sign of confidence returning. No one on this side of the House has...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: I do not accept Deputy Ó Snodaigh's assertions at all. What I gave him were some of the actions that have been taken and implemented during the course of the past number of months that are having an impact on our problems here. I had the opportunity to visit Sligo with the Minister for Social Protection to open one of the first Intreo offices. The office contains a combination of...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Review (23 Apr 2013)

Enda Kenny: -----in developing and commercialising cutting-edge technologies. That is important. I travel to these places and see the range of what is now on offer. Yesterday, I launched four projects in the west which involve cutting-edge technology created by Irish people who see opportunities and have access to the credit and the support to actually make that happen and to employ people, which is...