Results 16,721-16,740 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Leaders' Questions (1 Mar 2012)

Shane Ross: Perhaps the Tánaiste will comment on what the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, had to say to the Financial Times this morning.

Leaders' Questions (1 Mar 2012)

Shane Ross: The Tánaiste has missed the point. The point about these embarrassing leaks which came from the Bundestag today is that the impression, and maybe the rightful impression, remains that our economic policy and the policy of austerity is dictated, decided and revealed elsewhere. It did not come here first. That is the problem. We need an assurance today that this will not happen again. It...

Leaders' Questions (1 Mar 2012)

Shane Ross: They are and they are very strongly linked to the riddle of austerity which is being imposed on this country. Will the Tánaiste assure this House that he will embark on a diplomatic offensive to tell those 27 countries that the Irish people would look much more benignly on this referendum, which they want to see passed, if they looked more benignly on our debt and were prepared to give us a...

State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: I always find it very difficult to debate this subject because of the strong ideological positions taken on either side which are unrealistic and very unfair. The right attitude to State assets is a pragmatic one. A lot of the so-called assets are not assets at all, rather they are liabilities. The Government is very limited in its options and what it can sell. If it decided to sell CIE,...

European Council: Statements (29 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: God bless the Attorney General. It is refreshing to find that an officer of the State is prepared to take a decision that is patently against the wishes of the Government. She has given the people an opportunity to make a decision and the House to hold a debate that would otherwise not take place. This is not a political point but holding a referendum is against the Government's wishes....

Written Answers — Local Authority Charges: Local Authority Charges (28 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: Question 514: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the number of persons that were notified about payment of the NPPR charge in 2011; of those persons notified, the number that paid; the number that did not pay; the number that have paid including a penalty for late payment; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that some persons are concerned about...

Written Answers — Marine Safety: Marine Safety (28 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: Question 600: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Bord Iascaigh Mhara is providing subsidised marine safety training to the commercial sector, thus putting the private training companies which are Government approved, at a disadvantage in view of the fact that they are unable to compete with Government subsidised training...

Referendum on European Stability Treaty: Statements (28 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: On behalf of the Technical Group, all of it, I wish to welcome the fact that we are having a referendum on this treaty. I only regret that it was not called without having to go to the Attorney General. What happened in this case was that the Government was against holding a referendum, as enunciated by the Minister for Transport earlier, because it would apparently involve a lot of...

Referendum on European Stability Treaty: Statements (28 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: That will be part of this debate whether the Government likes it or not. What will arise in this debate will be the promissory notes and the debt. Those two issues will be the most important ones. Government Ministers will have to face the fact that the people did not like that initial deal and, as a result, they will not particularly like this deal either. This deal is an extension of...

Referendum on European Stability Treaty: Statements (28 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: As Deputy Adams said, this is a fiscal union pact on austerity. It is a pact which has not been a product of Irish input, but one that is dictated by Germans, French and others. It is a realistic reflection of where power lies in Europe. Let there be no doubt whatsoever that this is not an end in itself. In this pact we will see the forerunner of further fiscal union down the road, which...

Referendum on European Stability Treaty: Statements (28 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: That is the demand that should have been made in Europe before we signed up for this deal. Before the Taoiseach signs up for this deal on Friday, he should promise one thing - that there will be a credit write-off for the Irish people as a minimum quid pro quo for this treaty.

Health Services: Motion (Resumed) (22 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: I agree with much of the sentiment behind the motion and understand the emotion being expressed on this side of the House. Even if one looks at the health service and the Health Service Executive in a very forensic way, one cannot justify what is happening. Looking at the figures in a cold, calculating way shows that the behaviour of those involved is unacceptable. To anybody who observes...

Leaders' Questions (22 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: I thank the Taoiseach. The problem is absenteeism, which has been created by the State. Smaller businesses cannot afford to take this burden. The Taoiseach is as sympathetic as every other Member and he is aware that it is not just a matter of small businesses being crucified by the banks. I am sure members of the Cabinet know there is a large build up of arrears because of small...

Leaders' Questions (22 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: This is not a militant group of people who are taking up the cudgels against the State or the Revenue. They simply cannot afford to do this. I suggest the conversation about them taking on this burden should end now because to suggest they can do so is unrealistic. Some businesses could but they will lay off large numbers of their workforce or they will close down.

Leaders' Questions (22 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: In addition, if they have to pay for sick leave, they will have to pay for the substitutes for those out on sick leave. I beg the Taoiseach to assure the House once again that, whatever conversation is going on in the Department of Social Protection, this proposal will be stillborn and small businesses will not be asked to bear that burden. He should give them reassurance today that this...

Leaders' Questions (22 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: I congratulate the Taoiseach on delivering 1,000 jobs to Deputy Adams's constituency in County Louth. Jobs are a success story for the Government this week. I welcome that some of the privatisation money will go to job creation. We should congratulate the Taoiseach and the Government for achieving that and it is right that we should do so on both counts. However, I issue a little warning....

Written Answers — Banks Capitalisation: Banks Capitalisation (21 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: Question 166: To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 122 of 22 November 2011, if he will confirm that all amendments to methodologies and changes to formulas applied by the Central Bank of Ireland in the period between receipt of initial instructions from the EBA and submission of final results to the EBA were fully disclosed to and approved by the peer review...

Written Answers — Teachers' Remuneration: Teachers' Remuneration (21 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: Question 236: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reverse the decision to cut allowances to new teachers in recognition of the fact that it expects new teachers to carry out the same amount of duties for substantially less pay than their counterparts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9428/12]

Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: The Taoiseach did not take my point on board. The tenders were flawed; this was not a competitive tender in either case. In the light of the history of the company, why was that?

Leaders' Questions (15 Feb 2012)

Shane Ross: This is a broad issue and I hope the Taoiseach and I are on the same side on this. How can the same companies, despite their records, win these contracts against very little competition? When it was asked how it had given this contract to Greyhound Waste in view of the problem it had with overcharging Iarnród Éireann, where it had to pay back more than €1 million, a spokesman for South...