Results 17,001-17,020 of 26,924 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Sector: Discussion (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: One might suspect that the commercial banks would feel very threatened by the credit unions. I can see why. I hope that threat is realised because I trust the credit unions more with banking. Is that force at work? Are the banks frightened that if the credit unions expand their service offering it will seriously challenge the for-profit banking sector?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Credit Union Sector: Discussion (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The credit unions have my support. Sadly, I did not get speaking time on tonight's motion, but I will certainly vote for it. I hope we can advance this struggle towards a successful conclusion. I am bemused by the social housing issue. I have made that point. I hope that can be advanced. On the issue of the debit card, will the witnesses elaborate on what obstacles have been put in...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: This amendment simply asks that any budgetary measures that this or any other Government adopts would be assessed for the impact or effect on the most vulnerable sectors of our society. It would ensure that no budgetary measure would contribute to greater levels of inequality. I do not really see how anybody could say "No" to that. Surely any Government, regardless of colour or stripe,...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: What really worries me in the Minister's response and the responses of others on the Government side is that there seems to be no sense that there is a problem that needs to be addressed. Deputy Twomey tries to trivialise the matter by saying we hate the multinationals. We do not hate them and are glad of any job but we do not want to blind ourselves to the problems. The problems are...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (Resumed) (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The problem is that the multinationals are engaging in aggressive tax avoidance to the point that they pay tax at pitifully low levels. In some individual cases, the tax rate is estimated to be 0%. The US congressional committee and bureau of statistics are saying the American multinationals, the big IT multinationals, operating in this country are paying at a rate of 2%. Do we consider...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: They should not see it as being in competition with other farming activities, rather it should complement them as well as helping us to deal with the urgent climate change challenge.

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There are two aspects of this. One is trying to encourage farmers to see the benefits of forestry. I am learning as I go. We need to get the message across to farmers about how the different types of agroforestry can benefit them. They need to see it as a win-win situation rather than seeing it as a competition over land use for existing farming activities. We need to educate people and...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: With a bit of imagination that land could be used for forestry if it were given to local communities, co-operatives and so on.

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 6. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the role he envisages forestry playing in helping Ireland meet European Union climate mitigation targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41393/15]

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We have discussed forestry many times in this House. I was glad and, more importantly, champions of forestry were very glad to hear the Minister's recent comments to the effect that he sees afforestation as a key measure to deal with our CO2 emissions problems. In representing the view of those who champion forestry, I have emphasised the value of agroforestry as a key measure in mitigating...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister and I certainly are in agreement on the principle here, which I am very glad to hear. However, we need to be more ambitious and to push this as far and as effectively as we can. The Programme of Competitive Forestry Research for Development, COFORD, estimates that to achieve our 17% forestry target by 2014, we need to be planting 15,000 ha per annum. We are still well short of...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (25 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 39. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will establish a dedicated unit focused on ensuring that all farms make greater use of native forestry as a climate change mitigation measure, to assist Ireland in meeting European Union emission reduction targets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41392/15]

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (24 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The amendment I submitted on the knowledge development box has been ruled out of order for being a potential charge on the people, which is the new formulation. It used to be "a potential charge on the Exchequer". The new formulation is ironic in this case. If we eliminated the tax loopholes that benefit multinationals and allow them to aggressively avoid paying large amounts of tax, far...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (24 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Notwithstanding the clowning around, Deputy Durkan made one serious point on the environmental question and the merits or otherwise of bringing gas and oil onshore. He is absolutely correct in that regard. I believe most of it should not be taken out of the ground. For this reason, the State must have complete power of decision making in this area. If any of this oil and gas is brought...

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (24 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: While accepting that they had to co-operate with these companies to get the industry going, they committed to using the country's resources to develop a state company that would deliver all the benefits to Norway in the medium to long term. We have not done that.

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (24 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I brought in a jar of oil to Deputy Rabbitte one day. It was taken from the Connemara field. He said in this House one day that there had never been a drop of oil taken from the Irish offshore. I got a call from someone who worked in the Connemara field. He said to me it so happened that he had a drop of oil from the Connemara field.

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (24 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We are changing now.

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (24 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I brought in a jar of this oil.

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (24 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The interesting thing was that this jar was from-----

Finance Bill 2015: Report Stage (24 Nov 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No, no.