Results 17,261-17,280 of 19,173 for speaker:Shane Ross

Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: I thank the Minister for his reply, which is most helpful in some ways. In the first instance, he specifically stated that he will, in effect, compel non-executive board members to appear before Oireachtas committees. Such compulsion was noticeably lacking in the past. The Minister's predecessor supported the decision of the non-executive board to decline to appear before the then Joint...

Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: Why did the auditors never discover such fraud or malpractice in the past?

Public Transport (20 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: If they did not discover it in the past, they are not going to reveal it now.

European Council: Statements (13 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: I welcome the tone of the contribution from my colleague, Deputy Healy. He unapologetically introduced the word "default" into the debate. It is time this option was put centre stage in Europe as well as this Chamber. Ministers are fond of claiming, correctly, that our standing in Europe has never been lower. Their political intent is to blame the previous Government. They are also right...

European Council: Statements (13 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: Hear, hear.

Leaders' Questions (13 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: The nation has been looking to the Taoiseach to reverse some of the malpractices put into effect by the Fianna Fáil Deputies sitting in front of me. In response to a question from the Leader of the Opposition, the Taoiseach stated that for legal reasons he is unable to reverse the orgy of State appointments made by the previous Government as it left office. That is not good enough. These...

Leaders' Questions (13 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: -----that the proposed solution to this problem was not just the advertising of these posts, which appeared to be cosmetic, but to interview the chairmen of various semi-State bodies in front of an Oireachtas committee. The problem is that the applicants can be utterly ignored by the Minister in charge, who can pick one of his or her pals just as Fianna Fáil did in the past.

Leaders' Questions (13 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: We do not want that to happen.

Leaders' Questions (13 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: The background is important in terms of cronyism. Can the Taoiseach confirm that we will continue to have a system of political appointments dressed up with some sort of popular input?

Leaders' Questions (13 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: It appears committees will have absolutely no powers of veto; therefore, the power of appointment will rest with the politician, the Minister in charge, and that political appointments will survive under this veneer. May I ask the Taoiseach a second question? This is very important in the light of what has happened.

Leaders' Questions (13 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: How will this rest when appointments are being made to the banks because the last Government typically appointed its cronies and pals, ex-Fianna Fáil Ministers and others to the boards of banks, on which there are vacancies? Will the people concerrned have to appear before Oireachtas committees also to be interviewed and asked questions to see if they are competent and not just political hacks?

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: I thank the Minister for taking this motion seriously and acknowledging that it was tabled in a serious fashion. Some of us resent the dismissive nature of some of the Fine Gael Members' attitudes to this motion, which they described as populist. That was not the intention; our intention in putting this motion down is to produce an alternative policy. There is an alternative policy. The...

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: I cannot hear the Leas-Cheann Comhairle because he is being interrupted.

Bank Bailout and EU-IMF Arrangement: Motion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: I am coming to an end now. This has resonances of what happened in France during one of the referenda on Lisbon, when the former French President, Valéry Giscard d'Estaigne, said the matter was too important to be left to the French people. Referenda are not a threat to governments; they strengthen their position in appalling situations like the one we are in at the moment. We are in a...

Bank Reorganisation: Statements (6 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: Hear, hear.

Bank Reorganisation: Statements (6 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: I wish to respond, in what appears to be an increasingly common trend in this House, to the main Opposition spokesman's contribution on this matter. The Minister for Finance must shiver in his shoes on every occasion on which certain Opposition Members congratulate him on what he is doing. It is increasingly common for these individuals to state that what he is doing is great because it...

Leaders' Questions (5 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: I agree with the Taoiseach on one point. Plenty of clarity and certainty has been introduced. The clarity and certainty is that the Government has utterly surrendered to the IMF and EU. They know that, we know that and everybody knows that. "Default" is, apparently, the word that cannot be mentioned in this Chamber. Is the Taoiseach happy that the greatest cheerleaders for his policy and...

Leaders' Questions (5 Apr 2011)

Shane Ross: I thank the Taoiseach for his reply. I would have thought a man of the Taoiseach's intelligence and knowledge would be aware of the serious dangers of setting up two major banks of that sort. The Taoiseach and I am sure everyone else in the House will remember what happened when Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland dominated the market in the past, namely, they ran a cartel or, at least,...

Corporation Tax: Motion (Resumed) (23 Mar 2011)

Shane Ross: Less than three years ago I went on a radio programme with the then Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Martin, to discuss the Lisbon treaty mark one. I voted against the treaty because the French Government was showing signs of launching an attack on our corporate tax rate of 12.5% and introducing tax harmonisation. It is no credit to me that the Minister scoffed at me at the time and...

Leaders' Questions (23 Mar 2011)

Shane Ross: I have some sympathy with the Taoiseach when he receives abuse for the transgressions on the spoils of war from the quarters from which he has received it today. I find it difficult to take because I see those who are accusing him as being equally guilty of things of which they are now accusing the Taoiseach. That does not mean, however, that he should not answer for what happened at that...