Results 19,681-19,700 of 26,953 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Section 37 is nothing less than a counter-revolution in the provision of social housing. It is the most retrograde and backward step imaginable in that it attempts to turn what it is a temporary necessity owing to the failure of Governments, including the previous one, to provide council housing into a permanent measure and to institutionalise the outsourcing and privatisation of social...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That makes no sense. Connecting amendments Nos. 16 and 17 makes sense, but amendments Nosl 16 and 18-----

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That makes absolutely no sense.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: All of the amendments will be defeated.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Is the Minister saying we cannot allow the sale of these units.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I agree with the amendments. The following point arises from a suggestion made to me by someone on the list in my area. In expanding tenant purchase, we could provide for people on the list to have the possibility of getting a loan from the local authority to build a house. It is something to examine. As well as being able to purchase a local authority house, we should consider the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Joint Sub-Committee on Global Corporate Taxation: Reform of Global System of Corporation Tax: EU Commission and KPMG (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Can I ask a one-line question of Mr. Lynch concerning his presentation? He expressed a little scepticism about whether anything coming out of the BEPS process might be applicable in reality. Did I pick that up correctly?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Joint Sub-Committee on Global Corporate Taxation: Reform of Global System of Corporation Tax: EU Commission and KPMG (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I ask Mr. Kermode to comment on the same thing. There is an investigation happening into the situation and particular transactions in Ireland, and also in Luxembourg and Holland. Does the investigation centre around the question of how that happened and whether the tax ruling that allows for it to happen is legitimate or predatory tax competition?

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Joint Sub-Committee on Global Corporate Taxation: Reform of Global System of Corporation Tax: EU Commission and KPMG (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I accept all that. I accept that we are dealing with a new economy, particularly in digital. There is also the issue of intellectual property rights, big global companies and where exactly value is being generated. These are, I accept, complex questions. Ireland, the Netherlands and Luxembourg - although I know less about the latter two - still seem to be complete outliers in terms of...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Joint Sub-Committee on Global Corporate Taxation: Reform of Global System of Corporation Tax: EU Commission and KPMG (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have made my point. It seems obvious to me that all of those things are true but it still seems to be heavily concentrated in Ireland and other places. Fair tax competition was mentioned as against unfair tax competition but I find it difficult to accept the distinction between the two. Let me spell it out. Competition in the area of tax is not competition on making things that are...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Joint Sub-Committee on Global Corporate Taxation: Reform of Global System of Corporation Tax: EU Commission and KPMG (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank the witnesses for their contributions to the committee. It was reported recently that in 2012 Google had revenues of €15.5 billion from its Irish operation, but it paid only €17 million in tax. That is an infinitesimal amount of tax. The reason it succeeded in paying so little tax is that it charged €11 billion of the €15 billion in administrative...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Joint Sub-Committee on Global Corporate Taxation: Reform of Global System of Corporation Tax: EU Commission and KPMG (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am reading it from The Irish Times.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Joint Sub-Committee on Global Corporate Taxation: Reform of Global System of Corporation Tax: EU Commission and KPMG (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Okay.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Joint Sub-Committee on Global Corporate Taxation: Reform of Global System of Corporation Tax: EU Commission and KPMG (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not mean to cut across the witness but I must stop him there. That is not the point I am making. We can debate that and there is much dispute about it. We have many figures about what the effective rate might or might not be. In the example that is in the public domain - I shall not mention the company again - the effective rate implied, and from the company's records, is about 2%....

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I wish to add my support for this amendment. I do not see any reason the Government should refuse it. Sometimes when we are dealing with amendments, the default position of the Government seems to be "No", even when they are very sensible amendments. That default response should not apply to this sensible amendment. In Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, the local authority does not generally...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (10 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is what it sounded like.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (10 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Use the National Pensions Reserve Fund.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (10 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: What is the quid pro quo?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (10 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Following on from the TTIP, we are all in favour of trade, but the issue is whether trade is properly regulated and accountable to citizens and whether the interests of citizens and the environment are protected. The critics of the TTIP point to the settlement mechanism proposed for disputes between investors and states, which means that multinational corporations can sue Governments for...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (10 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 19. To ask the Taoiseach the meetings he held with business and industry leaders during his St. Patrick's day visit to the US; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24237/14]