Results 121-140 of 2,815 for speaker:Tony Killeen

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: The policies of the time were driven by the realities of the time. Among the realities was two major Opposition parties arguing for a continuation of policies to keep up that level of employment, including the Labour Party.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: At the time the policies of the Government on all of those issues were described as Scrooge-like by the two major Opposition parties. Light regulation is now criticised by the very parties which when I was Minister of State with responsibility for labour affairs criticised me strongly for operating a nanny state in terms of the regulations that were in place.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: I am not aware of any ghost estate that was built on foot of a tax break. Tax breaks were in defined areas which did not include the development of new estates. I distinctly recall during the previous election campaign when the auction politics was not led by the Government parties.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: The promises that were made on the other side were ones that the Government was not able to reach. One of the reasons the election campaign turned around in the middle was that people realised that the promises being made by the Opposition parties were not deliverable-----

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: -----and they decided the safer option was to go with the Government.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: As it turns out-----

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: -----it was in terms of dealing with the issues of the moment. The final point made by Senator Bacik which appears to suggest that the alternatives currently are to choose between an adjustment of €6 billion or an adjustment of €4.5 billion, conveniently overlooks the fact that there are two options available to the State at this time. There is the €6 billion alternative which enables...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: He is gone now.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: An issue arises in terms of competitiveness. There is an enormous challenge for this country in terms of job creation. Although we always hear about the 430,000 on the live register, 280,000 in receipt of payments are unemployed full-time. Many more are employed part-time or fall into several other categories.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: We need to address the large number who are unemployed full-time. We also need to remember that a great many of them were in employment and will be again if they have an opportunity.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: One of the challenges is presented by competitiveness. Since 2009 we have seen a 7% improvement in our unit labour cost relative to the remainder in the eurozone. This is one of the reasons the IDA and Enterprise Ireland have been more successful in attracting jobs; our export performance figure has increased by 7% this year, while productivity in the export sector has increased by 12% in a...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: For this reason, more companies, foreign direct investors and others are being attracted by the IDA than might have been the case otherwise. It is important, therefore, that we highlight the positives. Our competitors abroad, undoubtedly, want to highlight the negatives and have done so at all times. They did this during the good times; development agencies in other countries highlighted...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: The conclusion that everything should have been left as it was for any new banking regime does not stand up to much scrutiny. Senator Bacik knows this as well as I do. The reports highlight a number of mistakes. We have faced up to this fact, particularly in a number of speeches made by the Taoiseach and various Ministers in the Dáil. There were mistakes made in the system of taxation and...

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: If the Leader says I am required I am sure that is the case.

Seanad: Confidence in Government: Motion (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: The Leader has been informed by the Chief Whip that I must attend in the Dáil for a Vote.

Written Answers — State Bodies: State Bodies (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: I propose to take Questions Nos. 109 and 113 together. Performance awards for civil service grades are made to individual staff members and to groups of staff under a scheme for Recognition of Exceptional Performance of duty. In assessing eligibility for awards, regard is given to the nature and quality of the activities involved and to the circumstances under which they were carried out....

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: For operational reasons it would not be appropriate to disclose the information sought in this question.

Written Answers — National Drugs Strategy: National Drugs Strategy (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: I am advised that Naval Service personnel have travelled to the Maritime Analysis and Operations Centre – Narcotics (MAOC N) at the request of the Joint Task Force on three separate occasions since the establishment of MAOC N in September 2007. These visits were to planned conferences or handovers, and were not made in an operational capacity. The total cost of these trips, including...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (8 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: The table details the military directorates based in both Colaiste Caoimhin and Park House, along with the number of staff attached to each of those directorates and the ranks of those staff. COLAISTE CAOIMHIN COL LT COL COMDT CAPT LT TOTAL OFFR SGT MAJ BQMS CS CQMS SGT CPL TOTAL NCO PTE CHAPLAIN CIVILIAN EMPLOYEE TOTAL DIRECTORATE HUMAN RESOURCE...

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (7 Dec 2010)

Tony Killeen: Following the severe weather events that occurred last winter, in my capacity as Chairman of the Government Task Force on Emergency Planning, I sought the advice of the Attorney General in relation to certain legal matters that arose during the response including questions relating to whether there is any liability arising for individuals and community groups who clear snow from footpaths...