Results 181-200 of 504 for speaker:Mary White

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: This debate provides an opportunity to hear the positions of the various parties before the upcoming budget. While the Government is determined to take the right actions for the country in difficult times, I have yet to hear any good practical suggestions from the Opposition.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: The statements of the finance spokespersons of the main Opposition parties last night included not one constructive proposal for what should be included in the budget on 7 April.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: The only constructive thing I heard——

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: I hope I will have my time uninterrupted. I heard one constructive suggestion from Sinn Féin about recent job proposals. The coming budget must strike a delicate balance — like a high wire act——

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: ——between raising more revenue in a sustainable way and cutting expenditure where justifiable and providing new incentives and confidence in the economy. On the tax-raising side, the upcoming budget must be built on the progressive changes to the tax code during the lifetime of the Government. We need an emphasis on getting those most in positions to contribute to bear the load without...

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: It was established at the behest of the Green Party in case the Deputy did not know.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: The Deputy should listen to me because I have something very important to say to him at the end.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: On the spending side, vital infrastructural investment and front-line services must be preserved as must key infrastructural public transport projects.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: Those have been safeguarded to date by the Green Party, and it is important this remains the case.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: Spending on water services, housing and broadband are also vital to the development of communities and region as are front-line services in education. I want to speak about the carers. We were all at that carers' briefing today.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: It is very interesting if the Deputy would listen. Carers save the State €2.5 billion per year. We need to protect that and we also want to protect the half carer's allowance——

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: ——and in particular the Christmas bonus for social welfare recipients.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: Noli me tangere. The Deputies opposite can translate that. That is my message while we are on social welfare. That little bit extra at Christmas is appreciated and shows the Government has a good heart beating. There is also the need for new stimuli for the green economy. I urge the Government to hasten its plans to develop the supports and grants available through State agencies for...

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: I believe we will lead.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: I hope the Acting Chairman will give me a few extra minutes. Oireachtas reform is being debated in the House tonight. However, in the rainbow coalition, the first action with Fine Gael in power was to expand the machinery of government. It got rid of one Minister of State — the one with responsibility for environmental protection — but increased from 15 to 17 the number of Ministers of...

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: In addition, a "super junior" Minister position was created with a State car and programme manager as part of the package. In its programme for government, the rainbow coalition had a commitment to Dáil reform which would introduce a system where Dáil business hours would approximate to the ordinary working year. It had plans for a 34-hour, four-day week. It never happened.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: Its commitment to reform of sitting days was so strong that in its first full year in government the summer recess was from 6 July to 4 October. In its first lease of life it also created two new Oireachtas committees——

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: ——and the salaries of programme managers. At that time there were 15 programme managers. We now have two.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: Their salaries were increased from £48,000 under the previous administration to a whopping £78,000 by the Fine Gael-led Government. The Opposition is in no position to start lecturing the Green Party on reform.

Pre-Budget Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2009)

Mary White: We have taken the lead on this and our actions will match our words, not like the Members opposite.