Results 281-300 of 562 for speaker:Larry Butler

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Mar 2009)

Larry Butler: That is true and I would not disagree with that.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Mar 2009)

Larry Butler: However, we cannot afford them any more. What we could afford five or ten years ago is no longer affordable.

Seanad: Order of Business (25 Mar 2009)

Larry Butler: I call the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism and various other Ministers whose Departments are responsible for organisations that have quadrupled in size to come to the House to consider the possibility of reducing costs. This would result in a substantial saving in the context of the budget to be introduced very soon. Senator Glynn referred to the Health Service Executive. We were told...

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2009)

Larry Butler: I wish to discuss the disgrace of overcharging by general practitioners and consultants and it is time this House debated the matter. During the week I received a letter from a constituent who was charged €95 for a GP visit.

Seanad: Order of Business (26 Mar 2009)

Larry Butler: This is an outrageous sum of money for any GP to charge. My GP charges €50 and this discrepancy of €45 is between two GPs a mile apart. A similar situation exists in the consultant business. One is charged €180 for a visit to a consultant and all he or she will do is send one for an X-ray. The consultant will charge another €100 or €150 to read the X-ray when one returns. It is...

Seanad: Forthcoming Budget: Statements (26 Mar 2009)

Larry Butler: This debate provides us with an opportunity to examine how our economy has been performing in recent months. We can see the drop in revenue and that the model which we had over the past 11 years needs to be reorganised because it no longer works. We depended extremely highly on spending tax and now we can see that spending has dropped through the floor. Therefore, we must examine how we...

Seanad: Forthcoming Budget: Statements (26 Mar 2009)

Larry Butler: At 2.30 p.m next Wednesday.

Seanad: Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: The unemployment situation is becoming catastrophic, with jobs being lost every day. Some initiative must be taken in this regard. While we regularly talk about the economy here, we should allot the same amount of time to discussing unemployment. Among our unemployed are people from all walks of life, including accountants, architects and solicitors. The Minister should consider putting...

Seanad: Economic and Recovery Authority: Motion (1 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: I thank the Fine Gael Party for putting a good motion before us on which we have had a good debate, but I will be supporting the amendment to it. I am delighted Fine Gael has put forward some good ideas with which I could certainly agree. It is a much more positive approach for an Opposition party to put forward proposals, with many of which the Government can agree and is already...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. He has done outstanding work since going into the Department. He has used his imagination, skill and knowledge to put packages together for local authorities. Last week, I heard him speak in Kilkenny and I was very impressed with his approach to housing. As we know, local authorities have a glut of affordable housing in stock. It is fair to...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: Very little of that is happening since the Government——

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: ——recapitalised the banks. The banks are taking a more social approach. The banks examined how payments could be deferred and paying interest only and they even discussed examining a rental system. In fairness, the banks are considering problems which might arise. Previously, I mentioned to the Minister of State that it would be a good idea where people are in trouble with the banks...

Seanad: Affordable Housing: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: The Minister of State is correct.

Seanad: Elder Abuse: Statements (8 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Hoctor, for outlining the care dedicated to older persons. As a member of a health board for ten years I had the opportunity to visit many elderly care centres throughout the country, which was an education. I will not deal with the problems regarding health care for the elderly as it has been addressed by a number of other speakers. However, it is...

Seanad: Appointments to State Agencies and Public Bodies: Motion (8 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: I support this important motion. It is important that people who serve on public boards are quality appointees. We must ensure members of public and State boards have knowledge of what they are doing on those boards. In the past, Fine Gael and the Labour Party put their own colleagues and supporters on boards. I have seen the appointments down through the years. I doubt that they are in...

Seanad: Supplementary Budget Statement 2009: Statements (9 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: The Labour Party's record on the old age pension is not great.

Seanad: Supplementary Budget Statement 2009: Statements (9 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: This was a very difficult budget. Everybody would agree that it was not the type of budget a Government would want to introduce before elections in June. We have put the country first and the elections second. It was a brave, honest and realistic attempt to get our finances into a corrective state. The Minister has achieved that, by and large. Economists and the international markets...

Seanad: Order of Business (23 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: I agree with Senator Quinn that we should have a debate on our energy approach and how we will position ourselves in terms of the European grid. It is vitally important. A group of engineers and architects approached me recently about a study they have done regarding wind and water energy. They have done a detailed survey and found that wind energy is very good when the wind is blowing,...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Apr 2009)

Larry Butler: I support Senator Glynn's call for proper management of social housing and the anti-social behaviour that takes place in local authority housing estates. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council found it necessary to introduce a scheme whereby people on its housing list had to undergo a course before getting a house. It is a management course on how a house is run, the equipment in the house...

Seanad: Energy Resources: Motion (6 May 2009)

Larry Butler: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Seanad Éireann" and substitute the following: "commends the Government for its comprehensive actions to ensure a sustainable energy future for Ireland, delivering a reliable supply, efficient use of energy, competitive prices and diverse fully sustainable energy sources through: • ensuring that electricity supply consistently meets demand;...