Results 141-154 of 154 for 5 million speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Seanad: Order of Business (22 Oct 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: Will the Acting Leader ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Phil Hogan, to clarify whether the €10 million announced for the pyrite resolution fund will, as we are now hearing, be closer to €50 million over two years? If correct, the increased allocation is a welcome development. Will the Acting Leader also ask the Minister when he...

Seanad: An Bille um an Dara Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Deireadh a Chur le Seanad Éireann) 2013: An Tuarascáil - Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013: Report Stage (17 Jul 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: ...this country, it is that less scrutiny and regulation did the country more damage. We are living with that. Is it right that a Government with the largest majority in the history of the State, at 58 seats and declining, vested power it four Ministers so that even the Cabinet is irrelevant and that budgets are decided by four people? A trade union official and three teachers decide what...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 May 2013)

Darragh O'Brien: ...assured by the Minister for Health, in particular, that the cuts to home help services would be reversed. The fact is that they have not been. What is the information of the Deputy Leader on the €8 million cut that was brought forward? My information is that no additional hours have been allocated. There are more people in home help services, with the same amount of funding, and...

Seanad: Budget 2013: Statements (5 Dec 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not think we need pension pots of ¤1.2 million anymore. The State cannot afford it. I would be worried about the Government's growth projections for the future. I think hauliers should be happy with the diesel rebate. We should be straight about the fact that the property tax will crucify Dublin and other urban areas. It was a plank of Labour Party policy that there was to be no...

Seanad: Youth Unemployment and Public Policy: Address by Professor Christopher Pissarides (Resumed) (8 Nov 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I welcome Professor Pissarides to the House. He referred to the importance of capital investment. Up to 2010 this country had a capital investment programme of up to 5% of GNP and it is now closer to 3%. A cut in the capital programme is seen by many governments as being the easy option. In the most recent budget there was a further cut of ¤750 million. It is difficult for governments...

Seanad: Address by Mr. Drew Nelson, Grand Secretary of the Grand Orange Lodge of Ireland (3 Jul 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: .... We all share the burden of history and there are victims on all sides. We must all look forward to the future together as we seek peacefully to share this small island of little more than 5 million people. People on both parts of the island and from both traditions are struggling with the same problems and concerns on a daily basis. While recognising our shared traditions, we should...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2012 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (22 Mar 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: I want clarification on this section, which relates to the increase in the imputed income to 5% or 6% for approved retirement funds, ARF, or a vested PRSA in excess of €2 million. The previous Government introduced the imputed annual distribution on approved retirement funds and it makes sense. There are also significant changes to section 18, resulting in the reduction of the allowable...

Seanad: Food Wastage: Motion (15 Feb 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: ...Skerries. This business was set up by an individual with no Government support. There a lot of potential at that level. There are some areas in which we are now a major producer. If we go back 25 years, we were nowhere in mushroom production and now look where we are. Peppers production is another example. All of these items can be produced under glass. These are areas in which we...

Seanad: HSE National Service Plan: Statements, Questions and Answers (14 Feb 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: ...it was sometimes justified. He should always bear this in mind. I have some questions for the Minister. However, I would like to start on a positive note. I very much welcome the additional €35 million and 400 staff in the mental health sector, an issue we discussed with the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch. This is crucially important. I am glad to say that, as the Minister...

Seanad: Energy (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Feb 2012)

Darragh O'Brien: .... Rossport is another example. Regardless of the views on the matter, I do not see why any energy company in the oil or gas exploration area would want to do business in Ireland if it takes 15 years to bring gas into Ireland. All Governments and all Ministers will have to determine how this issue can be dealt with better at the planning stage. I would like to raise a couple of issues...

Seanad: Order of Business (5 Jul 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: .... On other issues, I welcome the report of the independent review group on the national children's hospital and that the group has effectively confirmed the decision of the McKinsey report of 2005, namely, that the Mater Hospital site is suitable for this hospital, contrary to many remarks made by the current Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, while in opposition. In that vein, and...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Darragh O'Brien: ...reasonable gap between Second Stage on Wednesday and Committee and Remaining Stages on Thursday. In the Minister's opening remarks, he mentioned the date of the Department's establishment as being 5 July, not 1 July. While that is welcome, I am concerned by the haste with which the Bill has been introduced in the House and the fact that our schedule has undergone four changes, either at...

Pre-Budget Statements (24 Mar 2009)

Darragh O'Brien: ...loss in confidence and a drastic decrease in the public finances which needs to be addressed. In doing so, however, we must remember from where we have come. As I stand here today, more than 1.8 million people are at work in Ireland, nearly double the number at work only 20 years ago. This budget must ensure we do everything in our power to protect current jobs and to continue to...

Public Finances: Motion (4 Mar 2009)

Darragh O'Brien: ...in six financial institutions in Ireland. The scheme did not come free and all institutions concerned will have to pay for it over the two-year term which should net the taxpayer up to €0.5 billion. The scheme protected normal savers and, just as importantly, the 250,000 people working in the financial services industry. We were the first in Europe to act and many other countries...