Results 1-20 of 178 for in 'Dáil debates' speaker:Tom Barry

Order of Business (15 Dec 2015)

Tom Barry: I wish to inquire about the stage of development of the human tissue Bill. We have an excellent anatomy teaching profession in this country and we have always been grateful for the donation of organs. We have a culture of generosity in that regard.

Paris Terrorist Attack: Statements (17 Nov 2015)

Tom Barry: I am very grateful to have the opportunity to speak on this topic. I extend my sympathy to all those who were killed, injured and affected by what happened last Friday night. It is quite astounding. No words could describe it. However, it has opened a new vista to Europe and the world we live in. We have to stand by our French brothers and sisters and our fellow human beings and say...

Finance Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Nov 2015)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak about the Finance Bill. Looking back over recent years, one of the primary objectives of the jobs initiative was to introduce the 9% VAT rate, which has been a huge success. This success has been built on by the Action Plan for Jobs. Since the outset I was of the opinion that once we got the chance to reduce the universal social charge, we should do so,...

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Tom Barry: Both the reserve and executive functions are important. We need to make sure the reserve functions of councillors are respected and that executive functions are not done without but are passed and are part of the reserve policy. I am worried that if councillors and elected representatives are removed from the process of accommodation, be it for Travellers or otherwise, what we are dealing...

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion. First, I would like to be associated with extending condolences to the Lynch, Gilbert and Connors families. The fire that occurred was such a tragic event that it is difficult to find the words to speak about it. Everybody has been touched by this dreadful event and hopefully this debate will help to focus on the issues and some good might...

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Tom Barry: People on both sides have real and justified fears. As mentioned earlier, in the past Travellers had a good rapport with settled communities in rural areas. They worked on the land as seasonal workers and farmers relied on them. However, mechanisation has changed this and people have moved on from that. Many of the traditional roles of Travellers are now gone. We need to work around...

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Tom Barry: The Deputies opposite may not agree with me, but people come to me who are afraid to speak. I am in the real world, but am not sure what world Deputy Ellis is in, but he is as entitled to his opinion as is everybody else.

Travellers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Nov 2015)

Tom Barry: Absolutely. Rights bring responsibilities also. It is important to remember that.

Sale of Siteserv: Motion [Private Members] (6 May 2015)

Tom Barry: I have listened to speakers in this debate and I am astonished at the level of detachment on the part of Fianna Fáil. The Minister met with IBRC and was assured that under the old framework put in place by Fianna Fáil, there was no monetary threshold for any sale of assets. IBRC was mandated to effect an orderly running down of the old Anglo Irish Bank. Wild accusations are being...

Mortgage Arrears and Repossessions: Motion [Private Members] (28 Apr 2015)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate tonight. The matter of mortgage arrears is essentially the fall-out from bad governance and we are coming to the end of what would be a standard curve in that respect. People were loaned money at low rates. The principal was even a stretch at a time when the country was in full employment. There were long loan terms with 30 plus years but...

Residential Mortgage Interest Rates: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Apr 2015)

Tom Barry: I am delighted to speak on the motion. First and foremost, everybody wants to see the banks returning to a healthy state and lending normally. While the Minister has no statutory role in regard to the passing on of interest rates in regulated institutions, we need to be part of this discussion. The issue for many people is not the percentage of the interest rate but the principal of the...

The Dairy Sector: Statements (Resumed) (25 Mar 2015)

Tom Barry: It is good to recognise the contribution of our dairy sector to our economy. It is a pity to have to do so tonight with no Opposition member in the House. I find that galling because we frequently hear about how the rural economy is failing and how it has problems. Certainly, there are problems but it would be nice to be part of this debate because the expansion of the dairy industry will...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Mar 2015)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Climate Change and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015. It is an issue that affects all of us, especially those of us in agriculture. It is very important to set targets and to have oversight of their progress but there is an inclination to set targets and to try to make the transition to a low-carbon economy without actually considering what that...

Dairy Sector: Statements (4 Mar 2015)

Tom Barry: Hear, hear.

Family Home Mortgage Settlement Arrangement Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 Mar 2015)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. It is a very emotive and serious issue. The dreadful fear and worry of being in a position where one may lose the family home is very hard to define. One almost has to be there to understand how serious it is. We must be careful, however, about any solutions we reach relating to very different times. A unique situation occurred in this...

Family Home Mortgage Settlement Arrangement Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 Mar 2015)

Tom Barry: I am all for some of the other items listed and would even discuss the split mortgage option. I have put forward many recommendations in the past and the Keane report has spoken about it. If a person is in debt to the extent of €300,000 and can afford interest and principal on €150,000 while the balance is parked, inflation means that whoever inherits that house will have a...

Family Home Mortgage Settlement Arrangement Bill 2014: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 Mar 2015)

Tom Barry: All I am saying is that if one wants to put something into legislation, one must be careful. I agree that there are banks which have written down while others have not. That variablility is causing frustration. I saw one bank this week which handed out an annual statement to one of its customers with the debit and credit sides but which gave no total for a full year. The person asked me a...

Income and Living Conditions: Motion [Private Members] (24 Feb 2015)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion. It is in the context that, between 2008 and 2011, some 250,000 people in the private sector lost their jobs. The motion states that the percentage of households suffering from deprivation increased from 24.5% in 2011 to 30.5% in 2013. Unfortunately, these figures are out of date. If the Technical Group was running a business, it would not...

Child Care: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (11 Feb 2015)

Tom Barry: Like many others, I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. I used child care for our children. Having facilities as good as they are today allowed us to work. Had they not been available, our careers would have been in trouble. Many people are sending children to school too early. Preschool is very important. Child care does not mean just childminding. The people who...

Housing Affordability: Motion [Private Members] (27 Jan 2015)

Tom Barry: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Members' business. It is timely, given the Central Bank's announcement on the new regulations regarding the residential housing market. Of course, the key objective of these regulations is to increase the resilience of the banking and household sectors to the property market and reduce the risk of bank credit and house price spirals, such...