Results 221-240 of 996 for speaker:John Gerard Hanafin
- Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2009: Second Stage (17 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: It was Mr. Micawber in Hard Times who said, "Annual income, twenty pounds, annual expenditure nineteen and six, result happiness; annual income twenty pounds, annual expenditure twenty pounds and sixpence, result misery" and the position has not changed since Victorian times. We must live within our income. There is no doubt about it, but the result of overpaying ourselves during a period of...
- Seanad: Order of Business (17 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader to outline the changes proposed to the running of the House in the new year in the light of the new responsibilities of the Seanad under the Lisbon treaty which has been accepted in all its parts and enjoys the full protection of our law and the Constitution. With that in mind, will the Leader also indicate that it is impossible for a unicameral parliament to undertake the...
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: I would like to share time with Senator O'Malley.
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: The truth of the matter is that the Government was faced with a crisis. The banking situation in Ireland was such that it was well recognised that there was a need to slow down growth in the property sector. We were talking about a soft landing.
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: The world economy made sure it was anything but a soft landing. We were well prepared for that.
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: We expected that there would be a significant fall-off in property.
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: We expected that a large number of people who were involved in construction would probably return to eastern Europe. As the economy had been going well, we expected to be able to divert funding to capital projects like roads, ports, the second terminal at Dublin Airport and the metro. That was the plan. We all know that Lehman Brothers collapsed, followed by Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae, AIG,...
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: We stabilised the banking situation in this country. The second job we had to do was to stabilise our finances. There are a number of ways of stabilising finances. We have gone as far as we can go on taxation. We could not tax these people as if they were cows to be milked, or draft animals to be forced to work harder. In fact, they were working as hard as they could. Business was doing...
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: One cannot reduce current budget spending by selling the family silver to pay for current budget spending.
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: One must reduce one's current budget spending. That is what we are doing now. Along with that, we are talking about a Government that is involved in enterprise and is ensuring the economy will go at an even keel. It has been suggested we are uncaring. The reality is that this Government does not lack compassion - it lacks money. We looked at all the different sectors, including those who...
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: Last year, there was a 7% decrease in the cost of doing business in Ireland. That reflected the international situation. Notwithstanding all of that, having nearly seen a collapse in the world economies in April 2008, as I mentioned, we have reached a point at which people can say they have seen the bottom. We know where we are going. We feel the Government is doing what is necessary,...
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Motion (16 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: Hear, hear.
- Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: I also welcome our new colleague, Senator à Brolcháin. It is timely, in the context of the appointment of a Green Party Senator, for the House to debate genetic modification. Perhaps such a debate could take place early in January. I do not doubt that there are certain circumstances in which genetic modification would enhance the green agenda significantly. Plants would need fewer...
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: I again ask the Leader to arrange for a debate on genetic modification. It appears that the green debate is in many ways being taken over by people who sometimes go against their own aims. The reality is that, through genetic modification, the use of nitrates for plants could be greatly reduced. Many who support the green agenda are against genetic modification. However, there would be...
- Seanad: Order of Business (10 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: When will people act responsibly in this Chamber and refrain from using inflammatory comments and words such as "attack?"
- Seanad: Budget 2010: Statements (10 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: I welcome the Minister of State. I am conscious that it is difficult to make cuts at any time. It is very difficult to accept them, but I am sure the people will find themselves resilient and understand that what was undertaken yesterday was necessary. That is the criterion to move forward. However, we had a choice. We could have borrowed again and seen the rates go up in the bond...
- Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: I ask the Leader for a debate on the use and misuse of figures by the media and the misuse of figures by groups that are agitating. In particular I refer to the wild claims of the Shell to Sea campaign that â¬540 billion - no less - was being taken by Shell in gas from off the Irish coast. It is amazing that 20% of the very same field was sold for â¬100 million. Somebody must be doing a...
- Seanad: Order of Business (9 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: That is not the only group. Some groups claim that foreign fleets have taken â¬200 billion worth of fish out of the Irish seas since we joined the EU. It is also wildly exaggerated when â¬8 billion is the correct figure. A television programme in the past two days claimed that â¬2 billion was being defrauded from the social welfare system without any proof whatsoever. These figures...
- Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: I seek a debate on benchmarking. Senator Norris has raised the issue of upward only rent reviews which has led to the anomaly of high rents, in particular in city areas, which has resulted in many premises remaining vacant. Despite the fact that landlords would have preferred to have tenants in occupation, the law provided for upward rent reviews only. This law has since been amended....
- Seanad: Order of Business (8 Dec 2009)
John Gerard Hanafin: The State does not lack compassion; it lacks money.