30 November 2008
Greens call for parties to declare Euro election expenditure
Six figure sums already being spent to cynically avoid accounting rules, says Boyle
Green Party Chair and European Election candidate for the Ireland South Constituency, Senator Dan Boyle has called on all ratified election candidates and their respective political parties to declare the amounts of money that they have spent on their election campaigns to date, and what they intend to spend in the period before the election in June.
"It is over six months to election day and we have already seen considerable use of billboards and newspaper advertising, especially in the Ireland South constituency. One candidate and his party must have spent in excess of a six figure sum to help build profile.
"There is no problem in engaging in such an exercise, but if such candidates refuse to state how much they are spending and where their funding is coming from, then this early election spending can only be seen as a cynical attempt to avoid have to account for their spending and frontloading expenditure that only legally has to be accounted for in the three to four week period before the election itself."
27 November 2008
Greens want to see changes to the system of public appointments
Speaking in the Seanad this morning, Green Party Chairperson Senator Dan Boyle called for changes in the system of public appointments.
Senator Boyle said: "I believe the Oireachtas should be directly involved in the approval of key appointments. In fact as one of the proposed reforms of the Seanad it has been suggested that one of the functions of the House would be to hold hearings on proposed nominations of people to chair State agencies, ascertaining their vision and agendas for the bodies to which they are being appointed to.
"Such a change, would go some way towards restoring public confidence in State agencies that has been badly dented by recent revelations,"
26 November 2008
Govt statement an important first step in bringing about public sector reform, says Boyle
Green Party finance spokesperson Dan Boyle has welcomed the Government's publication today of a statement on transforming public services. Recognising that this represents more of a statement of intent than a detailed plan, the Greens, as a party of government, are looking forward to fleshing out the details of on many of these proposals, particularly in relation to legislation, said Senator Boyle.
The Green Party Chairman said: "The recent OECD report highlighted the fact that, while there is much that is good and effective about Ireland's public sector, there are also many areas that need to be improved upon. For the Greens these include: the now artificial distinction between civil and public service; the lack of mobility within the public sector and between the public and private sectors; and the existence of restrictive work practises, which undermine the ability of some sections of the public sector to operate at their most efficient."
Senator Boyle continued: "I believe that the object of this exercise should be to enhance the positive aspects of our public services while at the same time identifying and removing the aspects which reduce efficiency and efficacy. This should not strictly be a balance sheet-led approach.
"The setting of a specified period of time during which this change should be implemented, means that there is an onus on the Government to bring into being concrete proposals to achieve the transformation of public services as quickly as possible, in line with public demand," Senator Boyle concluded.
25 November 2008
Credit Unions could provide greater finance to small businesses, says Boyle
Green Party spokesperson on Finance Senator Dan Boyle has called on the Financial Regulator to loosen the regulatory framework surrounding Credit Unions to allow direct lending to small businesses in local areas and the lending of greater sums of money.
Senator Boyle said: "It is one of the ironies of the current financial crisis that Credit Unions have had to operate under a stronger financial straitjacket than commercial financial institutions have had to in recent years.
"Allowing Credit Unions to lend more and to lend more specifically to assist local economic regeneration, is not an answer to the current difficulties, but it is a response where a combination of such responses are needed.
"In a climate where commercial financial institutions are tightening much needed credit for small businesses, the potential of Credit Unions needs to be better availed of."
25 November 2008
Boyle welcomes Cork incinerator costs decision
-Decision only made possible by participation of Greens in Government
Green Party Chairman and Senator Dan Boyle has welcomed the State's decision not to pursue costs against a local community group who objected and lost their case in court against the construction of an incinerator at Ringaskiddy in Cork harbour.
Senator Boyle said: "The decision by the State not to seek costs has only been made possible by the application of a principle in the programme for Government that those seeking environmental justice, particularly in cases taken on an issue of clear public interest, should not suffer for exercising that right.
"This shift of policy has been made possible by the participation of the Green Party in Government and the presence of a Green Party Minister for the Environment, John Gormley.
"Far too often in the past the State has sought punitive costs against those who have only sought the best possible environmental standards for their communities.
"I welcome this new policy and challenge the motivation of any opposition spokesperson who fails to recognise this new approach as being proper and correct."
17 November 2008
Boyle calls for 'Cinderella' tax break to be axed
Green Party spokesperson on Finance Senator Dan Boyle has called for a tax break clause that allows high-earners to escape paying tax in Ireland to be axed in the forthcoming Finance Bill.
Senator Boyle said: "One of the messages that must come out of the soon-to-be published finance bill is the stricter enforcement of regulations involving tax residency in this country. The so-called 'Cinderella' clause, which allows non-residents to come into Ireland on any given day and not count the day as resident in Ireland, once they have left by 12 midnight should be removed."
Under tax laws, people who are present in Ireland for more than 183 days are counted as residents and are obliged to pay tax.
Senator Boyle concluded: "The regulations should reflect that any day or part of a day should be included as one of the 183 days allowable. If this were to happen it would be a significant signal that abuses of tax residency will no longer be tolerated."
7 November 2008
Heads should roll in banking sector, says Boyle
Better regulation and moral standards are needed to restore confidence.
Regardless of how the Government's bank guarantee scheme is used, heads must role among those in the banking sector who have contributed to the current problems, Green Party finance spokesperson Senator Dan Boyle said today. Speaking at a seminar in Cork organised by LIA – the professional body for financial services, and the Insurance Institute of Ireland, Senator Boyle said that this will be particularly important if further intervention becomes necessary in the form of bank recapitalisation.
The Green Party Chairman said: "I agreed with the Government's steps to put in place a bank guarantee system. The emphasis in this policy was to give financial institutions the opportunity to trade their way out of the current situation. But as and when the guarantee is called in, there will undoubtedly be further pressure on public finances through additional borrowing requirements.
"If there are institutions whose liquidity needs – through fears of solvency – are added to, and recapitalisation becomes necessary, then those pressures will become publicly unacceptable. The longer such decisions can be delayed the better the decisions will be.
"Appointing members to the boards of these banks and other bodies will not be enough. We are where we are thanks to the culture within these banks and a lack of effective regulation. The people in these institutions responsible for bringing us here do not deserve our confidence to return us to fiscal responsibility. 100% mortgages, second life terms, lending amounts several times the amount of income available to those seeking loans on vastly overvalued properties are the worst aspects of that culture, and those responsible for this need to resign.
"We need to restore confidence in lending and to diversify lending purposes. Confidence in the property market will only return when prices fall to a more natural level. If people are not likely in the short term to take out mortgages to purchase properties, then an opportunity exists to promote green loads so that property owners can retrofit houses and make them more energy efficient. If we are to overcome this crisis, we need more lending, more effective regulations and better moral standards in banking," Deputy Boyle concluded.
3 November 2008
Boyle to run in European elections
Green Chairman selected to contest in Ireland South
Green Party members have selected Senator Dan Boyle to run in next year's elections to the European Parliament. At a selection convention meeting in Clonmel yesterday, Party members from the South Constituency endorsed the Green Chairman's nomination. Senator Boyle's selection will now go to the Party's election taskforce for ratification.
Senator Boyle said: "We have a responsibility to give voters an opportunity to vote Green at every election. In Ireland South the Green vote has traditionally been small, but I hope that my experience as a public representative will help significantly increase the vote, and place the Greens into the frame for a seat.
"I intend to point out the successful record of our two Green MEPs over a ten year period as members of one of the strongest groups in the European Parliament," Senator Boyle concluded.
Dan Boyle joins Deirdre de Burca on the Party's slate of candidates for next year's European elections. Senator Deirdre de Burca will run in the Dublin constituency.
