Home News Speeches Speech by Senator Mark Daly on the Order of Business 2nd April 2009
Speech by Senator Mark Daly on the Order of Business 2nd April 2009 Print E-mail

I ask the Deputy Leader to raise the statement by the Israeli Foreign Minister that he sees no benefit in giving concessions.  The Israelis have not been known for giving concessions recently and their recent invasion of Gaza and its strangling of the Palestinian population by ensuring no food aid got into Gaza in the five months previous to the first rocket attack by Hamas in many months shows the Israelis are in no mindset for granting concessions.  I ask the Deputy Leader to talk to the Minister for Foreign Affairs about Ireland's position on invoking Article 2 of our preferential trade agreement with the Israelis and perhaps linking it to access to Gaza that there would be no access to European markets by the Israelis unless they give access to food for the Palestinians.

I raise the matter of a very disturbing questionnaire sent by the FÁS branch of SIPTU to councillors throughout the country.  The objective of this questionnaire is clear when one reads the questions - for example, question No. 10 reads: "Do you agree with workers on the minimum wage [being] brought into the tax base?", while question No. 12 reads: "Do you agree that the lower paid and those on the minimum wage should be brought into the tax net?"  Those questions are almost identical.  Another question asks: "Do you agree ... the raising of taxes should affect mainly the wealthy and higher paid?"  I believe that taxes should be fairly paid by all, not just by one group, whether it be the lower paid or the higher paid.  Then comes the crunch.  The questionnaire states: "In the event of a non response received from particular councillors, we will record that [you] have responded negatively and advise our members accordingly."   SIPTU will go around the country advising all its members that this questionnaire must be responded to.  To say the questions are unbalanced is putting it mildly.  It is not a questionnaire, it is a veiled threat.  I ask the Deputy Leader to take up this matter with the Minister of State, Deputy Billy Kelleher, with a view to questioning, through his good offices, SIPTU as to the purpose behind this sinister questionnaire.

 

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