Results 121-140 of 162 for going forward speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Written Answers — Salmon Management: Salmon Management (26 Jun 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I would draw the Deputy's attention to the response I gave to the House on 1st May last on both issues. In relation to the issue of salmon smolts going to sea, the Electricity Supply Board operate 10 large-scale hydro-electric stations located on the Rivers Shannon, Erne, Liffey, Lee and the Clady/Crolly. ESB have advised that during the downward salmon migration to sea (March-early June),...

Seanad: Water Services: Statements (25 Jan 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: -----fixing public lighting and so on. The local authority is not going to disappear. It will be very much there and will be very much focused on the core issues. When Kerry County Council or Louth County Council makes a development plan, Irish Water must have regard to what is in it. In other words, if the council wants to expand zoning in Cahirciveen, for example, if that is a legitimate...

Seanad: Local Government (Household Charge) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (7 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...exceptions under which people who, by any recognised measure, are living in poverty will be excluded. Such people will not have to pay this charge. Senator Norris spoke about moving the debate forward. Although it is not referenced in these amendments, I draw Members' attention to section 12, subsection (1) of which states: All household charges, late payment fees and late payment...

An Bille um an Aonú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (An tUachtarán) 2011: An Dara Céim / Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution Bill 2011: Second Stage (2 Dec 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Mar a dúirt me i dtosach, is díospóireacht an-thábhachtach é seo. Tá sé mar chuid den díospóireacht náisiúnta atá riachtanach. Ba mhaith liom go dtiocfaidh tairbhe tábhachtach agus go n-athróidh rudaí mar thoradh ar na tuairimí atá nochtaithe inniu ag Teachtaí ar gach taobh. Tá sé mar bhunchloch againn go dtarlóidh díospóireacht chomh fairsing agus is féidir ag an...

Seanad: European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (22 Sep 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...guarantor, which occurred on entering the EU-IMF programme, and the potential transfer of EFSF rights, obligations and-orliabilities to the ESM. Subsequently, on 21 July 2011, the Heads of State or Government announced further measures to ensure the financial stability of the euro area and stem the risk of contagion. These measures include a new programme of assistance for Greece and...

Scéimeanna Uisce agus Séarachais (13 Apr 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta Ó Cuív as ucht an deis seo a thabhairt dom an cheist thábhachtach seo a fhreagairt. I ndiaidh na díospóireachta seo, beidh mé ag caint leis an Roinn ionas go mbeimid ag gabháil amárach leis na ceisteanna bunúsacha atá curtha faoi bhráid na Dála anocht ag an Teachta agus nach bhfuil freagraí iomlán dóibh sa théacs atá agam. Tá raon...

Education and Training: Motion (12 Apr 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Cuidím leis an méid a dúirt an t-Aire ar an rún seo. Tá sé an-thábhachtach go mbeadh díospóireacht oscailte againn agus go mbeadh muid in ann anseo ár n-aigne a nochtadh i dtaobh conas mar is féidir oideachas a chur i gceartlár ár bpolasaí, ní amháin i gceartlár na tíre agus na daltaí, ach i dtaobh cúrsaí eacnamaíochta de chomh maith. Is as cúrsaí oideachais is mó a...

Foreshore Licences (23 Mar 2011)

Fergus O'Dowd: Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta Mulherin as ucht an t-ábhar seo a chur romhainn anocht. Tá sé an-thábhacht go dtiocfadh toradh maith as. I thank Deputy Mulherin for raising this matter. What is important is that we have a follow-up to this debate. I assure her I will bring her comments to the attention of Department officials tomorrow. It is vital that there...

Financial Resolution No. 34: General (Resumed) (8 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...the national debt. Unlike the money he put into his safe, it may reduce overnight to a less significant figure. The Government's politics are a joke. The Green Party, which campaigned against going into government with Fianna Fáil, is tied irrevocably to them. The disaster that will befall the Green Party is of its own doing. It could have stood on this side of the House and fought...

EU-IMF Programme for Ireland and National Recovery Plan 2011-14: Statements (Resumed) (1 Dec 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: Dúirt an tAire go dtiocfadh an lá geal gréine agus an lá go mbeadh buarthaí na tíre seo thart, ach ní thiocfaidh sé go dtí go ndíbreofar an Rialtas seo as oifig. Is ansin a bheidh an breacadh nó fáinne geal an lae againn, nuair a bheidh lucht Fhianna Fáil imithe as Rialtas, do chum glóire Dé agus onóra na hÉireann. Caithfidh sin a tharlú chomh luath agus is féidir. Beidh...

Education (Amendment) Bill 2010: Second Stage (13 Oct 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...which could, prior to the taking of Committee Stage of this Bill invite in parents, representatives of the different churches and none and other interested parties to tease out where we want to go in terms of patronage. While I acknowledge and support the changes being made, I do not believe there has been sufficient or adequate proper public debate on all of these issues. There must be...

Airport Development Projects (23 Jun 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...million to build. The Minister commenced an operation in his Department to have competitive tendering for the right to run the terminal. In that context, Dublin Airport Authority did not have to go through the initial phase. It entered at the second stage and was in a position to compete against any player successful in the first phase. At least three significant international players...

Central Bank Reform Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Apr 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...such a deal, if it is not fully transparent and accountable, will be that we will not know what the assets are and the way they are being divided up. The public has an entitlement to know what is going on. I have every reason to expect that such dealings will be in public and that in regard to ministerial consent, if it is needed, the public would have full knowledge of what is going on...

Obesity Levels: Statements (1 Apr 2010)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...I am now overweight and I must reduce my weight further. The key message I want to give to Alana and everyone else is that it is all in our minds. It is a case of making up one's mind that one is going to change. Going on a diet does not make sense because that suggests I will go back to the way I was before I lost weight. I am not going back there. One must change what one does. The...

Commissions of Inquiry: Motion (Resumed) (1 Jul 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...happened in a hospital. I live in Drogheda and have visited the hospital many times. The truth is that Mr. Shine was always deemed to be an excellent surgeon. Late at night one would see him going around the wards. Everybody considered he was a tremendous, dedicated man, but none of us knew what was lay at the heart of his activities and about the evil that was driving him in his work....

Merchant Shipping Bill 2009: Second Stage (28 May 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...that issue shortly. The amendments now being proposed are required to improve safety of life at sea by ensuring that enabling provisions in the making of rules and regulations for the safety of cargo and passenger vessels under existing legislation are up to date. The intention is that they would then cover all relevant categories of vessels and would be sufficient to enable the further...

Industrial Development Bill 2008 [Seanad]: Second Stage (26 Mar 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...positive contribution and I want to build on a couple of the points he made, particularly in the context of County Louth. The first point I will deal with is the figures for unemployment. A year ago there were 7,941 unemployed in County Louth and today there are 14,524. The following goes to the heart of Deputy Noonan's point. Of those 14,524, there are only 262 who are on the back to...

Cost and Efficiency Review of Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann: Statements (26 Feb 2009)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...bus corridors must be developed without breaks because otherwise they cannot be effective. We also need to address the city's congestion points. More important, after 20 years of Fianna Fáil-led Governments, we need a change in thinking and policies in the Department of Transport. Ten years ago the Department of the Taoiseach published a document on reforming the bus market in Dublin...

Motor Vehicle (Duties and Licences) (No. 2) Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...to 33% on fuel. By aggressive driving I mean driving fast, braking sharply and driving without due care and attention. We need to change the way we think about driving. There is a need for the Government to consider more efficient, more effective driving. Information on how to reduce one's CO2 emissions, conserve energy and drive more safely and efficiently should be part of the rules...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed). (25 Sep 2008)

Fergus O'Dowd: ...to constituency boundaries are independently managed is an important aspect of democracy. Deputy O'Rourke referred earlier to the activities of the late James Tully, a former Minister for Local Government. In his day, another former Deputy and Minister for Local Government, the late Kevin Boland, also wielded a rather crude axe on constituencies in the interests of Fianna Fáil. Let us...