Results 28,801-28,820 of 34,885 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Second Stage (23 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: I wish to share my time with Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív. I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 and have a number of points to make on it. We welcome the Bill and I doubt anybody in the House will have a problem with it. The Bill is designed to provide for a reduction of 10% in the rate of allowances...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 7 - Management of Fixed Charge Notice System (23 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: I am frightening the Commissioner.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 7 - Management of Fixed Charge Notice System (23 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: The Chairman should note that I am due in the Dáil Chamber after the second to next speaker.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 7 - Management of Fixed Charge Notice System (23 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: I must play it by ear.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Support Schemes (23 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: 14. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs supported by the competitive start fund operated by Enterprise Ireland; his views on the operation of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2965/14]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Enterprise Statistics (23 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: 26. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of jobs that were created through the county enterprise boards in 2013; when the local enterprise offices will be operational; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2966/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Expenditure (23 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: 209. To ask the Minister for Health if all organisations named in an audit in May 2013 of major hospitals and agencies funded by the Health Service Executive have replied to the circular requesting information in relation to top-up payments; the number that have stated that they are now in compliance with relevant HSE payscales; the number that are not currently in compliance but have...

Appointments to the Standards in Public Office Commission: Motions (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: I support the proposal to appoint Mr. Justice Daniel O'Keeffe as chairperson of the Standards in Public Office Commission and the former Member, Mr. Jim O'Keeffe from Cork South-Central, as an ordinary member of the commission. I know Mr. Jim O'Keeffe as a man of absolute integrity and I think everybody will be happy with his appointment. I cannot speak personally about Mr. Justice Daniel...

Other Questions: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: 14. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on whether all senior appointments to taxpayer-funded positions, including appointment to State boards, should be publicly advertised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2676/14]

Other Questions: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: There is general agreement there should be more openness about this process. We should agree on it and it is a question of how we go about making this happen. Some positions are referred to Oireachtas committees, for example, chief executive officer posts but we need to be more broad ranging and perhaps more people should be eligible for these posts and should apply through public advertisement.

Other Questions: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Minister. We are agreed on the principle but it is not being applied. The Minister mentioned his Department. Following Question Time, we will debate his appointments to the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO. I never saw the advertisements seeking people to be appointed as an ordinary member or as the new chairperson in the newspaper. The appointments were made in...

Other Questions: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: I appreciate the Minister received applications. However, members of the public watching these proceedings heard the Minister refer to advertising posts but then he qualified that by stating these are restricted posts under legislation.

Other Questions: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: I acknowledge it is the law.

Other Questions: Appointments to State Boards (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: I have no objection to the gentleman and I will have no issue with the appointment. However, the impression the Minister gave is that all these posts are publicly advertised and when I pressed him on a particular post, he replied it was an exception under legislation. The public hear the good news but when the issue is teased out, that transpires not to be the case when one delves into...

Other Questions: Commercial Rates Valuation Process (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: On a point of order, as the Deputies who tabled Questions Nos. 18 and 28 are not in the House, we should not take the questions together but should confine the slot to six minutes in order that we can move on to questions tabled by those who are present.

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: 9. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his views on whether the State is achieving value for the taxpayer from its privatisation programme; the use to which the funds raised will be put in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2674/14]

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: The purpose of the question is to elicit the Minister's views on whether the State is achieving value for money for taxpayers from the current privatisation programme. I refer to the sale of Bord Gáis Energy, a number of ESB power plants for which payment to the State will be made by way of dividend, and the national lottery licence. I also ask him to outline the use to which the funds...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: Will the Minister provide a timetable for the receipt of €1.2 billion from the privatisation of Bord Gáis Energy, the parent company of Irish Water? The Government has demanded a dividend of €400 million from the ESB, of which €140 million has been achieved through the sale of a plant in the United Kingdom. I understand the company has decided to sell two power...

Other Questions: Sale of State Assets (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: The Minister is essentially saying he wants to stage-manage the timing of receipts from the sale of State assets to assist the budgetary process next year. There is an unexplained figure here. Despite the requirement for an adjustment of €3 billion last year, the Government announced an adjustment of €2.4 billion on budget day. Some of the balance of €600 million was...

Other Questions: Freedom of Information Remit (22 Jan 2014)

Seán Fleming: Is the Minister referring to privatisation?