Results 46,401-46,420 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (21 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the members of the deputation for coming in. I will run through some questions. Then perhaps the members of the deputation can address them as they see fit. My first question relates to who is responsible for equality budgeting. I take the point made by the representatives of the IHREC to the effect that the Departments need to do this in the first instance because it needs to...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (21 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Ms Logan and Dr. Murphy are setting up the organisation. My view is that there is great value to the budgetary process and the policy development process for somebody to be providing an expert quality control, QC, role, just like IFAC does. IFAC is feeling its way into its role, but it is a very useful piece. Some Departments are excellent and have the expertise and the culture to really...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (21 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I also asked about the belief of the delegates that Departments already had sufficient capacity to implement section 42 and to do this big new work.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (21 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: My final question was on the size of the analytical team. I think my question on training has been answered. What is the IHREC's analytical capacity from both qualitative and quantitative perspectives? How many members of its staff can look at the departmental analyses and subsequently tell this committee that, for example, the Departments of Education and Skills and Public Expenditure and...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Expulsions (21 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: 198. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he can challenge an overturning by third parties directly affected with regard to the expulsion of a student from a secondary school and the subsequent overturning of the expulsion by the school board; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [17026/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (21 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: 385. To ask the Minister for Health if broadband Internet access is available to patients for each public hospital, in tabular form; if this service is available to patients on a majority of wards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16935/16]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (21 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: 504. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to conduct a review of public access to broadband within State-owned public hospitals, primary care centres, public libraries, Intreo centres, Garda stations and county council offices; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16937/16]

Estimates for Public Services 2016 (Resumed) (16 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: We are debating whether to sign off on an additional €500 million for the health budget, an issue I will address alongside the lack of an analysis provided for the Dáil on same. While we are discussing health services that need more funding urgently, I wish to raise a particular matter, that of Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital, about which a constituent of mine contacted me...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I will speak at twice the pace. The stability programme update, SPU, has become an important document. The Minister's officials very kindly gave me a briefing on this year's SPU. The detail in some of it is incredibly important and one would not get it without quite detailed engagement with the Minister or the officials. Mid-April seems way too late to me. I accept the point on sending...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: They do.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I am sure there is. We need to find the right balance. Giving the officials from November until mid-April and then giving Parliament ten days does not strike me as a reasonable balance.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: That is reasonable but we are operating in an environment where things change all the time and I do not think we can allow the logic of the Minister's argument to prevail if what he is saying is that things change all the time and therefore one should wait as long as one can to get as many of the changes in. Again, it is a question of balance. The Minister is correct. There was a...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I have just one question, which I guess is for both Ministers. There is a welcome commitment in here on equality proofing, poverty proofing and social impact assessments. I have been seeking equality budgeting for a number of years; when will the Minister revert to the Dáil or to whatever is the correct committee with a solid proposal on the scope of the equality budgeting and social...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister.

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Engagement with Minister for Finance and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform (15 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Is Deputy Noonan the line Minister in this regard? Is his Department responsible?

Insurance Costs: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (9 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I wish the Minister of State, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, all the best on his appointment. It is a great honour for him and his family. With financial services and government procurement in his portfolio, a background in nuclear disarmament may prove to be quite useful. I wish the Minister of State the best in his job. The Social Democrats support this motion on the establishment of a task...

Delivering Sustainable Full Employment: Statements (2 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: If we are to have full sustainable employment in Ireland, I suggest to the Minister that we need to do the following in this Dáil term. First, we need to increase investment in business-critical infrastructure, particularly broadband and transport. Second, we need to increase investment in our education system, coupled with serious reforms at secondary and tertiary levels. Third, we...

Workers' Rights: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (1 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes. We will share on the basis of four minutes, four minutes and two minutes, respectively. I would like to start by setting out what we would like for workers. There is a good deal of detail in and much merit to the motion. We want people to be able to work for a week and earn enough money to lead a dignified life, that they can work with security in their job, with certainty that...

Health Care Committee Establishment: Motion (Resumed) (1 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank all the parties and Independent Deputies who have signed up to the motion before us. There is much concern about the fact that we have a minority Government, and those concerns may, in time, prove to be well-founded. While I hope they do not, they may. However, the minority situation also provides the Dáil with a voice it has not had before. It provides the Dáil with the...

Committee on Arrangements for Budgetary Scrutiny: Business of Select Committee (1 Jun 2016)

Stephen Donnelly: I have three quick points on the terms of reference or the scope. I note on the agenda that whereas point b) is "Scrutiny of expenditure proposals and associated performance", a) is just "Scrutiny of revenue raising proposals". It may just be a question of semantics or maybe there is an assumption that all revenue gets raised and does not require associated performance, although recent...