Results 49,741-49,760 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Public Sector Staff (11 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Minister for his response. I am disappointed with some of points made in the reply. The moratorium on recruitment is by definition, non-strategic, depending as it does on when a staff member may be sick or is pregnant or approaching retirement age. It does not help in achieving value for money. It may be a method for reducing staff numbers but it is not a strategic way to...

Public Sector Staff (11 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: These are very brief and I have a question afterwards. They read: It is hard enough to go on maternity leave and feel guilty for your colleagues when you are being replaced. Imagine how hard it is when you are not being replaced. It is awful to have your boss put their head in their hands and go, "Great, well done". The following was said by a boss to a female staff member who was...

Public Sector Staff (11 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: I have discussed it with the Department. It is within the Minister's power. Will the Minister supply the cost-benefit analysis regarding maternity leave? Will he review the very crude approach which is the moratorium on recruitment? If so, will he indicate when he might come back to the House with some answers?

Public Sector Staff (11 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: If I may read a direct quotation, "The Health Service Executive says the decision-----

Public Sector Staff (11 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: I am replying directly to the Minister.

Public Sector Staff (11 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: I will send the information to the Minister. The HSE is on the record as confirming that maternity leave and sick leave is one of the reasons the respite centre is being closed. With regard to Deputy Fleming's question, the end of February date is a significant problem for teachers. I hear this many times.

Public Sector Staff (11 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: Will the Minister review whether the date can be changed for teachers because many teachers will be leaving the service half way through the year?

Recent Developments in the Eurozone: Statements (5 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: Understandably, there is much talk about sovereign debt and whether we can repay it. I saw some data yesterday dealing with our total external liabilities and comparing them to a bunch of other eurozone and EU countries. Our total external liabilities are a factor of 17 times higher than GDP. It was interesting that the next nearest country had liabilities of a factor of six times higher...

Recent Developments in the Eurozone: Statements (5 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: Does the Minister support quantitative easing as a policy?

Recent Developments in the Eurozone: Statements (5 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: Tomorrow I will address a conference of investment managers from the United Kingdom. When I asked them what issues they would particularly like to discuss, their first response was to ask me what economic reforms Ireland and its people are prepared to accept. This is a question the bankers, European Central Bank, bondholders and European leaders have been asking since September 2008. They...

Recent Developments in the Eurozone: Statements (5 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: The reason is that we keep telling them we will accept anything. We have accepted a great deal thus far, including the entire liabilities of a failed banking system which amount to €100 billion in banking losses or €70,000 for every household. Until recently, we accepted interest rates on the so-called bailout which made small fortunes for the friends who were allegedly bailing us out....

Written Answers — School Placement: School Placement (4 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: Question 242: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the case of a person (details supplied) in County Wicklow who was offered a place in a local secondary school following a section 29 appeal, but had that place withdrawn following a judicial review by the school and a second section 29 appeal; if he will seek clarification in the courts as to the...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (4 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: Question 628: To ask the Minister for Health in view of the plans to reconfigure medical services between St. Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown and St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin, and recognising that, under current protocols, the majority of heart attack, stroke and serious trauma patients bypass St. Columcille's for St. Vincent's the current numbers of acute beds in each of...

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (4 Oct 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: Question 629: To ask the Minister for Health in view of the plans to reconfigure medical services between St. Columcille's Hospital, Loughlinstown and St. Vincent's University Hospital, Dublin if he will give an undertaking to preserve the number of acute beds in St. Columcille's; if he will give an assurance that the total budget between the two hospitals will be ring-fenced, in order that...

European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Sep 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: On the basis that we cannot table amendments, may I ask the Minister three relevant questions?

European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Sep 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: Thank you. In his summing up in the House a few minutes ago and when talking about not being able to burden share with the Anglo Irish Bank bondholders the Minister stated that when this was done in Greece, it caused a run on some European banks. Does he accept that all that happened was that the markets factored in normal trading losses? That is exactly what would happen if we applied...

European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Sep 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: The euro needs to be devalued.

European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (21 Sep 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: On the Anglo Irish Bank bondholders, while I understand the Minister's argument, its logic is a little circular. It appears to follow the following route. Arising from an expectation in the markets that Ireland would not honour investors' profits and serious haircuts would be imposed, bonds were trading at significant discounts. However, as the Government made it increasingly clear that it...

European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I am going to vote against the Bill but not because I do not understand the benefits it offers. The interest rate reductions are significant and welcome and the Government estimates that we will save approximately €1 billion on debt repayments. This is extremely welcome. Potentially, the lending terms are going to be lengthened, which is also welcome....

European Financial Stability Facility and Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (21 Sep 2011)

Stephen Donnelly: This Bill, taken on its own, is worthy of support. It will bring about a significant increase in the lending capacity of Europe. It will give Ireland a significant interest rate reduction and a much-needed decrease in our annual payments on our debt. It will give the fund the ability to intervene in the primary and secondary bond markets. I agree with Deputy Ross that it is a sticking...