Results 2,041-2,060 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: I heard the consultant from Northern Ireland with my own ears last night. He said their superior performance was due to the existence of screening programmes, which do not exist in the health board areas we are talking about. In his letter published yesterday Dr. O'Reilly said interviews for the post had been held but they failed to fill it because of the conditions. The Taoiseach trots out...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Dr. O'Reilly writes, and I have no reason to believe he is lying, that the oncology and renal ward to which the Taoiseach refers has been approved but that funding has not been approved. What is the point in saying in the national Parliament that they have approved a dedicated ward for this purpose when no funding has been provided? The post is still vacant and, no matter what the Tánaiste...

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: If that is true, why did someone not tell the man? He had a meeting with officials after Christmas but he has heard nothing since then.

Leaders' Questions. (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: I appreciate that, but one would think that the officials in Hawkins House would tell him that if it is true.

Suspension of Member. (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Has the Ceann Comhairle been struck dumb?

Order of Business. (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: I agree with those sentiments. Prior to summer the Committee of Public Accounts asked me to prepare a report on this issue. I did so and all parties represented on the committee approved that report, which provided for better parliamentary oversight of the Estimates process and made specific recommendations which, with one or two minor changes, the committee as a whole was happy to endorse. I...

Order of Business. (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: The Taoiseach will understand if I say that after my clinic on Saturday, I had a couple of pints. I tuned in to RTE in the hope it would be a "Michael McDowell-free zone". I turned on the "Tubridy Tonight" show and there he was again. As a result of the reheated anti-crime package the Minister has launched this evening, will the Taoiseach give an undertaking to this House that we will have an...

Order of Business. (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: I am deadly serious about this. Do I interpret the Taoiseach as stating that normal parliamentary procedure will be observed and we will have an opportunity to examine whatever the Minister has now come up with? Is that what the Taoiseach stated? We have not had that opportunity with most of the legislation that the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform has put through.

Written Answers — Private Health Care: Private Health Care (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 186: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her health policy position on increased private sector involvement in health care here in view of comments made by the CEO of the Health Service Executive, Professor Drumm on his belief that health care services should be provided by the public system as much as possible and that it would be disastrous if it was not....

Written Answers — Drugs Payment Scheme: Drugs Payment Scheme (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 173: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her position on the cost of drugs in the general medical scheme; if she intends to encourage the use of prescribing generic drugs; when the negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry begins and when she expects to have an agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35484/05]

Written Answers — Hospital Services: Hospital Services (22 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 275: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the plan to transfer the dermatology clinic in Tallaght Hospital to St. James's Hospital owing to lack of funding for the Tallaght service from the Health Service Executive; if her attention has further been drawn to the inconvenience that this will cause to the many patients attending...

Leaders' Questions. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: I refer the Taoiseach to the legislation being put through the House of Commons today by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in respect of what are known as on-the-runs. A decision seems to have arisen from a side deal between the British Government and Sinn Féin to greatly broaden the ambit of this issue. This now seems to suggest that those responsible for over 2,000 murders can,...

Leaders' Questions. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: I gather from what the Taoiseach has said that he raised with the British authorities some points of clarification relating to the Hain legislation. It seems this is a matter of such gravity that it requires more than simply seeking clarification. I would like to give the Taoiseach another opportunity to say whether the Government has a position on the proposals in the British legislation. He...

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 3: To ask the Taoiseach if he has received the final agenda for the forthcoming meeting of the European Council under the British Presidency; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30323/05]

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 7: To ask the Taoiseach if he will make a statement on the outcome of the EU summit held on 27 October 2005. [31494/05]

European Council Meetings. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Does the Taoiseach agree an impression is abroad that the EU is treading water? Will he point out to the House any outcome of the London summit that would contradict that view? Will he raise the matter of the sugar regime at the mid-December summit? Does he agree with the serious concerns, particularly in the Mallow region, for the future of the facility at Mallow? I had the opportunity to...

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: On my behalf and on behalf of the Labour Party, I join the Taoiseach and Deputy Kenny in offering our sincere sympathy and condolences to the family of the late Liam Lawlor. It ought to be remembered that the past six or seven years cannot have been easy for the Lawlor family. They could not have anticipated his premature passing in the tragic accident in Moscow. That tragedy was exacerbated...

Order of Business. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: My colleague, Deputy Wall, has created something of a record. He had no fewer than nine questions disallowed by the Ceann Comhairle yesterday, or whenever the "Minister for Sports, Tourism and craic" was last answering. Apart from the question this raises about what it is that my friend, the Minister from Cahirciveen, does——

Order of Business. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: ——apparently one cannot ask him questions about tourism, sport or cultural matters. The Minister has no official responsibility to Dáil Éireann, for this falls within the remit of Fáilte Ireland, or the Arts Council or whatever one is having oneself.

Order of Business. (23 Nov 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: In many cases I can recall, assurances were given in the House that this would not take away from the Minister's accountability to this Chamber and from his responsibility to answer questions. Gradually, that is being eroded more and more.