Results 22,361-22,380 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: I thank Deputy Martin for his question. There has not been any change in the policy that is adopted here. The number of people with free access to GP care is now the highest in the history of the State. Some 43% of people now have access to free GP care, while 40.7% have medical cards and 2.72% have GP visit cards. In the past two and a half years, there have been an extra 250,000 people...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: I am sure Deputy Martin will agree that following the change to central processing, applications for medical cards or discretionary medical cards are now all treated on the same basis. For years we had a situation whereby individual community welfare officers, based on their assessment, could make a recommendation for the issuing of a medical card as applied under the old health board...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: As an elected representative, particular claims are also made to me. The bottom line is that more than 22,000 people who previously held discretionary medical cards do not now have them because they are eligible for an ordinary medical card. Since this Government took office, more than 250,000 additional people who previously did not have a medical card have been awarded one. We now have...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: I hope Deputy Adams will attend the ploughing championships during the course of the week. It is an expression of modern Irishness and the evolvement of the former Spring Show into a magnificent showcase for Irish industry with particular reference to the agri-sector. As pointed out on a number of occasions by the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, exports this...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: We all share the fundamental principles which make Irish people different from many other peoples. Imprinted in our DNA is an understanding of interdependence and interconnection. This is because of emigration, which did not start in the past ten years but has been taking place for many centuries. This is one of the reasons the capacity to involve the vast majority of the Irish diaspora...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy did not ask a question. He made a number of observations for which I thank him.

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: He made a statement that we should reverse the cuts; he did not ask a question. Deputy Healy, like other Deputies, is in contact with people in his constituency. The Government is not immune to the difficulties people have to face and has been cognisant of them as we have attempted to make decisions, difficult as they are, to sort out the economic situation. Only this morning, the...

Leaders' Questions (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: We have a general policy of attempting to make homes more comfortable, warmer and better insulated. Some time ago the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, announced the allocation of €50 million for that purpose. I do not accept the Deputy's assertion that we have lost touch with reality. Very much on the contrary, we engage with people on a very regular basis...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. These questions relate to work undertaken by my Department regarding the Government's proposal to amend the Constitution to abolish Seanad Éireann. The legislation to abolish the Seanad has been passed by both Houses of the Oireachtas and is now before the people. They will make their decision on 4 October. As my...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: The answer to Deputy Martin's question is "No". The total running costs of the Seanad have been estimated independently by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to be in the region of €20 million per annum. That is based on the 2012 out-turn and includes all direct and apportioned or indirect costs. Direct costs relating to Seanad Members' salaries, expenses and staff costs amount...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: I do not accept Deputy Martin's assertion that this is a con job.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Martin has made statements about the abolition, retention and reform of the Seanad. He has not been consistent in his view about Seanad Éireann. He made an assertion recently to the effect that every party in the House campaigned with the statement that they would give the people an opportunity to vote on reform. Deputy Martin will recall that four years ago I set out a view on...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: Article 28.4 of the Constitution makes it clear that this House has the constitutional responsibility to hold this Government or any other government to account. This is where the authority is vested, but it has never been translated into a factual demonstration of the involvement of the people in a real way. However, that is what will happen with the changes in the way this House,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: Yes.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: I do not have any difficulty in putting that-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: I do not have any difficulty in making available that information on the website of the Department. There is nothing to hide in it in any event.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: As I indicated to the Deputy, in the case of every Minister in every Government-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: -----who has responsibility for a legislative item, it is that Department and officials of that Department who prepare the proposition and, thereafter, the Parliamentary Counsel actually drafts the legislation. As the Department of the Taoiseach deals with protocol, constitutional matters and so on, the aforementioned small number of officials - who already are working in other areas in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: I certainly agree with Deputy Adams on one point, which is that for more than 50 years, the political process failed to deal with report after report regarding the potential of Seanad Éireann or its reformation. I examined this issue myself and it is impossible to reform a system that would still be discriminatory and minority-based and still would not involve people in the manner in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Referendum (24 Sep 2013)

Enda Kenny: On the point about my standing for the abolition of the Seanad, this is the first time I have had an opportunity to do something about it. I made it perfectly clear when I spoke about this matter a number of years ago, that I would carry out an in-depth analysis of Seanad Éireann. Before the previous general election, we made our position clear, as all parties did, for abolition of the...