Results 2,241-2,260 of 28,162 for speaker:Catherine Murphy

Education (Amendment) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (29 Feb 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Having often found myself explaining our system of school patronage to people, I decided to participate in a history session to understand it better. Much of what I learned about predates the foundation of the State. Our system is not at all obvious. One of its advantages is that it offers choices, but it also has disadvantages. Attention has been drawn to the fact that most schools are...

Education (Amendment) Bill 2012 [Seanad]: Second Stage (29 Feb 2012)

Catherine Murphy: I am referring to primary level. Class sizes in schools in these areas are always proportionately larger than the national average. Therefore, the use of the historical model for calculating school numbers needs to be questioned if one wishes to have a fair system, in particular where there are large class sizes and where there is a need for expertise for dealing with children with...

State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Catherine Murphy: We all know we had a privatisation which went very badly wrong, namely, the privatisation of Eircom. Not only has it been sold and resold, but the major disadvantage was the loss of the ability to roll out broadband. We have lagged behind and it has been a serious disadvantage in terms of developing the country. When we met the troika it told us it would not force the country into a fire...

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (29 Feb 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Question 27: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation when he expects to sign the statutory instrument proposed in January to fully transpose Ireland's obligations under the Council Directive 2001/29/EC relating to copyright law; if he will confirm that the wording of the SI as currently proposed will be altered before signing; if he will confirm when he expects to cease the...

Written Answers — County Enterprise Boards: County Enterprise Boards (29 Feb 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Question 35: To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the county and city enterprise boards that will move premises to council offices; if leases have expired on all premises being vacated; if not, the ones that remain; the duration and rent due to be paid; the transition arrangements that need to be put in place and the timeframe for same; if the existing funding arrangements...

Written Answers — Forestry Sector: Forestry Sector (29 Feb 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Question 165: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine in the event of the sale of the forestry assets of Coillte, the steps he will take to ensure that the open forestry policy of Coillte, which facilitates recreational use of these forests, will continue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11795/12]

Social Welfare Benefits (1 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this topic and the Minister for being here to listen and respond. The State should not pay more than market rents and rents should not be kept artificially high. I agree that affects all renters, including those not in receipt of rent assistance. We are on the same page on that. Renting private property is not a long-term solution. There was a...

Social Welfare Benefits (1 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Websites such as www.daft.ie show that people are being priced out of the market. There are no alternatives. I will certainly send the Minister a note on some of the cases related to children. From my experience, the tenant must always relocate; there has been no realistic alternative to date, although I accept we are in the early days. I have carried out an analysis of the RAS properties....

Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (1 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Question 23: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the percentage of landlords that have not agreed to the rent reductions; if they are clustered in particular areas; if she identifies clusters in which the rent assistance is out of line with the market will she amend the levels of rent assistance available; the number of recipients of rent assistance that have since the last reduction...

Written Answers — Tax and Social Welfare Codes: Tax and Social Welfare Codes (1 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Question 38: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the approach taken for those seeking a social protection payment who have left the US because they are undocumented Irish or who are Irish citizens who have been deported from the US, in both cases there is a ten-year ban before seeking to return to the US; the way they satisfy the habitual residency rule when family, business or...

Scrap and Precious Metal Dealers Bill 2011: Second Stage (2 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: I thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for putting forward this Bill which gives us an opportunity to speak on an issue of serious concern across the country. It is an honest attempt to address problems that have emerged with the trade in scrap and precious metals. It would be nice for this side of the House to have the whole apparatus of the State, including the Chief State Solicitor's office,...

The Gathering Ireland 2013 (6 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Question 58: To ask the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will outline, in relation to the Gathering event planned for 2013, if he is considering any genealogical element to the proposal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12636/12]

The Gathering Ireland 2013 (6 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: I agree with the Minister that the online availability of the 1901 and 1911 census information provides people with an opportunity to undertake research in advance of their arrival here. In the absence of many of the 19th century census records, the General Register Office which provides information on births, marriages and deaths is important. We must put our best foot forward in this...

The Gathering Ireland 2013 (6 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: When does the Minister expect to receive the report from Judge McMahon? Also, has the cost of implementing the enabling legislation been quantified?

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (6 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Question 484: To ask the Minister for Health the reason the pension entitlements of a person (details supplied) have not been finalised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12123/12]

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Question 3: To ask the Minister for Communications; Energy and Natural Resources if he will elaborate on potential future changes to the public service broadcasting licence fee structure, particularly with reference to the introduction of a broadcasting charge; if he will make known figures relating to the use of online services which would fall under the definition of public service; if he...

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: The programme for Government includes what the Minister has outlined. When is he likely to introduce enabling legislation? Is it likely to be this year? I refer to the scale of implementation of the charge. For example, people renew their television licences on a rolling basis. If a new charge were applied, would that be on an annualised basis? I spoke on another occasion of consulting...

Television Licence Fee (7 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: Most of us value public service broadcasting, and I acknowledge that it needs to be funded. There is major pressure on public service broadcasting due to the limited amount of advertising and so on. How extensive will the review be? Will it be a total review of broadcasting, taking into account not only internal but also external competition and dealing with the survival of public service...

Euro Area Loan Facility (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: There is a real desire, right across Europe and in this country, for certainty and stability. That is understandable because there have been several years of near chaos. The word "bailout" tends to suggest something positive. If I was getting a bailout from someone, I would expect to feel better about it and that it would lead to something more sustainable. When one looks at the numbers,...

Turbary Rights: Motion (Resumed) (7 Mar 2012)

Catherine Murphy: I thank Deputy Luke 'Ming' Flanagan for drawing up this Private Members' motion. Other members of the Technical Group and I were very happy to put our names to it because we view the proposals it contains as very reasonable. I was determined that conservation would be one of the issues to be discussed in this debate and this has proven to be the case. The motion was tabled some months ago...