Results 24,261-24,280 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Freedom of Information Requests (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: I have given my view. I like to see accurate responses that contain as much information as possible. This is appropriate when Deputies ask questions. I have discussed this issue with the Secretary General and, in a spirit of openness, the Department of the Taoiseach publishes on its website a range of details on a quarterly basis. They include details of foreign travel expenses, purchase...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Freedom of Information Requests (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: In any event, questions from Members will be answered here by the Ministers concerned with the environment and Irish Water, and that is as it should be. This is a public utility. There is nothing secret about it and all of these issues will be teased out as appropriate. Deputy McDonald is aware from meetings of the Committee of Public Accounts of the full, exhaustive lengths that were gone...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Freedom of Information Requests (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: I know that the word "consultant" is like a red rag to a bull and causes absolute rage. The companies that tendered services to Irish Water were not sitting in an office telling Irish Water what it should do. They tendered for the provision of services, facilities and equipment. IBM, for example, provided hardware and software to put a system in place that actually works. We can be penny...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Freedom of Information Requests (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy was asking me-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Freedom of Information Requests (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy was asking me about a tendered service by some of the major companies for software and hardware as part of the provision of the facility. The salaries of the engineers who work-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Freedom of Information Requests (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: -----for Irish Water and of those agents of local authorities are known. All the details of the hours they work are known because they are all logged in. As I said earlier, the charges involved are driven by the needs of Irish consumers, not Irish Water or anybody else. The consumer is the priority here.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 2 to 4, inclusive, together. I met the leaders of the different parties and groupings in the Dáil and Seanad on 18 December last to discuss how best to proceed with reform of the Seanad. During the discussions everyone was given the opportunity to express his or her views and it was agreed that work on procedural reform could proceed immediately. All...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: That is too simplistic. When the Deputy talks about extending the franchise to all to elect people to the Seanad, there must be enormous consideration of the implications. I have no intention of putting in place a system over which there would be no control in the sense of citizens of Irish descent in Australia, America, Britain or Northern Ireland being able to directly elect a second...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: -----by virtue of the fact one has two directly elected Houses that could have entirely opposite views, one elected by a vast majority, way in excess of the electorate in the jurisdiction electing the Government of the people.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: Such a Seanad could have an entirely different view for entirely different reasons about where we stood. Such an issue will not be decided between now and 2016. It might well be something that could be considered beyond that time, but we should enable the Seanad, now that its existence has been confirmed, to do far more engaging work in a procedural sense and extend the vote to all those...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: I am not sure what the relationship is between Jean-Claude Trichet and the Seanad referendum. If I recall correctly, the Deputy campaigned for the abolition of the Seanad.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: The question of trust also applies to Deputy Joseph Higgins. He cannot come in with that one. The people decided in the referendum to retain the Seanad. For a long time I have understood one never argues with the people in a referendum or an election. Their decision is final; one cannot alter it.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: I did not debate. Never argue with the people’s voice - I accept this and it is perfectly clear. Deputy Joe Higgins claims we have only one proposal for the Seanad. The one proposal that is very clear in the voice of the people over 30 years ago, in a referendum in 1979, is that all graduates should have a vote in Seanad elections. We will deal with that issue next week and the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Seanad could review pre-legislation stage reports from committees and make recommendations to Ministers. Why not? New arrangements could be put in place for it to consider amendments on Committee Stage of non-emergency Bills of a detailed or technical nature. How many times have we heard about the wondrous amendments brought forward by the Seanad during the years? Give it the chance...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Seanad could review the reports laid before the Houses by public bodies. There have been references to the wondrous contributions made by Seanad Members. Accordingly, we should give them the opportunity to debate reports, make recommendations and see how far we get. The Seanad could review joint committee reports on EU policy reviews and the European Union’s annual work...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Martin asked a question about what would change.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: I will be followed in this Chamber by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform to deal with the Freedom of Information Acts and the whistleblower legislation.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy asked about what was going to change and stated that the Government had promised things would change.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: I am telling the Deputy about two elements of that. I would like to know what both Deputies Martin and McDonald mean by a democratic franchise in this regard.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (4 Feb 2014)

Enda Kenny: Are they talking about the global diaspora of 70 million people being entitled to vote in the Seanad elections or do they propose to limit this to those who have emigrated, who have left the country or who work for any of the institutions abroad for a short period? There must be some clarity regarding the extent of this proposition.