Results 241-260 of 468 for speaker:Liam Fitzgerald

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: I wish to share my time with Senator Hanafin.

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire agus is mian liom comhghairdeas a dhéanamh léi ar a ceapachán mar Aire Oideachais agus Eolaíochta. Guím rath ar a cuid oibre. I warmly welcome the Minister and congratulate her on her elevation to the Ministry of Education and Science. I have no doubt but that her Ministry will be a testament to a great commitment to education. She has tremendous experience...

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: ——into the future development of higher education. The issue first surfaced in the 1980s. The question of the closure of one or both colleges of home economics arose during this period, having regard to the demand for home economics teachers into the future. A report was prepared by a steering committee on the future development of higher education in June 1995. The president of St....

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: It was presented in July 2002.

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: I stand corrected. What happened subsequently has, in some cases, given rise to wild and unfounded allegations of political interference, cover-ups and ministerial intervention to suppress information from Deputy Andrews, the Information Commissioner and the chairperson of St. Catherine's, whom I understand is in the Gallery and whom I welcome. However, the known facts clearly prove that...

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: They simply do not stand up to close scrutiny.

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: The principal allegation is that the then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Noel Dempsey, simply binned or, at best, ignored the consultant's report. The then Minister has stated repeatedly in public that the report was thoroughly examined and that the options for the future of the college were set out for his consideration. However, some important aspects of this have not been...

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: ——but to suggest thus is to suggest that the quality of service at St. Angela's in Sligo is inferior. Nobody wants to assert that.

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: I am sharing my time. I commend the amendment to the House.

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: Can the Senator quote the Information Commissioner?

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: She did not say that.

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: He should draw a distinction.

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: Should the Minister ignore them?

Seanad: Educational Facilities: Motion. (6 Oct 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: That is a twist.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: The Minister for Education and Science is determined to reach the target of an average class size of 20 pupils.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: However, it is a case of prioritising how she reaches this target. In the context of rolling out the commitment, she must have due regard for special educational needs, which has been stressed in the House today. The Minister and the Government are firmly committed to reaching the target set out in An Agreed Programme for Government. We should consider the record of recent years. For example,...

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: I have. Average class sizes have fallen from 26.6:1 to 23.9:1.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: Will the Leader arrange for the Minister to come to the House to clarify the confusion that has obviously arisen among the Opposition? Some 4,000 extra primary teachers have been put into the system. There is a question in regard to the reality of supply over the coming years. The Minister is being forthcoming and up-front about this.

Seanad: Order of Business. (9 Nov 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: Let us deal with the realities by calling on the Minister to come to the House to discuss the issues.

Seanad: Public Transport in the Greater Dublin Area: Statements. (9 Nov 2004)

Liam Fitzgerald: I welcome the Minister of State at the Department of Transport, Deputy Callely, to the House. I congratulate him on his appointment to the Department of Transport with special responsibility for certain traffic management issues in Dublin and the major cities. During his many years as a member of Dublin City Council, he was never shy about making forceful and critical comments on how local...