Results 241-260 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe
- Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (31 Jan 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: As indicated in the reply to Question No. 438 of 15 December 2005, my Department is awaiting the submission by Mayo County Council of proposals for the acceptance of a tender for the provision of a new fire station at Westport. Until the tender process has been completed, it will not be possible to indicate when construction will commence.
- Water and Sewerage Schemes. (8 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue. A huge range of important water services infrastructure is being progressed in Kildare at present with the support of unprecedented Exchequer funding from the national development plan. The investment in such infrastructure has made a key contribution to the economic growth that has benefited every part of Ireland, with Kildare very much to...
- Local Authority Staff. (8 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: I thank both Deputies for raising this important issue. A scheme for performance related awards for the local authority sector for managers, assistant managers and directors of services was introduced in 2003 following the recommendation of the review body on higher remuneration in the public sector in its report of 25 September 2000. The review body recommended that a committee for...
- Local Authority Staff. (8 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: The committee's mandate is to make an independent determination of awards in accordance with the scheme formulated by the Department with the approval of the Department of Finance and which is consistent with principles recommended by report No. 38 of the review body. Under the scheme, participants prepare a statement of objectives at the beginning of the year and a self-assessment of...
- Local Authority Staff. (8 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: In the two years covered by the reports, awards to county and city managers ranged between 8% and 12% with an average award of 10.12%.
- Local Authority Staff. (8 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: In the case of grades other than manager, awards ranged between 4% and 15% with an average award of 9.9%. The maximum award of 20% was not made in any case. The average annual cost of the awards so far has been approximately â¬2.1 million across the local government sector. The annual reports clearly set out relevant details of the scheme with the main exception of details concerning...
- Local Authority Staff. (8 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: The commissioner in the decision stated that public servants, as with all employees, are entitled to a degree of privacyââ
- Local Authority Staff. (8 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: ââin the evaluation of their work performance, competence or ability and found that this type of information is held by public bodies on the understanding that it would be treated by them as confidential. The commissioner found that, on balance, the public interest in protecting the right to privacy outweighed the public interest that the information be granted. The operation of schemes...
- Local Authority Staff. (8 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: I have no doubt both Deputies will take the opportunity to make such a submission.
- Order of Business. (9 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: Deputy Rabbitte fell asleep on the back foot.
- Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (9 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: My Department has recently sanctioned a proposal from Mayo County Council to accept a tender for the construction of a combined fire station and coast guard centre at Achill Sound, County Mayo. I understand that a formal contract has not yet been entered into between Mayo County Council and the preferred bidder and it would not therefore be appropriate to identify the prospective contractor...
- Seanad: Job Creation. (9 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: Senator Browne has raised what is obviously an extremely important issue in his local area. State support for enterprise and job creation is channelled through the Industrial Development Agency Ireland, which has responsibility for foreign direct investment, and Enterprise Ireland, which concentrates on the development of indigenous industries. Although the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and...
- Seanad: Job Creation. (9 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: IDA Ireland has assured the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment that it is committed to the development of County Carlow and is actively promoting Carlow town for new foreign investment in international services and high-value manufacturing activities. IDA Ireland has invested almost â¬11.5 million to date in developing the Carlow business and technology park on the Dublin Road....
- Seanad: Job Creation. (9 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: There are many positives in what Senator Browne said about Carlow. As I said, the proper structures are being put in place in Carlow and co-ordinated efforts are now being made to ensure that Carlow receives the benefits that many other towns in a central or hub position have received. The science building and other buildings that Senator Browne mentioned augur extremely well for Carlow. In a...
- Written Answers — Planning Issues: Planning Issues (14 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114 and 161 together. Under the Planning and Development Act 2000, planning authorities may include in their development plans objectives regulating, restricting or controlling development in areas at risk of flooding. Where development is proposed in an area at risk of flooding, it is a matter for each planning authority to evaluate such risk, on the basis of...
- Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (14 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: I propose to take Questions Nos. 125, 164 and 171 together. Ireland signed the Aarhus Convention on Access to Information, Public Participation in Decision-Making and Access to Justice in Environmental Matters on 25 June 1998. Progress towards ratification of the convention is closely aligned with work at EU level. To date, the European Union has adopted two directives as part of the...
- Rent Supplement: Motion (Resumed). (15 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: Last night the House was treated to a lesson in playschool statistics and economics from the Fine Gael and Labour parties. It is not our intention on this side of the House to insult children at play. Instead, we would like to be instructive. For those Deputies who missed the Opposition parties' double act, let me recap on some of the best and most humorous contributions to the debate. It...
- Rent Supplement: Motion (Resumed). (15 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: If these are not houses, what are they â buses?
- Rent Supplement: Motion (Resumed). (15 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: The Opposition also stated that waiting lists grow and grow.
- Rent Supplement: Motion (Resumed). (15 Feb 2006)
Batt O'Keeffe: They might grow under Labour-Fine Gael Governments but not under this Government. Despite major population increases and an even greater growth in the number of households, the total number of households on local authority waiting lists declined by almost 10% between 2002 and 2005.