Results 2,961-2,980 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (30 Nov 2011)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this important debate. I will begin by acknowledging some of the contributions from the other side of the House. It is important that we have ongoing engagement and proactive discussions. This issue is creating a great deal of fear among the public. In my own constituency, that fear was facilitated by obvious scaremongering during the summer,...

Written Answers — Tax Collection: Tax Collection (6 Dec 2011)

Joe McHugh: Question 31: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will internally review the efficiency of collections by Revenue; if the fees charged by bailiffs represent value for money for taxpayers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38478/11]

Written Answers — Inland Fisheries: Inland Fisheries (6 Dec 2011)

Joe McHugh: Question 219: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will consider allowing angling clubs or volunteers to carry out some rehabilitation works on spawning beds in County Donegal rivers that are listed by him as closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38477/11]

Written Answers — Pension Provisions: Pension Provisions (7 Dec 2011)

Joe McHugh: Question 40: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if there is deliberation within her Department on the pension claims of community employment supervisors; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39146/11]

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (7 Dec 2011)

Joe McHugh: Question 77: To ask the Minister for Health if he refunds local authorities for charges that they may incur in the removal of fatal victims from the scenes of accidents; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39145/11]

Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Joe McHugh: I wish to share time with Deputy John O'Mahony.

Social Welfare Bill 2011: Second Stage (8 Dec 2011)

Joe McHugh: I welcome this opportunity to speak on the Bill, which I wish to put in an economic, political and social context because it is important to do so. We are all very aware of the economics and we have already removed €20 billion from the economy. We have removed €3.8 billion in the budget and we have a national target for our deficit of 3% of GDP by 2015. Intertwined with this we have a...

Written Answers — School Transport: School Transport (13 Dec 2011)

Joe McHugh: Question 105: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount of money spent by him on school transport annually since 2007; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39861/11]

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (14 Dec 2011)

Joe McHugh: Question 45: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the effect that budget 2012 will have on the potential of the Irish fishing industry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38958/11]

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (11 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: Question 1062: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his rationalisation of the State agencies and bodies that are funded and commissioned by his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1598/12]

Written Answers — Marine Safety: Marine Safety (11 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: Question 1065: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the initiatives he has undertaken to improve the number of fishermen wearing lifejackets; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38957/11]

Private Members' Business. Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (12 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the fact that the Minister has given a commitment to review the position of DEIS band one and band one schools in the context of the recent budget changes. He has taken a proactive approach to this matter and just prior to Christmas he indicated that he would be prepared to consider the position of schools on a case-by-case basis. I welcome that development. Schools have engaged...

Jobs Initiative (12 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: Question 11: To ask the Minister for Transport; Tourism and Sport the impact of the jobs initiative on tourism, with particular reference to the reduced lower VAT rate and the British-Irish tourism visa waiver scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1528/12]

Written Answers — Tourism Promotion: Tourism Promotion (12 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: Question 73: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide an update on the developments in outdoor tourism including off-road biking tourism; his views on the work that Fáilte Ireland is doing in this respect; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1552/12]

Legal Services Regulation Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the opportunity to speak to the Bill, about which I have spoken to the Minister on a one-to-one basis on several occasions. To be honest, there is anxiety about it and I do not think it is a fear of change on the part of the profession either in the Law Society or the Bar Council or among their representative members. It is not an anxiety we can dismiss or leave aside. From...

Telecommunications Services (25 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister. I am glad to have the opportunity to reiterate the sentiments I expressed and observations I made at the relevant committee in 2010. This debate provides an opportunity to appraise the position with regard to the level of mobile phone coverage available in Ireland and also to consider what has happened since 2010. In the period 2008 to 2010, there was a 30% increase...

Telecommunications Services (25 Jan 2012)

Joe McHugh: I appreciate the Minister's clarification and I appreciate the work in which he is involved. There are rural areas with no masts and where the dongle can be used on a laptop as well. That has all been acknowledged. The Minister is correct to say that these are private sector players and that he does not have a direct role in what they invest, but we have a role through ComReg. Consumers...

Health Service Plan 2012: Statements (Resumed) (2 Feb 2012)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. I will be parochial in my contribution and I hope it will be of value. I refer to the Donegal model of community service, assessment and intervention, of which the Minister of State will be well aware. The model is worth pursuing at a national level. Having spoken to practitioners within the sector and to stakeholders we should consider the...

Teaching Council (7 Feb 2012)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ciarán Cannon. I have been contacted by numerous teachers who have been trying to get accreditation for a long period of time from the Teaching Council. In one instance, a teacher with 17 years experience has been waiting for more than two years, while another teacher with specific qualifications in applied mathematics has been waiting for more than a...

Teaching Council (7 Feb 2012)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the Minister of State's response and appreciate his offer to work with me in addressing my concerns. I look forward to working with him on the matter. On a broader level, the single biggest sickness in the country in the past 20 years has been the increase in bureaucracy and red tape. It will be difficult to grasp this nettle. We need to change to a culture in which efficiency...