Results 29,801-29,820 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Freedom of Information Requests (16 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The information requested in relation to requests received by the Department of the Taoiseach under Freedom of Information from 2009 to 2015 is set out in the following tables. # Total FOI Requests Granted Part Granted Refused No Records Withdrawn 2015* 120 18 45 6 10 2 2014 173 37 89 14 17 16 2013 91 20 40 9 11 11 2012 153 43 61 14 15 20 2011 98 28 52 3 11 4 2010 110 41 44 5 12 8...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Legislative Process (16 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 152 and 153 together. The only Bill initiated in my Department since 2011 was a referendum Bill - the Thirty-second Amendment of the Constitution (Abolition of Seanad Éireann) Bill 2013. This Bill (number 63 of 2013) was published on 6 June 2013, before the formalisation of the pre-legislative review process by Standing Orders which came into effect in...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Staff Expenses (16 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The total amount spent per annum by my Department on subsistence payments to staff and on taxi costs from 2011 to 11 June 2015 is provided in the table: Year Subsistence Taxi 2011 €27,487.01 €41,174.93 2012 €38,803.34* €30,273.37* 2013 €46,802.27* €28,609.89* 2014 €45,636.17 €24,828.37 1 Jan - 11 June 2015 €16,835.65...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Consultancy Contracts Data (16 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The table details the external consultant reports commissioned by my Department since March 2011. Year Name Details Cost 2011 QTS Health and Safety Statement 2011 €1,270.50 2012 QTS Health and Safety Statement 2012 €1,270.50 2013 QTS Health and Safety Statement 2013 and Risk Assessment €1,783.50 2014 QTS PEEP Assessment and Disabled Access Review €307.50 - -...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: International Summits (16 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 157 and 158 together. The EU - CELAC summit of Heads of State and Government took place in Brussels on 10th and 11th June on the theme "Shaping our common future: working for prosperous, cohesive and sustainable societies for our citizens". The format of the Summit involved two working group sessions and a discussion session. I attended both working group...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (16 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: I have not spoken to the Leader of the Scottish Nationalist Party since the recent election in the UK. I last met with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon at the British Irish Council Summit in the Isle of Man last November. I will meet with her again at the British Irish Council Summit which is convening in Dublin this Friday 19 June.

Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: I thank the Deputy for his comments and the proposal he made this morning. The flags of the country are flying at half mast as a mark of respect and sympathy to the families of the bereaved. I hope that on the Order of Business we can hear brief comments from the leaders before suspending the sittingof the House as a mark of respect. When we look at the newspapers this morning, do we not...

Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: These efforts will continue. I thank the Deputy for his comments.

Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: We referred yesterday to the insensitive treatment of the workers in Clerys, some of whom have given over four decades of loyal service to the company or companies over those years. I understand the Tánaiste is meeting with a number of Clerys workers. The Minister of State, Deputy Nash, in his role as Minister with responsibility for business, has met with the liquidator. He has...

Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: As I said, the Government introduced a strengthened company law Act last year, which was in gestation over the last decade when a number of governments were in office. I do commit that the Company Law Review Group, which is headed by an eminent person, should examine this issue to see whether it is appropriate that some changes be made to the law, as enacted, in order to prevent this kind of...

Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: I thank Deputy Fleming for his comments. Someone once said that the future of civilisation is being written in the classrooms. There is no question of the importance and priority being attached to education. Deputy Fleming mentioned three aspects, namely, smaller classes, better funding and support for teachers. We do not have all the money that we would like to invest in the education...

Leaders' Questions (17 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Fleming has pointed out a number of issues that are of importance. Boards of management are the employers of the teachers. In most cases they are purely voluntary people. If difficulties arise in school situations it can be very trying for boards of management to make decisions to sort them out. Of course, people who work in the administration for particular schools work...

Order of Business (17 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: It is proposed to take No. 38, Teaching Council (Amendment) Bill 2015 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 1, Children (Amendment) Bill 2015 [Seanad] - Second Stage; No. 15, motion re Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998; and No. 16, motion re Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009. It is proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders, that, in the event that a...

Deaths of Irish students in California: Statements (17 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: We are all shocked by the loss of life and injuries in Berkeley yesterday. It is shocking to think such beautiful young people, full of joy, excitement and hope, who had only recently set off on a summer's adventure, died so tragically. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of Ashley Donohoe, Olivia Burke, Eimear Walsh, Lorcán Miller, Niccolai Schuster and Eoghan...

Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: It is not intended to reverse it, and I will explain to Deputy Martin why. The Government has a particular programme to make work pay. We cannot allow a situation, in an economy that is recovering like ours, which bypasses thousands of households that are locked into joblessness. That has been one of the real difficulties for so many families. Jobless households with children are at...

Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The purpose of the phased scheme is to reduce long-term social welfare dependency, an aim with which I am sure Deputy Martin agrees. From when this scheme was introduced back in 1997 until the end of 2010, recipient numbers increased by 50% and annual expenditure increased by €772 million every year. Despite the significant levels of investment - in excess of €1 billion per...

Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Prior to the reforms, lone parents could have been on the scheme until their youngest child turned 18 years of age, or 22 if the child was in full-time education. The non-conditional nature of the payment, coupled with its very long duration, consigned many lone parents and their children to long-term dependency on welfare, which is not a good position to be in.

Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Ireland's supports for lone parents have been out of line with international norms, under which there has been a movement away from long-term and non-conditional support towards a much more supportive approach. In New Zealand and the Netherlands, for instance, the equivalent lone parent supports cease when the youngest child reaches the age of five years.

Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: The evidence clearly indicates that, despite the investment, the scheme was not successful in addressing the risk of poverty and may have been contributing to the welfare dependency trap for many of those people. It is anticipated that approximately 30,200 recipients will transition out of this payment on 2 July 2015.

Leaders' Questions (23 Jun 2015)

Enda Kenny: Of these, 20,000 parents will experience no change in income or will gain after the transition. The gain for individuals will be in the range of €10 to €150 per week, depending on their level of earnings and the number of children they have. The remaining 10,000 who are in employment will, based on their current circumstances, have an incentive to increase the number of hours...