Results 3,201-3,220 of 21,440 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: Health Service Executive - Review of Allowances (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Accordingly, one would imagine they should be wholly focused on delivery within the public health system.

Public Accounts Committee: Health Service Executive - Review of Allowances (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am aware of that but I am offering it as a contrary viewpoint. Many of the allowances for new entrants which are on the table for abolition are for nurses. What is the wisdom behind abolishing the midwifery allowance, for example, when the focus now is on primary and care in the community and the maternity hospitals are under absolutely incredible strain? In 2011, 924 persons were in...

Public Accounts Committee: Health Service Executive - Review of Allowances (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: There is no danger that as a consequence people would be discouraged from attaining that specialty.

Public Accounts Committee: Health Service Executive - Review of Allowances (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is beauty of this committee.

Public Accounts Committee: Health Service Executive - Review of Allowances (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I can see where the group comes from, theoretically, in terms of a site valuation tax but in the real world and real time terms, I could not disagree more with the proposal. Fr. Healy gave the Custom House and Dublin 1 as an example and talked about all of the infrastructure. First, we must bear in mind that most of the high concentrations of poverty are also found in inner city areas and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: A proportion of them do not.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I welcome all the witnesses. I will start with Mr. Fergal O'Brien, who I gather from his submission is extremely enthusiastic about a property tax. Perhaps he will talk to members a little about that. I also wish to ask him about the issue of lending to business. There is, obviously, still a huge difficulty in accessing credit. I was interested to read in the document of IBEC's...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I ask the question in a serious way. Mr. O'Brien says a little about it in his submission but I would like to know a little more. What does he think the scope of that initiative might be? I welcome the thrust of the ICTU submission. It is not even a mile away from the thinking of Sinn Féin. It is unfair to talk about spending €9 billion in total in investment in jobs and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Has Mr. O'Connell arrived at that position? He clearly has given consideration to a property tax and is supportive of it. In his deliberations, has he considered-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I take that as read. In the society's discussions, did it consider issues such as mortgage distress or negative equity? I hear the points being made by Mr. O'Connell and the society clearly has thought out the various models in a thorough manner. However, in real terms and in real time, it is not a theoretical proposition and those very people who have paid the transaction tax will be hit...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Is endorsing a property tax in itself not taking a policy position? The society is entitled to do so, please do not get me wrong, but I am uncertain whether I accept the society may take a policy view on one element but shy away from the other. If the society is on board for this, I would anticipate that, as a professional group, it would have thought through the issue in its totality.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion with Civic Society Representatives and Focus Groups (8 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: In case Mr. O'Connell is wondering why I put the question to him on the balance between tax and cuts it is precisely because of the profession he is in. The allied professionals - architects were mentioned - have taken an absolute pasting because construction went off a cliff and because of the contraction in the domestic economy. I asked that question not to try to get Mr. O'Connell to...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Payments (13 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the options she is currently considering regarding child benefit including, the way and which vulnerable families would be compensated for any cut to the universal payment; if she is considering a top-up via qualified child increase, family income supplement and domicilliary care allowance or if a new means-test and income threshold will be introduced...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Child Benefit Rates (13 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attnetion has been drawn to the report by the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, The Human Face of Austerity; and her views on their assertion that those who depend on social welfare income supports must be protected from further cutbacks. [49838/12]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes (13 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will give a commitment that current budget levels for community employment schemes will not face further cuts in 2013. [49640/12]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Public Sector Pay (13 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide in a tabular form the number of public servants in receipt of annual gross public sector pensions of between €0 to €10,000, €10,001 to €20,000, €20,001 to €30,000, €30,001 to €40,000, €40,001 to €50,000, €50,001 to €60,000, €60,001 to €70,000,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Banking Sector Remuneration (13 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Finance if public servant pension abatement rules are being applied to Public Interest Directors appointed by the Government to Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, Permanent TSB, Bank of Ireland and Allied Irish Bank; and if not, if he will confirm the annual pensions paid to these same Public Interest Directors. [49557/12]