Results 3,321-3,340 of 21,440 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Order of Business (27 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I thank the Taoiseach for clarifying the matter. I ask about legislation promised in the programme for Government to deal with the issue of domestic violence. I do not know if the Taoiseach has seen the latest statistics from Safe Ireland which were released today. They make for depressing and startling reading.

Order of Business (27 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Women were turned away from services more than 2,500 times.

Order of Business (27 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: It is shocking that women are treated in that manner. I ask the Taoiseach about the issue of consolidated and reformed domestic violence legislation which I have raised previously with him.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Taxi Regulations (27 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps he is taking to support the continuation of full time taxi licence holders in the industry who are facing much financial hardship due to an oversupply exacerbated by part time drivers and taxi plate rental companies. [52662/12]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide, in tabular form, the number of staff in his Department or in bodies which fall under the remit of his Department whose annual remuneration including salary, pension and benefits at 31 December 2011 fell into bands of €400,000 and above, between €300,000 to €399,999, between €200,000 to...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has made any contacts requesting staff whose annual salary is more than €200,000 in his Department or in any body under the remit of his Department, to waive 15% of their salary or such amount in excess of €200,000 whichever is the lesser; if he has, the date on which he first made this contact; the number of staff who...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Reports (27 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will guarantee that the delayed inter-Departmental Committee to establish the facts of State involvement with the Magdalen Laundries report will be published by year end. [52591/12]

Medical Treatment (Termination of Pregnancy in Case of Risk to Life of Pregnant Woman) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am pleased to open this section of the debate this evening. Seven months have passed since the House last debated legislation to give effect to the 1992 Supreme Court ruling in the X case. Sinn Féin supported the passage to Committee Stage of that legislation, which was tabled by Deputy Clare Daly last April. We will support this Bill in the same way tonight. We are taking this...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Forálacha Pinsin (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht an gcuirfidh sé tábla ar fáil a thugann miondealú, ar bhonn gráid agus scála, ar na 136 phinsean atá á n-íoc ag Údarás na Gaeltachta le hiarfhostaithe na heagraíochta, tábla a thugann miondealú, ar bhonn gráid agus scála, ar na pinsin atá á...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Funding (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he will give a commitment that community arts schemes will continue to receive funding from the Arts Council for 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53057/12]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Citizenship Applications (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position regarding a certificate to renew a passport in respect of a person (details supplied) in Dublin 1. [53144/12]

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To assist the Minister of State, I have published legislation which would give effect to the measure proposed by Deputy Sean Fleming.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I accept the Minister of State's point on the timing of the Supplementary Estimate, which is fair enough. However, the irony of the Minister of State appearing before the committee seeking clearance for the additional €25 million, virtually days in advance of the next austerity budget, is not lost on anyone. One can separate out this request for additional moneys from the broader...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: There is some validity in saying one has to take pay and pensions as a whole but we are speaking here for the purposes of this revised Estimate on the issue of pensions. It would be helpful if we could stick to that.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can I say, we do not have the scope for a full debate on-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I thank the Chairman. A 14% reduction in the pay of a clerical officer in the Civil Service is an incredible chunk taken from very modest earnings. It is misleading to posit that position against a person on €200,000 taking a bigger knock. That person had so much more that the consequences for that worker and his or her family are not comparable with workers further down the scale....

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am not inquiring about the Minister of State's personal comfort or otherwise, my question was more a reference to his political judgment and comfort on these matters. If he was to revisit that FEMPI framework protecting all pensions of €60,000 and lower, which covers the vast majority of public service workers, and revisit the levies in a progressive way, we have demonstrated...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: However, he is appearing before the committee seeking an additional €25 million, specifically for the purpose of pensions. My reaction to that is that I would not support those additional moneys, unless and until the Government is prepared to address the issue of all pensions above the €60,000 bracket and those at €100,000 and more. I have had this debate with the...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: My proposal is that for pensions of between €60,000 and €80,000, we should shift the levy from 12% to 20%, that for a pension between €80,000 and €100,000 we would move the levy from 12% to a levy of 50% and for anything above €100,000, the levy would move from 20% to 99%. In other words, we would end the phenomenon of pensions above €100,000 for...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Estimates for Public Services 2012
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary) (28 Nov 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is the point.