Results 34,821-34,840 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Eamon Ryan took off like Usain Bolt. I propose to take Questions Nos. 5 to 8, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on infrastructure, environment and climate action last met on 30 January 2017. It is due to meet again later this month. The committee addresses the climate change challenge in terms of domestic policy and in respect of Ireland's EU and international...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Eamon Ryan is wrong here. If the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment had not had his accident, I expect that the dialogue to which we committed following the Deputy's own attendance at the Cabinet sub-committee, which was a useful meeting, would be up and running by now. It is the Minister's intention fully to engage with the groups Deputy Eamon Ryan brought...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: There is a review on the latter matter under way by the Minister at present and he will report to the House in due course. The national dialogue on climate change will gather representatives of civil society to discuss and maximise consensus on climate actions. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government would hope that there will be a merger between the climate...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Martin said that people were sold a pup here. Obviously, we were sold many pups over the years from the national spatial strategy onwards. The Government has a clear picture of what it wishes to do. The Ministers for Public Expenditure and Reform and Finance have set out the strategy for the mid-term capital review. The Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: -----and projects in port development. Where a stream of income could potentially come from the metro or the Luas that will pay for those long-term, low interest loans from the European Investment Bank, that will provide another opportunity to deal with infrastructure that cannot be dealt with from the Exchequer reserves alone. That is going to facilitate particularly important elements of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: We will deal with it. In case anybody gets the idea that it will not happen, there will be a fixed contract price and there will be a monitoring committee to ensure it happens and that it will be operating by 2021.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: The national children's hospital will go ahead.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: The Minister for Health will bring his business case to the Cabinet. It is not to be completed until 2021. The Deputy is correct. I distinctly remember him, when he was a Minister, bringing his memorandum to the Cabinet in accordance with proper procedures to deal with the lottery funding being made available to commence that project. Obviously, the capital expenditure review to be...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: We must remember that during the recession, caused by bad politics, many firms tendered on the limit or under price and many of them actually went out of business. This will be the biggest infrastructure project in the country for many years to come and it is not within the range of most construction firms. There will be a fixed price for this and it will be adhered to. I hear quotations...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Records (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: A total of 1,578 files or file parts in respect of the year 1986 were transferred by my Department to the National Archives. They were then released for public inspection on 1 January 2017. Eight files were withheld in full. The grounds for withholding records under section 8(4) of the National Archives Act 1986 are that it would be contrary to the public interest; or would or might...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Records (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: The evaluation of the files is carried out by designated officials. In determining the release of files a balance must be struck between providing the most complete documentation possible and the section of the Act I mentioned. With regard to Northern Ireland files, it is normal that certain records containing sensitive security or personal information will be retained under section 8(4)....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Records (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: I will have to get details on that for the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Records (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: Not all the files are in compliance with the records management of the Department and the Acts. I will find out if there is an appeals system or if it is irrevocable. I do not assume it is irrevocable. If some of the files that are 70 years old that were originally refused under section 8(5)(a), which is about matters contrary to the public interest, there may be no danger to the public...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Records (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: I will have it checked. We discussed this before regarding the information on the residential institutions redress scheme. Although there were calls for all of it to be destroyed, it was agreed that it should be protected. I accept that there should be a system for second opinions or appeals. It cannot depend on the decision of one person. I am sure it is the case, and I will confirm...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Records (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Gerry Adams wrote to me and I received and read his letter. I have asked that the files in question, in so far as they are available, be examined. I will respond to his question. I am not sure if there is a connection to other Departments. In so far as we can trace these matters, we will do so. I commend the Pat Finucane Centre on its investigative analysis and for coming across...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Records (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: I am sure it is the case. Does the Deputy mean at Cabinet meetings?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Records (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: When the Freedom of Information Act was introduced by the then Minister, Ruairí Quinn, there were suggestions made at the end of papers by certain civil servants that things were going to change in respect of what they would write or notes they would take at meetings. I will have the matter checked to see what the scale, standard and integrity of the recording of official papers is.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Commissions of Investigation (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 86 together. The information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table. Name of Commission of Investigation Date Established Completion Date Costs Incurred by Department of the Taoiseach to end December 2016* Estimated Final Cost Fennelly Commission 30 April 2014 Final Report is due by the end of March 2017. €3.03 million...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: EU Meetings (8 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: The Summit in Malta on 3 February included two sessions. In the morning, there was an informal meeting of the European Council, where we discussed the external aspects of migration, particularly the central Mediterranean route, and agreed a formal declaration. In the afternoon, there was a meeting of the 27 EU Heads of State and Government - i.e. without the UK., where we considered the...

Leaders' Questions (14 Feb 2017)

Enda Kenny: I thank Deputy Micheál Martin for his question. Since responsibility came my way as a result of the office I hold, for the first time since the foundation of the State we have had a senior ministry for children, a Department for children, an agency for children, children's rights enshrined in the Constitution by way of a referendum and a statement in respect of sexual abuse in Cloyne...