Results 3,801-3,820 of 21,514 for speaker:Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy (10 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I join previous speakers in extending our sincere sympathy to the wife and family of the late former Deputy Seán Keegan. On behalf of Sinn Féin Deputies and our Seánad representative, I also extend our sympathy to the Fianna Fáil Party on its loss of a long-serving colleague who clearly invested a considerable part of his life in the service of the party's development. I did not have...

Order of Business (10 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Will the Taoiseach give us a firm date for the publication of the nurses and midwives Bill? Will he advise if the heads of the Bill have come before Cabinet and, in line with his commitment last week, will he undertake to have the heads of the Bill published for all Members once they have been agreed by Cabinet?

Requests to move Adjournment of Dáil Under Standing Order 32 (11 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I seek the adjournment of the Dáil under Standing Order 32 to raise a matter of national importance, namely, the continuing damaging impact of cuts imposed by the Health Service Executive including the freezing of funding for community care packages, resulting in hospitals being unable to discharge patients and a consequent inability to admit patients as in the case of the National...

Order of Business (11 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Government has signalled its intent to set aside the funding provisions contained in the equal opportunities child care programme for community-provided child care services, which will have a clear effect, particularly in the area of low-income families and those already struggling to meet demands. There is legislation promised in the Government's programme of legislation that is...

Establishment of Committees (11 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The committee system is of major importance to the work of the Oireachtas and an essential element in proper democratic representation for the people who elect the members. It is amazing they are of such relatively recent origin and that it took the Oireachtas so long to see the vital role committee work plays in representative government. We are all aware that very often far more detailed...

Establishment of Committees (11 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I refer to a matter which the Minister signalled in his address, the committee on children. The situation seems to move and change not only by the day but by the hour. I have kept abreast of the feedback at Whips' meetings and yet today we learn the Government proposes an entirely new committee regarding children from that signalled in the missive circulated at a previous Whips' meeting....

Establishment of Committees (11 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Children are a very important part of our society and the House must address issues concerning them. The case for this is self-standing. I welcome the establishment of the committee on the implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. There is no indication yet of the intent of the commencement of this committee. When will the committee be constituted? Have Members of Parliament from north...

Establishment of Committees (11 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The record of committee engagements needs to be speeded up and, if possible, its publication brought into line with the Official Report of the Dáil. This aspect of committee work does not serve the appreciation by the media and public of the importance of committees. If an increase in staff is necessary to speed up the preparation of the transcripts of all committee meetings I encourage...

Establishment of Committees (11 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: In 2007, it is bizarre that the Parliament must order the time it allows for committees to sit and Members to do their work on the basis of the constraints of space. I urge the Chief Whip to address these serious deficiencies so that we can have a better opportunity to play our part to the full. Welcome developments took place in 2000 but we are only a handful of years from that and it is...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Question 2: To ask the Taoiseach the costs to his Department to date of the Moriarty tribunal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18787/07]

Tribunals of Inquiry. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: In a fortnight we will reach the tenth anniversary of the first sitting of the Moriarty tribunal, which was 31 October 1997. During those ten years various dates were given for the expected conclusion of its business. Has the Taoiseach any idea when the Moriarty tribunal will wrap up and present its final reports? Surely, given the passage of ten years, that is something which can now be...

Tribunals of Inquiry. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Taoiseach has given no indication of when he expects the Moriarty process to conclude. I remind him that we are almost at the tenth anniversary of its first sitting. Can he shed any light on this area? What was the outcome of the review carried out earlier this year by the team appointed? Could the team's recommendations regarding costs in the Mahon tribunal be applied to current and...

Freedom of Information. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Question 5: To ask the Taoiseach the number of freedom of information requests received by his Department since June 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18788/07]

Freedom of Information. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Does the Taoiseach agree that more must be done to inform citizens of their right of access to information from his and other Departments? For example, the Information Commissioner confirmed recently that next of kin had a right of access to the medical records of their deceased loved ones. Does the Taoiseach agree this constitutes an essential right for there to be a degree of public...

Freedom of Information. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: I will respond briefly. I know the Taoiseach answered only with reference to his Department as it is the Taoiseach's Question Time, but he mentioned that he cannot speak for any other Department. Is that because of the restriction of Question Time to matters pertaining to his own Department, or is it the case that, although he is the Prime Minister, he actually does not know whether any...

National Security Committee. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: Question 8: To ask the Taoiseach if the interdepartmental group on State security, established following the 11 September 2001 atrocities, is still functioning; the role of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18789/07]

National Security Committee. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: In his response to Deputy Kenny, the Taoiseach indicated that, in his view, there is no threat to us whatsoever. Does that also reflect the view of the interdepartmental group and has it examined in detail the security implications for the people of this country of the Taoiseach continuing to allow the use of Shannon as a staging post in the Iraq war? Given that the US authorities are...

Decentralisation Programme. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: In the event that the decentralisation of State agencies is to proceed, how does the Minister envisage the practical outworking of the recommendation that workers not relocating would be provided with realistic alternative career options? Is it not unrealistic to consider people with specific, specialised roles and responsibilities as part of a multi-transferable workers' template between...

Tax Receipts. (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: The Exchequer returns to the end of September show a deficit in excess of €3.1 billion. The Minister hopes the shortfall in the expected returns at year end will amount to approximately €1 billion. Does he have any information that gives him confidence that there will be a windfall over and above the usual upturn in receipts in the last quarter of the year? In the light of the lower...

Order of Business (16 Oct 2007)

Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin: There has been reference already to the programme for Government. Will the Taoiseach facilitate a debate in this Chamber on the programme for Government? The Taoiseach would have to acknowledge that never has a programme for Government been so low key in its introduction. There has been little fanfare or heralding of it.