Results 40,441-40,460 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: Does the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform have a chart or an estimate of exactly how much extra money the Department of Health got between last year’s and this year’s budget process, as well as the additional allocations during the year? We ended up this year with Supplementary Estimates where an additional €400 million was given to the Department of Health....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: Does Mr. Watt meet the Taoiseach regularly, face to face, to discuss some of these issues which are regularly debated by people up and down the country? Does the Taoiseach get the message that such an issue is a problem but we have it solved or we are working on it but we are not yet sure of the answer?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: And the Coombe.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: We have seen with the children's hospital low-ball estimates that have then climbed enormously. In some jurisdictions there would be an immediate query as to why one moved from estimates, which start off sounding reasonable, and then climbed dramatically. I do realise that situations can change. However, we have crisis after crisis in the health service yet we have an escalating health...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: The challenge is a very simple one. Notwithstanding all of the good work that is going on in different parts of the health service, which everybody here would acknowledge, the problem is that there appears to be a budgeting system that is subject to regular massive overspends. My understanding is that the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform is a Department that addresses the issue...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: What about the Vatican? Has there been a discussion? Has Mr. Watt and the Taoiseach discussed the Vatican and its role? The function of Mr. Watt is to be both a leader and a problem solver for other Departments and it is a function that he has carried out extremely well. I have listed some examples and I am sure everybody here could list four or five other examples. I shall not even...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: Is somebody up there not listening?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Discussion (3 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: Is the Government consciously ignoring the advice?

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Commissions of Investigation Expenditure (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: I thank the Taoiseach for that reply. We are now well into the fifth year of the commission of investigation into the IBRC and the controversial Siteserv transaction. Despite six interim reports to date, however, the commission has revealed no substantial detail surrounding the controversy. The reply the Taoiseach just read out confirms that this remains the case. To be frank, people are...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): British-Irish Council (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: 5. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his hosting of the recent British-Irish Council summit. [48844/19]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): British-Irish Council (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: The Taoiseach chaired the 33rd British-Irish Council last month, and we are celebrating - or noting - the 20th anniversary of the inaugural meeting of council. We are in a period of immense change one way or the other, as we are all aware, with regard to the future relationships between the UK, Ireland and the EU. There are questions over the constitutional futures of both islands. It is...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: I want to speak about some messages to the Taoiseach in particular in the context of the parliamentary liaison unit. The Taoiseach may be aware that hundreds of women were outside the gates of Leinster House yesterday with the slogan "SAVE OUR BINGO". I have to say I was astonished last week and earlier this week when I heard the Government intended to go to war on the simple pastime of a...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: This is about communication. The question is about the parliamentary liaison unit. The Taoiseach listed a rake of people from the Government Information Service and other offices who are all in the business of communicating and, it is presumed, being communicated with.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: There were more people than we would find on stage in the list of people the Taoiseach gave, yet the women with the bingo petition could not find one person in the busy Government who could come out and accept it. I do not generally do this and I apologise but, being honest, what has got into the head of the Government that it is waging war against bingo at a time when we have an...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: I share a lot of Deputy Boyd Barrett's views on the money message.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: Mr. Justice Simons gave a clear warning in his comments to the court that the Government is on very thin ice, never mind bingo, with regard to the money message.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: We need a more comprehensive answer than the Taoiseach has just given us.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: There is no harm in it.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: It is baffling that the Government is declaring war on it.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Functions (4 Dec 2019)

Joan Burton: Maybe he is a bingo player.