Results 5,001-5,020 of 17,531 for speaker:Jan O'Sullivan

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I understand what Senator Byrne is seeking to achieve here. The functions of the Minister were undertaken by the Department of Finance previous to this because the new Department did not exist. The new Department is being set up under this legislation. As it did not exist, the functions carried out by the Minister, Deputy Howlin, prior to this were carried out by the Department of Finance....

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I wish to inform the House that I have received information that the Minister, Deputy Howlin, will be here later this evening. He may have an opportunity to clarify what he has been doing. I would again stress the point that the Department being established under this legislation did not have any functions prior to the legislation going through and whatever work the Minister, Deputy Howlin,...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: If I may clarify again, I understand what Senator Byrne wants and the Minister, Deputy Howlin, will understand what he wants. It is merely not appropriate to put it into the legislation of a Department that does not yet exist until such time as it has been passed through the various processes.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: As the Senator stated, at the moment it is within the Department of Finance. That is appropriate. There is a great deal of co-operation between the two Departments and there will be in future. As of now, I understand there are no plans to rent offices or to incur any excessive expenditure. The Minister, Deputy Howlin, will be able to better clarify the matter for the Senator at a later stage.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Senator's amendment seeks to confer statutory authority on the Minister with responsibility for expenditure and public reform in the setting of certain revenues. As the Senator is aware, appropriations-in-aid are receipts that accrue directly to Departments or their agencies and which may be retained by those bodies to offset the cost of delivering services rather than submit them to the...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: It was section 15(5).

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: It may be an incorrect reference. Perhaps it referred to the Bill before it was amended. It is section 16(5). The earlier reference was an error. Does the Senator wish me to outline it?

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Tory Government is certainly not the inspiration for the Minister's actions. As far as the Department of public expenditure and reform is concerned, all information on public expenditure belongs to the public and should be available for public use. The Department's aim is to put Ireland at the leading edge in terms of openness and transparency of public data. The Department's website...

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Do not forget the Liberal Democrats.

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: What inspiration?

Seanad: Ministers and Secretaries (Amendment) Bill 2011: Committee Stage (29 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Yes, of course; it will follow through on all elements of the programme for Government.

Biological Weapons Bill 2010: From the Seanad. (30 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Deputies will be aware the responsibilities of several Ministers and their Departments have recently been changed by the Government. The relevant statutory instrument amending Ministers' titles came into operation only after the Biological Weapons Bill had been passed by Dáil Éireann. These two amendments are required to adjust the provisions of the Bill to ensure the correct references...

Biological Weapons Bill 2010: From the Seanad. (30 Jun 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Opposition and all Members of both Houses for their support for this important legislation in terms of our international obligations, particularly on disarmament and non-proliferation. There is general agreement across the Houses on these issues.

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (5 Jul 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government's aid programme, which is administered by Irish Aid in the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, is concentrated on the least developed countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Botswana is not one of the priority countries for the aid programme. However, since 2001, just over €680,000 has been provided in assistance for development work in the country by Non-Governmental...

Departmental Bodies (13 Jul 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Following the recent transfer of certain trade promotion functions from the Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade now has responsibility for the establishment and management of the export trade council. The Tánaiste intends to convene the first meeting of the new council, which he will chair, later this month. As Minister of State with...

Departmental Bodies (13 Jul 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I know the Tánaiste and I will be happy to engage with the committee. We do not want to delay the establishment and we have agreed it will be established by the end of the month. The final arrangements are being put in place. An important difference is that as well as State agencies and Ministries, individuals directly involved in exporting will be on the council. There is a time factor...

Overseas Development Aid (13 Jul 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: The Government has been following the humanitarian crisis across the Horn of Africa for many months. At the beginning of 2011, in anticipation of a severe crisis, we pre-approved humanitarian funding of €4 million for UN agencies and NGOs working in the region. Approximately 12 million people in five countries are now being affected by the most severe food crisis in the world today. To...

Overseas Development Aid (13 Jul 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: Most of the funding to the Horn of Africa is allocated directly to non-governmental or United Nations organisations. Any money allocated directly to governments, largely the Governments of Uganda and Ethiopia, is directly programmed for specific areas and is not paid into a central government fund. While I appreciate that bore holes and access to water are crucial, practice has shown that...

Overseas Development Aid (13 Jul 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I thank the Deputy for his co-operative approach to helping the Government. It is extremely important that we do whatever we can in this area. A number of representatives of the United Nations are in the region and our embassy in Addis Ababa has been reporting back directly from them on the current position. I, too, commend the non-governmental organisations on the fantastic work they are...

Written Answers — Overseas Development Aid: Overseas Development Aid (13 Jul 2011)

Jan O'Sullivan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 57 and 58 together. As Deputies will be aware from recent media coverage, Somalia and the Horn of Africa region more generally are experiencing the most severe food crisis in the world today. Between 10 and 12 million people in Somalia, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda are affected. The immediate cause of the crisis is a prolonged drought and the...