Results 5,341-5,360 of 14,616 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Leaders' Questions (14 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: It was a very important question.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Administration (14 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: 15. To ask the Minister for Health if the Health Service Executive’s current projection for medical cards as set out in the 2014 service plan still stands; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21258/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Card Administration (14 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: 44. To ask the Minister for Health if, in view of the 30,000 fall in discretionary medical cards since 2011, he plans to introduce a third tier medical card; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21259/14]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: 113. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider increasing the rate of rent supplement to reflect the rising cost of rents; her views that families are struggling to meet their accommodation costs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21984/14]

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 2: In page 8, between lines 34 and 35, to insert the following:"(3) The Minister shall make provision under this section whereby it shall not be a breach of this Act (or any statutory instrument relating to competition law), for the State to negotiate fees in relation to professional contracts for services from members of professional bodies, and a list of such services...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: We are not discussing a predetermined attempt to determine prices, but people's negotiation of contracts with State providers. The HSE or another organisation could be seeking people to provide a service on its behalf in a normal business practice. Technically, the people might be self-employed, but they are actually being employed by the State to deliver on contracts. In any business,...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Minister for that update. How can a consumer be protected when a powerful agency of the State that seeks to provide a service uses competition law to restrict the ability of those providing the service to negotiate their terms and conditions? That is what is happening, and not just in that particular case. I gather that it also applies to actors. A range of people who provide...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: The State is in many instances fixing the price.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: We have a group of providers dealing with a dominant force, which is the State, and it is abusing that dominance while using competition law to cover that abuse.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 6: In page 10, between lines 6 and 7, to insert the following:"(2) Any resources used by the Commission shall be allocated by application of a set of priority principles in the public interest.".It is standard - we need to move away from the standard - that there is quite a lot of reference throughout the Bill in regard to the Competition and Consumer Protection...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 7: In page 15, line 8, after "inability," to insert "not exceeding 12 months,".If somebody is temporarily unavailable, there needs to be some sort of, to use the Minister's phrase, "certainty" provided as to what is meant by "temporarily", given the importance of the role of the commission and the importance of the commission members. My party proposes that there be a 12...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 11: In page 20, to delete lines 26 and 27 and substitute the following:"(b) on conviction on indictment, to a fine not exceeding €250,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding 5 years or both, (c) if the contravention concerned continues for one or more days after the date of its first occurrence, the person referred to in this subsection is guilty of a...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 12: In page 23, line 1, to delete “give a direction in writing to the Commission requiring it to comply with” and substitute “request the Commission to comply with”.This is a small technical amendment which states that the Minister and his officials can issue a direction and are not restricted to writing. My amendment proposes that they can...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 14: In page 30, to delete lines 22 to 25 and substitute the following: "(6) The Minister may, from time to time, request the Commission to consider guidelines from him or her concerning the preparation of the Commission’s work programme and the Commission may consider same.".Occasionally, in terms of the proposed work of the commission, items will arise that may...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I move amendment No. 15: In page 31, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following:"(2) The Minister shall, within six months of a report being submitted to him or her by the Commission, outline to each House of the Oireachtas, the actions the Minister has taken following on from any recommendations made in such a report.".The commission publishes annual reports and, given its powers, one...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I will come back to the matter on Report Stage, having reflected on what the Minister said. Rather than it being expected that the same provisions will apply, there should be compellability. There is no sense in having recommendations if there is no action plan and no follow-on. I will withdraw the amendment, while reserving the right to come back to the matter on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: We are moving into the grocery goods section of the Bill. Will the grocery sector regulations be applied to all food companies?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: Will it apply to food production companies as well?

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: I would like to deal with some areas around that on Report Stage.

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Competition and Consumer Protection Bill 2014: Committee Stage (15 May 2014)

Dara Calleary: Often, those who supply garden plants are small suppliers, and if they are not included in the Bill they will not enjoy the protections afforded by the legislation. They are left open to abuse. This highlights that the list of products is not exhaustive and that consideration should be given to empowering the Minister through statutory instrument, following consultation, to add to this...