Results 641-660 of 8,873 for speaker:Batt O'Keeffe

Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (27 Mar 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: North Tipperary County Council submitted a proposal to my Department for the provision of a new fire station at Cloughjordan, County Tipperary in May 2005. While it has not been possible to fund this proposal to date, funding has been provided for other priority projects at Thurles and Templemore. The provision of funding for Cloughjordan will be considered in future years having regard to...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Second Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: On behalf of the Minister for Social and Family Affairs, Deputy Séamus Brennan, I am pleased to introduce this measure, the second of two Bills intended to implement the largest social welfare package in the history of the State at €1.41 billion, announced in last December's budget. This substantial investment brings total expenditure on social welfare this year to €15.3 billion, or...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Second Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: On behalf of the Minister, I thank the Pensions Board for its help in drafting these amendments to the Pensions Act. Section 38 amends the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 to underpin the proposals in Towards 2016 for the Revenue Commissioners to transfer to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, and the new office dedicated to employment rights compliance, information similar to that...

Seanad: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2007: Second Stage (27 Mar 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: This Bill builds further on the development of social inclusion measures adopted by the Government over recent years. It safeguards the living standards of those who rely on social welfare income and other supports and prioritises the allocation of resources in favour of those most in need. Resources will continue to be targeted at helping those most in need in order not alone to raise...

Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Mar 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: We gave you the money.

Appointments to Public Bodies Bill 2007: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Mar 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Deputy Boyle went off course and strayed from us.

Order of Business (Resumed) (29 Mar 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Another Pontius Pilate act.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: This Bill responds to a judgment of the Supreme Court on 13 November 2006 concerning the nomination of Dáil candidates who are not members of registered political parties. The outcome of the judgment is that there is currently no statutory mechanism to regulate the nomination of such candidates standing for election and this must be addressed before the general election. For clarity and...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I have a feeling the Senator's party was in power at the time.

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2007: Second Stage (3 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I thank the Senators for their contribution to the debate. The comments, as usual, focused on the Bill and went across the electoral agenda. That is not unusual, I suppose. In the time available I wish to comment on some of the points raised. Regulating access to the electoral process is a common feature in most parliamentary democracies and is widely seen as necessary to discourage an...

Seanad: Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (3 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I thank the Senators for their co-operation and the expeditious and constructive way in which they dealt with the Bill.

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased to respond on behalf of the Government and I thank the Fine Gael Party for putting down the original motion. Having observed and listened to the debate over the past two nights it is blatantly obvious Fine Gael has nothing substantive to offer in terms of addressing Ireland's greenhouse gas emissions. Its Members had no ideas, no policies, no silver bullets and nothing...

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Does the Deputy accept the figures showing a 165% growth in the economy but only a 25% growth in emissions?

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: That is a great admission coming from that side, given what Deputy Olivia Mitchell had been predicting for the tunnel.

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Whose policy is that?

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: Would it be under the 2000 strategy? I thank the Deputy for the compliment.

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: I am pleased the Deputy is reiterating the strategy the Government has announced and that Fine Gael would like to follow it.

Kyoto Protocol: Motion (Resumed) (4 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: The Deputy is postulating exactly what we are doing.

Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (24 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: A proposal for a new fire station at Lismore, County Waterford was received in my Department on 24 October 2006. While it was not possible to include this proposal in the 2007 fire services capital programme, funding has been provided for a range of priority projects which have been advanced in County Waterford in recent years. These include replacement stations and extensions or upgrading...

Written Answers — Fire Stations: Fire Stations (24 Apr 2007)

Batt O'Keeffe: An application from Donegal County Council for the provision of a new fire station in Gaoth Dobhair, County Donegal was received in my Department on 15 February 2006. The project was subsequently included in the 2006 Fire Services Capital Programme. The fire authority submitted detailed cost plans, as well as a report recommending acceptance of a tender, to my Department on 20 April 2007....