Results 6,581-6,600 of 34,956 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (1 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I would like to speak about my amendment No.4, which is on the same topic. Before I get to the specifics of my amendment, which is related to the amendment we have been speaking about, I wish to agree with what the two Deputies have said. On Committee Stage, the Minister anchored most of his debate on this issue in respect of the people elected at the preceding general election. However,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services (1 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: 110. To ask the Minister for Health if he intends to reconfigure maternity services nationwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14868/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Agencies Staff Remuneration (1 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: 116. To ask the Minister for Health the implications for State funded agencies that fail to comply with consolidated public sector pay scales by continuing to make top-up payments to staff; when he expects this issue to be definitively resolved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9707/14]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Bord Gáis Privatisation (1 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: 237. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the gross consideration being paid by the purchaser of Bord Gáis Energy; the total costs that are being incurred in the sale process; the way these costs are broken down; the net cash that the State will receive from the sale; the date on which the State will receive the proceeds of the sale; the manner in which the cash will be...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Career Breaks (1 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: 238. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of separate incentivised career break offers that are in existence across the public service; if he will outline details of the various schemes on offer; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15298/14]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Career Breaks (1 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: 239. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of public employees who have received or will receive before the end of 2014 a circular advising details on incentivised career break options; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15299/14]

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 3:In page 4, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following:"(2) The fund into which the parliamentary activities allowance is paid shall be obliged to produce an annual tax clearance certificate.".We are discussing Report and Final Stages of the Oireachtas (Parliamentary and Ministerial Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I just wanted to put it on the record because people might not know what we are discussing. Amendment No. 3 is short. I also tabled it on Committee Stage. Everyone accepts its principle. I do not have the figures before me and I am a little bit rusty, but I am sure that the taxpayer is paying €1.5 million into these parliamentary activities allowance funds, formerly known as the...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: The money is being paid into accounts that are not in the party leaders' names. What I was seeking to achieve was actually the case anyway. The Minister did not even need to object to the amendment, but the clarification was helpful. The same approach could be taken in this instance. My understanding is that the Standards in Public Office Commission, SIPO, will introduce regulations on...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I am disappointed that SIPO might not be able to do this. I do not understand how a local authority can require a local builder to produce his or her tax clearance certificate to avail of a small grant to do up a house when SIPO cannot ask political parties to do the same. However, I take the Minister's comments. There is agreement in principle that it would be a good measure and should be...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: On that basis, I will withdraw the amendment.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 4:In page 4, between lines 18 and 19, to insert the following:“(2) Where a member of a party elected to Dáil Éireann or Seanad Éireann ceases to be a member of that party, the percentage amount of the allowance paid in respect of him or her to his or her former party shall be paid to such former party member and such amount shall be deducted from...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 5:In page 4, line 21, to delete “one-third” and substitute “one-half”.Some of my amendments are similar to those I moved on Committee Stage. I have not tabled all of them again, but I kept those that I felt were key.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I have confined my amendments to the specific legislation as opposed to general topics of ethics, fund-raising, parties' activities, electioneering etc. For the benefit of people who want to know the significance of my amendment, I will outline what it means in essence. The arrangement in place with the leader's allowance is that there is a set allowance based on the number of Deputies in a...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: Yes, so it was Deputy Quinn. At that time there was a valid recognition that the Government has the support of the public service, special advisers, press office, research office and so forth and that it was not fair that its parties should get the full amount of the party leader's allowance, which will in future be called the parliamentary activities allowance. The legislation provides...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 6:In page 4, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:“(3) The parliamentary activities allowance shall be paid from voted expenditure not paid from the Central Fund.”.Approximately €50 billion of Government expenditure is voted to the various Departments every year. There is a proper debate on the Estimates in the committees and that is how...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I agree. I am probably a lone voice in saying this in the House. There is no one here to listen to me aside from the Minister, but I think the practice is wrong. I do not know why it grew. It has existed for decades, including when my party was in Government. However, in these days of openness and transparency, I ask the Minister to think about this point. It would be valid for these...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I am pleased that the Minister will raise it. The Central Fund is under the remit of the Minister of Finance and the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform cannot unilaterally make an announcement on that today. None the less, I will press the amendment.

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I move amendment No. 7:In page 4, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following:“(3) The combined parliamentary activities allowances paid to a party under this section, shall be reduced by the amount of any payment paid to any person working for a Minister who is a member of that party, that is in excess of public sector pay guidelines.”.There should be a reduction of the...

Oireachtas (Ministerial and Parliamentary Offices) (Amendment) Bill 2013 [Seanad]: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (2 Apr 2014)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Deputy for raising the amendment. The Minister might clarify subsection (5), which is being amended by Deputy Murphy. I believe people can understand where she is coming from. The amendment states that the provision of "secretarial facilities may be provided to a qualifying party for the purposes of facilitating...". Does that include research and press offices? Is it a broad...