Results 661-680 of 2,341 for speaker:Paul McGrath

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: What were the equivalent figures in 1994 when we were in government?

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: It was different.

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Who did that?

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: I compliment Deputy Jan O'Sullivan and the Labour Party on this motion. I wholeheartedly support it. I was disappointed to hear the Minister's speech. She has put much energy into producing figures claiming the Government is better, the situation now is better than in 1997, the Government is better than this and that, and better than the time the Opposition was in Government.

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: If the Minister wishes to go down the road of talking figures, why does she not go further back? One of her predecessors, a Fianna Fáil Minister, was the only Minister in the history of this State who worsened the pupil-teacher ratio. This business of going over the past is ridiculous.

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: The Minister said she would provide services to people where a verified need is identified.

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Why do some parents of children with special needs, when they submit the professional assessments of their children, receive a response from the Department that the professional assessment is not accurate and that they will receive less from the Government? The Department will not even interview the child in question or carry out its own assessment. However, if the parents threaten to go to...

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: ——that the professionals recommended initially. It was said in the programme for Government that there would be class sizes of 20:1 on average for children under nine. The Minister has since scrapped this plan but, even were it the case or if the ratio were 25:1, how can the Minister justify that schools must take in junior infant classes of 29 pupils? Is it not ironic that, if one runs a...

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: The first part of the reply was that there are 21 primary schools in the Mullingar catchment area. This is only true if one were to travel out as far as Castlepollard or Ballinagore. How can the Minister tell a Mullingar parent with a child starting school in September that there is a place 12 miles away in Ballinagore? How will they get there? This is rubbish. There was a comment about...

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: The loss of 50 pupils is the reason the numbers decreased. I carried out a survey on four schools in Mullingar this morning where there are major problems with school enrolments. Of the schools I surveyed, they were able to send out 139 acceptances but how many rejection slips were issued? Exactly 140. Here we are, faced with the situation in Mullingar, and the Minister will ask me what my...

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: The Minister must take the initiative. Mullingar is a growing area that must accommodate these children. We need the facilities to do so.

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: We started at 8 p.m.

Class Sizes: Motion. (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: The Galway races.

Written Answers — School Discipline: School Discipline (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Question 75: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the way in which she intends to tackle growing discipline problems in schools; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [12937/05]

Written Answers — Accident and Emergency Services: Accident and Emergency Services (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Question 187: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the number of patients who have presented at the accident and emergency department at Tallaght Hospital on each of the past 21 days; and the effect these patients have had on the normal admissions at this hospital. [13133/05]

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Question 188: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if she will investigate the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13135/05]

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Question 209: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the fact that all elective surgery has been cancelled at Tallaght Hospital since 10 April 2005; the number of procedures and patients so postponed or cancelled; if she has put in place a protocol to prevent a repeat of this crisis situation; and if she will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Hospital Waiting Lists: Hospital Waiting Lists (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Question 210: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if a person (details supplied) in County Westmeath will be admitted for surgery; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13210/05]

Written Answers — Garda Investigations: Garda Investigations (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Question 365: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will investigate the case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13134/05]

Written Answers — Investigation of Incident: Investigation of Incident (26 Apr 2005)

Paul McGrath: Question 430: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the situation of a person (details supplied); if she will initiate an immediate investigation into this case; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13136/05]