Results 7,081-7,100 of 7,278 for speaker:Dick Roche

Order of Business (10 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: It is the other way around.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: If the Deputy knew about them, why did he not do something about them?

Order of Business (11 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: Nonsense.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: He knows that is not true.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: I thank the Deputy but he knows what he said was untrue.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: When the facts are available.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: Come on.

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: I apologise for my late arrival in the Chamber. First, as a former public servant and as a former member of the union which is in dispute, I deeply regret what has been happening within the passport office. I believe the union has made a fundamental error. I do not make this point as a union basher as most Members who know me will know the opposite is the case. I have much time for this...

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: I acknowledge that Deputy Timmins made suggestions with a view towards helping. However, escalating the conflict with the trade union would not necessarily help. I agree with him that the union should give serious consideration to reviewing and reversing its position on overtime and the taking in of temporary staff. Many of the temporary staff are people who have been employed over the...

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: We are borrowing more than €340 million per week just to keep the public services ticking over. A very high proportion of that is going on pay. It is clear that the Government, whoever is in government, must balance the books. We cannot continue to borrow at that level. It would not be wise or prudent to talk about reversing this situation. In fact, I would be absolutely opposed to...

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: I thank Deputy Higgins, particularly for his last point. If this is seen as a battle to the death on issues of principle, the people who will suffer most are those queuing outside. Ultimately, the reputation of a good service will suffer too. The reputation of public administration, which has already taken a hit because of certain types of industrial action, will also suffer. I will...

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: I would not necessarily agree. We should solve our own problems here. It took us long enough to get independence and to get to this stage.

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: We had a much more peaceful exchange before Deputy Ring came in; he probably qualifies for such provision.

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: It is. This is a serious issue and it is a reflection on the current state of affairs. Like outsourcing, I am not sure that this is the solution. The solution is in our own hands. I join the Deputies who made the point that we would ask the trade union to allow staff to work overtime, to rescind this action and allow the additional staff to come on duty. I thank the Deputies for their...

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: What is not reasonable is that any citizen, whether he or she is from Blacksod, Erris, Bellmullet or Donegal, should be inconvenienced. That is not reasonable. I am not sure about the practicalities of having a passport office in every county.

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: It was a good idea to open the office in Cork. I think it is working well.

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: In the fullness of time perhaps the other issue should be examined. Sadly, wise as the Deputy's suggestion may be it will not solve this dispute right now.

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: It may well be something that should be considered, but I am not in a position to do that. I recognise the validity of the fact that there has been a call from Deputies for further decentralisation of the service. I am not in a position to give an undertaking on that and the Deputies will understand that.

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: I agree with the Deputy that there is an issue to be examined here. I have put my own views on outsourcing on record; I am not a fan of it. We should deliver public services through the public service. That is my general view on this and on other areas, but the reality is, as the Deputy knows as well as I do, that even if there was a decision in the morning that the service was to be...

Passport Applications. (24 Mar 2010)

Dick Roche: As the Deputy will accept, the talks are highly sensitive. It would not be wise, therefore, to set preconditions. However, the logic of the position dictates that the trade unions at all levels and specifically the union involved in the dispute reconsider their stance. I say this as someone who was a member of the executive of the union in question and is not in any sense a union basher....