Results 721-740 of 8,015 for speaker:Jonathan O'Brien

Written Answers — EU Directives: EU Directives (22 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 203: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has decided not to opt in to the Recast Qualification Directive on 2009/0164 (COD) on asylum and subsidiary protection; and, if so, the specific grounds on which this decision was made. [10102/12]

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (23 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 51: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills in view of the reasons cited in the decision to end the modern languages in primary schools initiative, including recommendations from a National Council for Curriculum and Assessment feasibility report 2008, and information to the effect that it has not been possible for schools to join the MLPSI in recent years, and following the...

Written Answers — Languages Programme: Languages Programme (23 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 53: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason, at a time when Ireland is preparing to take over the Presidency of the EU in January 2013, should we not honour our European obligations under the Lisbon Strategy and the Barcelona Agreement by affording children an opportunity to learn additional modern European languages, as is the case in every other member state of the...

Written Answers — National Lottery Licence: National Lottery Licence (28 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 90: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the purpose he intends to use the balance of the up-front payment from the National Lottery operator licence. [11223/12]

Written Answers — National Lottery Licence: National Lottery Licence (28 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 94: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will include a good cause guarantee clause in the licence awarded the new operator of the National Lottery next year to ensure current funding levels are maintained. [11224/12]

Written Answers — Prisoner Rights: Prisoner Rights (28 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 552: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he has made requests to Governors of prisons to make provision for prisoners to practice their religious faiths as set out in section 35 of the Prisons Act 2007 including providing access to imams or rabbis or other clerics according to their religious faith, adhering to specific dietary rules, and provision of religious texts in...

Written Answers — Health Service Properties: Health Service Properties (28 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 668: To ask the Minister for Health the term and cost of the lease for the new unit headquarters of the primary health care team centre in Macroom, County Cork; the cost to the Health Service Executive for refurbishing this building; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10776/12]

Redundancy Payments (29 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: The Minister mentioned the Vita Cortex situation and the complexities around it. The question was whether he is considering legislation to ensure that this can never happen again. That is an important point. Today the workers in Vita Cortex are going into their 76th day of occupation in the factory as the dispute has not yet been resolved. The important issue is that once the dispute has...

European Council: Statements (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: I welcome the announcement yesterday of a referendum. It needed to be put to the people and, thankfully, the Attorney General has agreed. Deputy Breen referred to having an honest debate. We should start by saying that the Government did everything in its power to ensure there would not be a referendum on the issue. The Tánaiste said at a recent committee meeting that people were working...

European Council: Statements (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: I do. All Members are equal and perhaps the Minister and his Government backbenchers should remember that when heckling Sinn Féin across the floor. We are all equal, our opinions are valid and we all have the right to articulate opinions here. The Minister may not agree with them, but we have the right. I do not agree with the Minister's opinions, but I do not heckle him when he is speaking.

European Council: Statements (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: There was discomfort on faces when the announcement was made because people realised that we all have to campaign on the treaty, put the issues to the people and give the people their say. I found it ironic that the Minister for Justice and Equality said that, if needs be, there would be a second referendum. That rhetoric does not help the debate. Despite the gloomy faces in this Chamber, I...

European Council: Statements (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: We have battle groups. Is it any wonder people will be cynical when the three main parties have continued to rip people off, stick their hands into the pockets of ordinary householders and take every last penny to pay bankers and speculators? Is it any wonder they will have no faith in the message being put forward? I am quite confident that if this issue is debated on its merits people...

State Assets: Motion (Resumed) (29 Feb 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Deputy Ann Phelan is correct that it is the people who elected this Government on the basis of what they were told before the general election. She also spoke about ideology. Since the announcement was made on the sale of State assets, much of the focus has been on how it sits with Labour's ideology. I have noted it does not sit well with the many Labour Members with whom I have spoken....

Jurisdiction of Courts and Enforcement of Judgments (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second and Subsequent Stages (1 Mar 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: I will be just as brief. As the Minister for Justice and Equality and Deputy Calleary said, this is a complex and technical Bill but has the full agreement of all Members. Listening to the Minister's contribution, one got a sense of the Bill's importance. While it is not controversial, it is important legislation. Sinn Féin will also be supporting all Stages to be taken today and has not...

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (1 Mar 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 20: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she took cognisance of the European vacancy monitor published by the European Commission in January 2012 which demonstrated that there are 50 jobseekers for every single vacancy here when she was developing Pathways to Work. [11879/12]

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (1 Mar 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 28: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the report Downsizing the Community Sector and her response to its conclusion that she is singling out voluntary and community organisations for disproportionate cuts considering the importance of funding streams from her Department to the community sector. [11880/12]

Scrap and Precious Metal Dealers Bill 2011: Second Stage (2 Mar 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: I also thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for submitting this Bill. It is an important piece of legislation and I hope that the Government is open to accepting it and allowing it to proceed to Committee Stage. If it has some concerns around the contents of the Bill, I am sure these can be addressed on Committee Stage. My party will support the Bill, if it goes to a vote. We believe it is a good...

Seachtain na Gaeilge (6 Mar 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 62: To ask the Aire Ealaíon, Oidhreachta agus Gaeltachta an bhfuil sé de sprioc aige Seachtain na Gaeilge a mhéadú go Mí na Gaeilge; cad atá eagraithe aige le haghaidh Sheachtain na Gaeilge taobh amuigh de Theach Laighean. [12565/12]

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (6 Mar 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 262: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been brought to the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will review this case and ensure that this person's labour market rights are upheld and their payments are processed accordingly. [12436/12]

Written Answers — Garda Operations: Garda Operations (6 Mar 2012)

Jonathan O'Brien: Question 387: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the levels of co-operation between the Garda and the PSNI; if prisoners from one jurisdiction are able to visit family in the other jurisdiction through the co-operation of both the Garda and the PSNI; the procedures in place for cross-jurisdictional movement of prisoners; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12363/12]