Results 7,581-7,600 of 21,498 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Bodies (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: 128. To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form a list of all non-commercial State sponsored bodies. [30968/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: 627. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in Dublin will receive an appointment for urgent back surgery; and the reason the person has been left waiting for such a long time. [30844/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I was looking at Mr. Cribben's submission and the concept of whiskey tours is very interesting.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not have to go outside my constituency to avail of one of these tours. The conversation so far has been on the taxation equation. Ms Burke makes the case for money in people’s pockets. All of that makes plain common sense. Will Ms Burke talk us through where IBEC sees current expenditure adjustments to be made?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: We will come to that later. Will Ms Burke take me through the expenditure cuts?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I see this in the synopsis. From where does IBEC envisage those cuts coming? What is Ms Burke's view?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Should some of it come out of the health budget which, as Ms Burke, knows is-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: We would probably agree on that point but when one puts forward a proposal, it has to be reality checked as to its deliverability. I am curious to know from where the €385 million should come. We face an additional Estimate for health because it has been undercalculated again. This is a yearly occurrence. Has IBEC given any thought as to where we should find that money?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Could I just put to Ms Burke the potential flaw in IBEC's argument in the following terms? On the face of it, Ms Burke talks about an adjustment of €200 million when one nets it all out but for many people, the more significant figures are actually the adjustment figures. I refer to the €500 million in respect of water charges. I also refer the few shillings in the pockets...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does IBEC also support welfare cuts?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: IBEC is not waiting to see straight cuts to welfare payments in the budget.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Would IBEC be upset if that happened?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am not asking Ms Burke personally but what is IBEC's general disposition to a proposition like that, namely, that welfare rates should be cut? Would that be good or bad?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does Ms Burke also accept that, in line with IBEC's overall orientation around economic buoyancy, consumer demand and customer confidence, people on fixed incomes, that is, social welfare recipients, are part of that equation too and that to cut those very basic fixed payments has a deflationary effect and affects consumer confidence and demand?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can I just say to Ms Burke - I say this in a spirit of having the debate because I also read the foreword by the IBEC CEO, Mr. Danny McCoy - that if, for argument's sake, Mr. McCoy and I happened to be on a panel debating the budget, as one does, and if I or anybody else was to produce figures which suggested all sorts of interesting things but which had a hole in them of the magnitude of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Would Ms Burke accept that point? Can I ask another question which relates to some of IBEC's expenditure priorities? Ms Burke highlighted the issue of social housing in which I was interested.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Has IBEC had conversations with the Government on the issue of social housing and this form of stimulus?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: I understand the point around keeping these matter off-balance sheet but, as Ms Burke knows, the experience of public private partnerships for the provision of social housing has not been a good one for many people, not least in this city.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: Has IBEC looked at experiences in other European jurisdictions - for instance, in Britain?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Pre-Budget Submissions: Discussion (15 Jul 2014)

Mary Lou McDonald: In terms of public private partnerships.