Results 801-820 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Schools Patronage (17 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Minister of State for her reply. My query relates to the timeframe for the process the Minister has under way. If the Minister of State does not have the information with her, perhaps she will communicate with me about it. Is there a timeframe for completion of this study to allow a decision to be made? When is it likely that Educate Together will hear from the Minister?

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yesterday a number of Deputies and Senators attended a cross-party meeting with Pamela Izevbekhai which included a briefing on her current legal situation. This is the woman whose eldest daughter died as a result of genital mutilation. She has two other children and is asking to remain in this country. I make a plea to the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform to give Ms Izevbekhai...

Seanad: Order of Business (18 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: If ever there was evidence that the Oireachtas should not be adjourning until 27 January, which is such a long time without democratic accountability, it is certainly to be seen in today's news. There is news on the economy and on banking regulation that is very disturbing and that needs to be discussed in the Dáil and the Seanad and in the finance committees of these Houses. On "Morning...

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: They have been paid by the Senator's Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: What about all the Ministers of State?

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Who made the decisions? It was the Senator's Government.

Seanad: Order of Business (19 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes.

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Second Stage (19 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: The ESRI has described the report that was launched by the Government yesterday as an interesting aspirational document that does not deal with the real issues. We have a very real issue on our hands today. The headlines in today's newspapers say it all. The main headline in The Irish Times is "Anglo Irish chairman quits over transfer of loans". The main story in today's Irish...

Seanad: Finance (No. 2) Bill 2008 (Certified Money Bill): Committee and Remaining Stages (19 Dec 2008)

Frances Fitzgerald: On behalf of Fine Gael and the Senators in the House, I convey our very best wishes to the Cathaoirleach and thank him for the manner in which he has conducted the business of the House during this term. I thank the staff of the House for all the hard work they have been involved in over the course of the term. There has been a large number of votes which kept everyone very busy and we...

Seanad: Business of Seanad (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I suggest that we use the time between 6.30 p.m. and 7 p.m. to have an Order of Business. That would make perfect sense, given that this House has not met for quite a number of weeks and key issues affecting the population need to be discussed here. They include not only this banking crisis but the cutbacks in accident and emergency departments and schools, and redundancies throughout the...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I strenuously oppose the suggestions made by the Leader of the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I oppose the decision of the Government to rush the Bill through both Houses of the Oireachtas today. Having watched the proceedings in the other House, it is clear that adequate time was not allocated for a discussion on the Bill or the many amendments tabled thereto.

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: We are expected to agree to these procedures, despite the fact that the Bill was ready a number of days ago when the House could have been recalled to discuss it. It is outrageous that we are expected to deal with it in a couple of hours. The House should have been meeting for the past few weeks to discuss not alone the banking sector but also the state of the economy, in its broadest...

Seanad: Order of Business (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is a misuse of Parliament. We spent a number of hours today in the Mansion House speaking about the importance of parliamentary procedure. It is about time we lived up to what was said there today, that we made this House and the Dáil relevant, that real debates took place in this House and that adequate time was provided to deal with events in real time, not weeks afterwards. For...

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to develop a specific point. It is clear from the events of recent weeks that the ordinary punter believes that insider networks have emerged. The lack of accountability and regulation is clear for all to see. Fine Gael asked the Minister to include in this Bill a requirement that any new directors of the bank should be vetted by the Oireachtas on a cross-party basis. We have not...

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: There seems to be complete confusion between what the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh, is saying and what the Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan, stated.

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Good. The Minister of State stated, "Anglo Irish Bank will be managed on a commercial basis at arm's length from the Government" and a new board will be appointed. I ask him to clarify how exactly the investigation will be done into what has gone wrong and how the lessons can be learnt. Can he clarify the role of the regulatory authority, which the Minister speaks about, as opposed to the...

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: On a point of order——

Seanad: Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Jan 2009)

Frances Fitzgerald: Of the 20 amendments tabled—— (Interruptions).