Results 901-920 of 1,683 for speaker:Derek McDowell

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: That is a good point.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: Unless I have missed something and although I can anticipate the Minister of State's response, it is regrettable that there is no minimum gender requirement included in the Bill. For a number of years it was the practice to do so, although I know it is not in vogue with the current Minister for Finance. It is regrettable, however, that there is no requirement for gender balance.

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: What role will the commission have in respect of promotion procedures? Section 58 states that the promotion competitions will be carried out in accordance with the codes of practice. Does this in some way confer a power on the commission to change the way in which promotion competitions are carried out? For example, a certain number of posts are generally held over for internal competition...

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: Will the power to decide what proportion should be recruited internally as against across Departments still lie with the management of Civil Service, as is the case currently, rather than with the commission or the PAS?

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: Can that power at some point be exercised by the PAS?

Seanad: Public Service Management (Recruitment and Appointments) Bill 2003: Committee Stage. (6 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: That means that the role of the PAS is purely to carry out the competition according to rules set by others, but within their own codes of practice.

Seanad: Barron Report: Statements. (7 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: I join other Members in welcoming the Minister to the House. It is useful to provide time for an expression of views from all sides of the House on what was, before Omagh, the worst single incident in the history of the so-called Troubles. I commend the work done by Mr. Justice Barron and prior to that by the late Chief Justice, Liam Hamilton. In the 30 years since the bombings there were...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Second Stage. (13 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: It will be hard to follow that. I am in complete disagreement with almost everything Senator Morrissey said, which I suppose is a considerable relief to both of us. We will have time to tease that out over the next day and a half or so. I want to address much of the wishful thinking we have heard about competition and its nastiness, the monopoly and so on. However, it is appropriate to focus...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Second Stage. (13 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: It is a small country. People choose to go to the nearest airport, by and large, or they use the service which suits them best. It is rare that they are attracted to a different airport because of a difference in price or because the lounge is a little bigger. I do not think that happens because they typically choose to go to the nearest airport in most circumstances. There may be exceptions....

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: I move amendment No. 1: In page 5, before section 1, to insert the following new section: 1.—(1) This Act shall come into operation on such day or dates as may be prescribed by the Minister. (2) Prior to the commencement of any provision of this Act the Minister shall prepare a detailed statement setting out the business case for the commencement of the relevant provision and such statement...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: We need to hear a great deal more than that from the Minister. The Labour Party is not concerned about whether the plans are called business plans, strategic directions or risk evaluations. We are concerned about whether the Minister knows what it is he is asking Cork and Shannon Airports to do. I would like an idea of what it is the Minister believes will be the brief given to, for example,...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: I made a note of Senator Dooley's penultimate contribution when he said he would be opposed to Government management of the company. He appears to have changed his mind and is now saying that if Aer Rianta were inclined to give ARI to anyone other than Shannon, the Minister would intervene immediately to ensure it would not happen.

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: Of course there is, but one man's micro is the other man's macro. It is a crucial issue.

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: I will resist the temptation to score a point on that and want to make the point to illustrate a dilemma. Who makes the decisions, or are the decisions, in effect, already made? Senator Browne asked under what company ARI would come. There are other decisions regarding SFADCo properties in Shannon. I do not intend to take an aggressive approach because I appreciate the Bill will be passed. I...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: Would that it were. I want to get a sense of a few of these strategic issues which are, in effect, decisions of the Minister — he may have already made them. The first relates to ARI. He was being disingenuous when he said it was a matter for the boards. Ultimately, it is a matter for him. The Bill gives clear power to the Minister to make decisions of that kind and to give a direction to...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: Does the Minister see the potential rental income as being vital to the viability of the airport?

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: Yes. Over the past few days I have read the Farrell Grant Sparks and Mazars report, which reviews the PwC report with which the Minister is more than familiar. It is damning in that it points out clearly that there is no existing business plan and states that it is highly unusual for a restructuring decision to be contemplated or finalised without outline business cases being made. Perhaps...

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: Section 3 provides for the Minister for Transport to bear the expenses incurred in the administration of the Act with the consent of the Minister for Finance. What is the distinction between the costs of the restructuring, which is dealt with by a separate section, and the expenses incurred in the administration of the Act?

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: If I were an accountant I could have some fun with that provision. However, I am not, so I will not.

Seanad: State Airports Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Jul 2004)

Derek McDowell: I move amendment No. 2: In page 7, subsection (1), line 31 and 32, to delete ", after the Dublin appointed day,". These amendments relate to the appointed days for the airport authorities and propose to make the establishment of the Dublin appointed day subject to the consent mechanism of the two Ministers that already applies to the Cork and Shannon appointed days. These amendments would...