Results 981-1,000 of 19,162 for speaker:Alan Shatter

Children in Care. (5 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing me to raise the issue, which has been somewhat truncated from the original matter submitted. My concern is with children known to be at risk and notified to the health board or HSE as being at risk who have lost their lives or children who have lost their lives having already found their way into the care system. On 19 February I asked the Minister...

Children in Care. (5 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Apparently, there is some report into the death of David Foley but we do not know what it contains because it is suppressed.

Children in Care. (5 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: It is hidden somewhere on the shelves of the HSE. I do not even know if the Minister has received it. In conclusion, we should have an independent review of the system for all children who die in care or who die after the HSE has been notified they are at risk. We should have transparency. Reports should be published. We should learn the essential lessons from these deaths to ensure the...

Children in Care. (5 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Finally, we should ensure we comply with our obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. We have had so many debates in this State about the right to life of the unborn.

Children in Care. (5 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: The right to life of the born — children who are taken into care — is asserted in the Constitution and in that convention, and it should be respected.

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (10 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Question 234: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the position with regard to the putting in place of a new bilateral adoption agreement with Russia; the progress made to date; the steps being taken by the Government; and when it is anticipated such new agreement will be signed. [10108/09]

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (10 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Question 235: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the situation of people over 70 years, granted a medical card prior to 1 January 2009, who made a declaration of income to the Health Service Executive on the basis of their income in 2008 being over the threshold specified in the Health Act 2008 and whose projected income in 2009 will be much reduced and will fall below the specified...

Visit of Bulgarian Delegation. (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Tallaght is obviously being twinned.

Leaders' Questions (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Deputy Gilmore is correct.

Leaders' Questions (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: The great "I am".

Departmental Expenditure. (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: In the context of the savings to be effected in this area and others, has any kind of approach been made to the members of the Judiciary to suggest they voluntarily reduce their salaries by an equivalent of the pension levy which is being imposed on everyone else in the public service? I understand there may be constitutional difficulties with reducing judges' salaries, but I am not sure...

Departmental Expenditure. (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: In the context of saving expenditure, has the Taoiseach considered this? Have any steps been taken to raise this in an appropriate manner?

Departmental Expenditure. (11 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: Would the Taoiseach acknowledge that the wider public expects everyone in the public service, with no exceptions, to make a contribution to resolving the current economic crisis in which we find ourselves?

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: I listened with interest to the Minister's response. I believed I understood what he was saying but I am sorry to say I became increasingly confused. Perhaps he will clarify his comments further. I understand from the section that it is assumed in respect of local elections that 10% of the spend of an individual candidate will be spent by one's political party. However, as the section...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: I am coming back specifically to the limits.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: I will come back to this. My point is directly relevant to the amendment. Will Ministers stop using taxpayers' money to pay public relations consultancies to help them spin their message to the specific advantage of local election candidates running for those Ministers' parties? Of course they will not. In the context of this section, what percentage of the spend incurred by the Minister...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: In the context of their experience of the Green Party in Government, I suspect they are suffering from a considerable amount of political indigestion. It may well be that the reason the Minister is anxious to ensure there is an uneven playing pitch in the local government elections is that he can, from on high in his Department, issue policy documents and advocate implicatory support for his...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: We could share the same analyst, if only we could identify one who would talk to us.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: But the Minister wants the best democracy the Government can buy.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee and Remaining Stages (12 Mar 2009)

Alan Shatter: I will briefly respond. I listened with great interest to what the Minister said. He studiously avoided addressing the issue, which is about the amount of money spent by the Government and by his Department to get across his party's policies and his Government's policies in the lead in to a local election. This is not about an even playing pitch. It is not about the best democracy money...