Results 10,161-10,180 of 21,499 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald
- Leaders' Questions (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I know how it operates.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: In disbelief.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: No. I want the Government to make the right investment in staffing.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: There is every need for this disorder.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: It is disgraceful.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: That report is happening here and not in the North.
- Order of Business (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: It is obvious not just coming into Christmas but coming into the election season that there is a furious pace in ramming through as much legislation as possible. We have no objection to late sittings - far from it - but it is, of course, always better to have more notice than was given in this instance. There is a problem with affording 20-minute slots for debates in the Dáil, as these...
- Order of Business (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: To reiterate, while it is welcome that there is debate on these matters, 20 minutes is inadequate for agreements such as these. They should be properly scrutinised. It is almost cynical to allow a tokenistic slot of time to tick a box in order that there is some debate, but then to guillotine it after 20 short minutes. We object on that basis.
- Order of Business (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I want to raise my party's objections also. I stated on the previous matters that 20 minutes was woefully inadequate. This, equally, is the case here. Twenty minutes is derisory. It does not give the scope for what could properly be called a debate, and on an issue with such urgency and importance for so many at this time, I am at a loss as to why Government would insist on such a short...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I agree with the thrust of those comments. Obviously, the cost of any inquiry is a matter of concern and anything that amounts to a blank cheque book for legal firms or lawyers must be avoided. However, it is important that the committee makes it clear that the issues under consideration must be fully investigated because potentially serious questions in respect taxpayers' money arise from...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I entirely agree with that and the points are very well made. However, it is important that we, as a committee, put on the record that a decision has been taken that the matters at hand need to be investigated and that they speak to the issue of taxpayers' money, at least potentially. I am not jumping to conclusions in terms of the possible outcome but it is important that we say that,...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: No, absolutely not.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Chairman is questioning my sanity, I believe. That is one of a series of outstanding proposals from the Chairman. Who does the Chairman propose would carry out such an analysis?
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Are we passing on to the Comptroller and Auditor General the job of auditing proposals or is the Chairman suggesting that the IFAC should undertake this work?
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: It will not do it.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: As a matter of initial clarification, it is not over 4,000 that were considered unsuitable but 2,469 of the properties.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: They were no longer available for social housing. That is a different matter from 2,469.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I am not disputing that. It is a good idea to get as much information on this matter as we can. We should look to the Department to furnish us with that. Of course, sizeable as those figures are, they are a drop in the ocean in respect of the housing crisis.
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: It is an NGO. The documentation states that the production of the policy document was undertaken with the assistance of the European Union. One presumes this group has been around for quite some time and has access to funding through one of the funding streams. I agree that we should meet and see where an investigation, examination or discussion might go. I do not think there is a...
- Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee. (26 Nov 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Certainly that response would be welcome. This has been an ongoing issue for youth workers and providers in the Stoneybatter area. The nub of it is that there is an anomaly of about €76,000, conservatively, in respect of the spend. The City of Dublin Youth Service Board, CDYSB, has given one figure and the Department has given another. Similar services across the State are under...