Results 1,001-1,020 of 34,778 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2011 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Sep 2011)

Seán Fleming: I am pleased to speak on the Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2011. Notwithstanding the importance of the Bill, I echo previous comments regarding the guillotining of the debate on Second and Report Stages. Amendments must be submitted before the debate on Second Stage has even commenced. This does not give Members the opportunity to hear the Minister's response on Second Stage. We must...

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (29 Sep 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 88: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the engagement he has had to date with other Departments on public sector reform; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26848/11]

Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (29 Sep 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 89: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the submissions or presentations he has received on public sector reform; when he expects to report to Cabinet on this matter; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26849/11]

Written Answers — Cabinet Sub-Committees: Cabinet Sub-Committees (4 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 79: To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet sub-committee on public sector reform was established; the frequency with which it has met since it was established. [26893/11]

Written Answers — Cabinet Sub-Committees: Cabinet Sub-Committees (4 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 80: To ask the Taoiseach the full list of members, including the chair, of the Cabinet sub-committee on public sector reform. [26894/11]

Order of Business. (5 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: In view of the number of small subcontractors who are facing bankruptcy due to their participation in publicly funded contracts, when can we expect the Construction Contracts Bill to be brought before the Dáil?

Order of Business. (5 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: When?

Closure of Army Barracks: Motion (Resumed) (5 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate. It was inevitable that we would have such a debate very early in the lifetime of the Government. After the false promises of the general election when the people were sold a pup, the parties negotiated the programme for Government. On the first day of new Dáil and the formation of the Government for the first time in the history of...

Closure of Army Barracks: Motion (Resumed) (5 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: That showed the priorities of the Government party leaders on the day the Government was formed. It showed what they thought of the Defence Forces. If anybody has any doubt about the barracks we have discussed, every other town, city and locality with military barracks-----

Closure of Army Barracks: Motion (Resumed) (5 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: -----is facing the same because they do not have a full-rank Minister at the Cabinet table with sole responsibility for the Department of Defence. This is coming home to roost now. I want to talk about the Minister with responsibility for this area. He was in the House last week talking about Garda stations. He said that Garda buildings did not matter. He is embarking on a programme to...

Closure of Army Barracks: Motion (Resumed) (5 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: This Government is not committed to the Defence Forces, and it showed that on its first day in office by not appointing a Minister for Defence. Its members will rue the day and this will haunt them for the lifetime of this Government.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (6 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 148: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the position regarding the agri-environment options scheme application in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Laois; when same will be approved; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28057/11]

Ministerial Engagements (11 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 42: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will have any engagement with the Troika during their October quarterly review; if so if he will give details of his involvement; the key items on his agenda for discussion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28654/11]

Ministerial Engagements (11 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: I welcome the Minister's brief, general and non-specific introductory remarks. The Minister introduced the issue of the sale of State assets. We are talking about the sale of strategic State assets such as the ESB, EirGrid, Bord na Móna, Coillte and Bord Gáis. Will the Minister confirm that no figure for the sale of State assets was included in the original EU-IMF agreement? The...

Ministerial Engagements (11 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: The Minister mentioned the comprehensive spending review. Will he be discussing that review when he meets the troika? He has said he will not publish the review before budget day, in early December. Will the Minister discuss it with officials from the EU, the IMF and anyone else who comes under that umbrella, notwithstanding the fact that he will not disclose the review figures to the...

Public Sector Reform (11 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: Question 45: To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his priorities in terms of protecting frontline services; the mechanisms he will put in place to ensure that key staff are retained in the provision of these services in view of the expected reduction in public service numbers in the months ahead; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28655/11]

Public Sector Reform (11 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: I thank the Minister for his general response, but I wish to raise this issue because specific staff will be leaving. I am concerned about the health sector. Doctors are exempt, but nurses who take early retirement are not an exempt grade under the moratorium. Does the Department have a mechanism in place to ensure that, if an inordinate number of nurses decide to take early retirement,...

Public Sector Reform (11 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: I am pleased the Minister has the flexibility under the Croke Park agreement, on which his party refused to have a view until we implemented it. When I speak about "early retirement packages" I use the phrase in general layman's language. People understand there is a benefit for going early. It might not be the technical name of the package but people understand it is better to go sooner...

Fiscal Policy (11 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: The Minister made no reference in his response to the matter I raised regarding his views on the recommendation made by the Central Bank of Ireland. It suggests that the opportunity exists now to consider a bigger budget adjustment to public expenditure than agreed with the EU-IMF.

Fiscal Policy (11 Oct 2011)

Seán Fleming: The Minister might give me his views on that. I know there may be scope, but I caution against making any cuts that are not needed. We have a good programme. There are always some people who are tempted to go harder, faster and deeper and that may be a positive outlook, but there are downsides. There is a limit to the pain people can take and the Minister should take heed of that.