Results 10,941-10,960 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Order of Business (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: We are not delaying it.

Order of Business (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: We are awaiting the full enactment of the Pharmacy (No. 1) Bill before we consider whether more legislation needs to be introduced.

Order of Business (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I will ask the Minister for Health and Children to revert to the Deputy. The decision was to drop this legislation until we finalised the full enactment of the Pharmacy (No. 1) Bill.

Order of Business (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The heads of the Nurses and Midwives Bill were approved in March with an expectation that the legislation would come in next year. I will ask the Minister to get an update on the eligibility for health and personal and social services Bill for the Deputy.

Order of Business (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Given the importance of that legislation, we indicated that we would look at additional time being made available next week for Committee and Report Stages. That can be addressed with the Whips. Tuigim go raibh na Whips míshásta. Given that the Whips were apoplectic about the fact they were of the opinion I misled the House, which I did not do, the Chief Whip has advised that there was...

Issue of Writ: Donegal South-West By-election (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: That was when I was first elected.

Issue of Writ: Donegal South-West By-election (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I thank Deputies for giving me an opportunity to contribute to the debate on this matter. It is important to mention that a long-standing convention has been broken by the Sinn Féin Party this morning. The party in which the vacancy arose always used to be given the opportunity to move the writ.

Issue of Writ: Donegal South-West By-election (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Deputies are aware that many factors must be weighed up when deciding when a by-election should be held to fill a seat that has been vacated. We need to ensure we have the best outcome, for example. On that basis I wish to confirm that the Government does not believe this is the right time to issue the writ for the filling of the seat that has been vacated by my colleague, Pat The Cope...

Issue of Writ: Donegal South-West By-election (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Many people, regardless of their political support, cannot but admire the success achieved by Mr. Gallagher within a short period of entering the race.

Issue of Writ: Donegal South-West By-election (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: His enduring popularity certainly helped him to secure that seat. Anyone who knows Mr. Gallagher will not doubt that he will admirably represent the interests of the people of Donegal South-West when he is in Brussels as an MEP for the huge Ireland North West constituency. I do not agree that the constituency is under-represented at the moment. Along with my colleague, Deputy McGinley, I...

Issue of Writ: Donegal South-West By-election (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: In the interim, Deputy McGinley and I will continue to work on behalf of the people of Donegal South-West.

Written Answers — Employment Support Services: Employment Support Services (2 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Following on the announcement by Dell to make 2,000 workers redundant, I established the Mid-West Task Force which was provided with the following terms of reference: · Assess the particular impact on the wider regional economy of the decision to close certain parts of the Dell plant in Limerick and associated companies · Carry out an analysis of the potential impact of the current economic...

Employment Support Services. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Government is working on the detail of a temporary employment subsidy scheme, the purpose of which will be to help the economy retain its productive capacity and help employers to retain the labour, knowledge and skills of the workforce, thereby supporting a faster return to sustainable growth; help employees to retain their jobs; and ensure that economic and fiscal stability is promoted...

Employment Support Services. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I will not be in a position to publish the draft proposals as I must first bring them to my Government colleagues. They will then be made available to the public. It is proposed that the scheme will be administered by Enterprise Ireland, which has considerable experience of the stabilisation fund and the criteria set down for it, which are deemed appropriate. Those criteria will deal with...

Employment Support Services. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I am disappointed to hear the Deputy, once again, oppose many of the Government's proposals.

Employment Support Services. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The proposals deal with the sustainability of the many enterprises we have and where we will have opportunities to sustain and grow employment. The targeted group consists of approximately 3,600 agency listed clients involving almost 300,000 people. It includes ICT, food, chemicals, medical devices and many others. It is important that we target these industries where there are specific...

Employment Support Services. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Many other proposals are being worked through other parts of the economy. This is only one part of the solution to the difficulties we face. There is a suite of Government proposals, including pilot schemes which we hope will work out well. Pilot schemes such as the graduate placement programme and the training initiative for people in part-time work, which was proposed by the Labour...

Departmental Programmes. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: My Department and I closely monitor the operation of FÁS and the implementation of its labour market programmes. The medium-term policy direction of FÁS is set out in its multi-annual statement of strategy, which is developed in close co-operation with officials in my Department. Overall responsibility for the management of FÁS lies with its board. Its internal governance structures...

Departmental Programmes. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: We had better differentiate between the FÁS programme and that of Science Foundation Ireland. The latter has been absolutely superb, not without the Minister of State and me keeping a cute eye on expenditure and determining where commercialisation opportunities arise. Our focus is certainly on enterprise. The Science Challenge programme was established to encourage education and research...

Departmental Programmes. (7 Jul 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I asked for the evaluation within my own Department. I would have to consider whether I should publish it. The most important point is that I made a decision on it as soon as I received it, and we are progressing accordingly. As everyone knows, on the basis of matters that were brought to my attention, investigations have been carried out. The Comptroller and Auditor General carried out...