Results 1,201-1,220 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I will only make the point that they and the Governments they served implemented the policy. It is only fair for all political parties in the House who participated in those Governments to accept that fact.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: If people would listen, it might be helpful. I wish to make it clear that I am not saying that any or all of these Ministers acted in the knowledge that the charges were not on a sound legal footing. I am confident that Mr. Travers's forthcoming report will give the definitive position, since he is carrying out a thorough and comprehensive analysis of the files in the Department and is...
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: Distributing copies is not a matter for me.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The Deputy's advice was wrong.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The Supreme Court found that it was not wrong. The Deputy is wrong and I will respond to her.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I will explain in one minute.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The Deputy attacks me at least once a week. He even did it on day one.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I announced that when I introduced the legislation in the House.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I know.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The Supreme Court held that it was not unconstitutional under Article 15.5, which was the point raised in this House and which the Deputy is raising now. It was held unconstitutional under the property rights provisions, which are different. In other words, it was not the retrospective nature of the Bill that was a problem but taking property without compensation. It is important to make that...
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The principle of what was involved in this case, namely, the charging for shelter and maintenance in public institutions, was held by the Supreme Court to be constitutional. The issue which is not constitutional is the taking away of someone's property rights without adequate compensation. When the debate took place before Christmas, I told the House that I believed the charges were levied in...
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: The Deputy argued the case under Article 15.5. She stated that under the article, the provision was unconstitutional.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I am obliged to take the advice given to me. That advice was given to me not just by the Office of the Attorney General but also by outside counsel. I told the House that this issue would be tested in the Supreme Court. When the President called a meeting of the Council of State, as the Taoiseach stated this morning, it was his and my view that the sooner there was legal clarity, the better....
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: We acted as quickly as we could. Nonetheless, I am not satisfied that this practice continued for 28 or 29 years because it shows systemic maladministration. That is why in December I asked John Travers to carry out an inquiry to report to me by 1 March as to why, with so many Administrations and Ministers, we could have acted illegally since 1976. I await his report.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: It is not 2001, but rather 1976.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I ask Deputies to await Mr.Travers's report before rushing to judgment.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: In the next couple of weeks.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I also stated that legal advice was to be sought as a result of that meeting and I do not know why it was not sought. These are among the reasons I have asked a person to carry out the inquiry because I want to know who knew what and when.
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: We are all entitled to know because the taxpayers will be paying back at least â¬500 million. If we could have had this issue dealt with five years ago, the amount would have been much less because we could have legally raised the charges. For every week we cannot raise these charges, it costs the health service â¬2.5 million. We have serious issues in regard to long-term care. Every year,...
- Health (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2004: Statements. (16 Feb 2005)
Mary Harney: I have to take advice about the best way to do it. I do not know whether the State Claims Agency or the HSE is the appropriate body but I will put in place as quickly as I can a mechanism to ensure we identify the individuals, their personal representatives or families and make these payments. I will do this as conscientiously and as quickly as I can.