Results 12,441-12,460 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The change here is pretty dramatic in the context of what went on before. We also discussed this at the last round of Taoiseach's Questions. This will take effect from the time the Oireachtas committees are set up, which will be in the very near future. The first person to appear before an Oireachtas committee will be the nominee for appointment to Bord na gCon, for which there has been a...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: It depends on the organisation, agency or committee involved. The Government set policy, as decided by the Cabinet, and a range of organisations, agencies and Departments implement it. If one wants to see the scale of change, one should note that Oireachtas committees never had the range of competencies required or the necessary experience. Members were appointed on the basis of friendship...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: That is prehistoric at this stage.

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: As the Deputy stated, he is not interested in the Punch and Judy business of the past. I am concerned about making changes that will apply in the future. I am not giving committees absolute authority to make appointments but the opportunity to discuss policy with the person proposed by the relevant Minister or the Cabinet as chairperson of the relevant organisation or agency. That is a big...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I do not believe there should be Oireachtas hearings for the casual filling of vacancies on boards that might not rank in the top three in the order of priority. The chairperson has the fundamental function of chairing the relevant body or agency and to steer it in the direction, in so far as the committee is concerned, of the relevant element of Government policy. I am anxious to see how...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The difference is that previously there was a one line announcement to the newspapers that person X was appointed as the chair of a board, agency or organisation. The relevant committee had no function at all, other than to welcome the new arrival as the chairperson. In the case of these chairpersons, the Minister or the Cabinet will make a nomination, the person will appear before the...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I do not accept Deputy Higgins's assertion that this is cronyism.

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: Even the Deputy will understand that there is a difference between what will happen in the future and what occurred in the past. It is clear that there is at least serious intent on our part - and a demonstration thereof - to allow the Oireachtas committees bring before them those who will be nominated to hold positions as chairpersons of State boards and companies. That is a good...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: That could happen in much the same way as the Deputy said to me when he told me he had a couple of nominees for positions whom he said I might consider.

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I do not know whether they are the Deputy's friends. Accountability for State and semi-State organisations is part of the Government's focus on the comprehensive spending review. For years, long before Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett came here, when the Minister for Finance allocated money to a Minister, a Department or an agency, there was never a real analysis of what went on, other than an...

Appointments to State Boards (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The first decision made by the Government was to reduce salaries. We will continue to reduce costs insofar as governance is concerned. The matter of the serious salaries of chief executives of State bodies is one for the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform.

Constitutional Convention (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 4 to 6, inclusive, together. The programme for Government commits the Government to establishing a constitutional convention to consider comprehensive constitutional reform and report on the following matters: the review of the Dáil electoral system; reducing the term of office of the President from seven years to five; provision for same sex marriage;...

Constitutional Convention (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I agree with that last comment. I do not see why we cannot have a proper discussion about that when it is in the interests of the country and the House and those who are elected and will be elected here in the future, and I am amenable to that. The terms of reference will be broad enough to encompass all of these matters. I hope the constitutional convention will be a more focused and more...

Constitutional Convention (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I have not decided on the nature of the make up of the composition yet. As Deputy Martin will recall from being a Minister from many years, one of the weaknesses of social partnership was that the last people to be informed of the decision were Oireachtas Members. I do not envisage this would be the case with the constitutional convention. It will have an inclusivity which will allow...

Constitutional Convention (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: As Deputy McDonald knows, all referendums end up with a "Yes" or "No" question, and voter is asked to put an "X" beside the box of his or her choice. The difficulty in framing the question is always with regard to the consequence of the changes that occur in the Constitution. I have made clear for some time that the Attorney General is working on a range of Articles which need to be either...

Constitutional Convention (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I am not sure what the Deputy means by a stuffed Seanad but the Attorney General is currently examining the Constitution to determine what Articles need to be amended or removed. I will give consideration to including a northern connection in the constitutional convention. That is an important issue and, as I previously stated, the convention will be as inclusive as I can make it. As Deputy...

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy states the obvious in stating exports have been running at a surplus for 21 months and that the interest in investment in this country is still exceptionally high. I heard first-hand evidence of this when speaking to a significant number of business interests in Washington during St. Patrick's week, as did the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Deputy Gilmore,...

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: It is perfectly obvious that jobs, job creation and an injection of confidence into the indigenous economy must be and are a priority of the Government. That is why the jobs initiative will be announced by the Minister for Finance in the House on Tuesday, 10 May. Given that the rate of unemployment is over 14% and that 440,000 are on the live register, we have tried, within the constraints...

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I am sure the Deputy will join me in condemning what appears to be deliberate arson attacks by a person or persons unknown in various locations throughout the country. Vegetation was destroyed as a result of the frost last winter and the current dry weather, so with the strong breeze these fires have become quite dangerous. I spoke to the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local...

Leaders' Questions (3 May 2011)

Enda Kenny: I would not get carried away with what the Deputy discerns from my words. A total of €6 billion is being taken out of the economy in 2011 and obviously that is not all about growth and productivity. This is the first Government in the history of the State to initiate a serious, comprehensive analysis of how taxpayers' money is spent. That will conclude in September, when the Government...