Results 1,681-1,700 of 13,375 for speaker:Pat Rabbitte

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (4 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 210: To ask the Minister for Agriculture and Food the progress made regarding the redeployment of the estimated 400 staff previously employed in administering farm income support schemes; the number of such staff redeployed to date; the locations and the sectors of her Department to which they have been redeployed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26466/05]

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle. That could be very useful as this goes on. Unusually, yesterday I had the opportunity to listen to the Taoiseach outside the House. The only thing more breathtaking than washing €160 million of taxpayers' money down the toilet bowl was the breathtaking and contemptuous disingenuousness and dishonesty of the Taoiseach's response. How can he grow so far removed...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: What kind of Government is the Taoiseach running? When will we see any admission for any of the mistakes? On 13 October at a conference on PPARS, the Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children, Deputy Tim O'Malley, said "The meticulous attention to detail which was paid during the development and implementation of PPARS in the early phases of the project will pay dividends as...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Would it not be far more honest and decisive for the Taoiseach to take action against whichever Minister is the more culpable? In this case, it seems to be the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin. Everything he touches ends up costing the taxpayer at least tens of millions of euro. He is still shooting around the place having his photograph taken.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: He seems to think the job is that of a male model rather than a Minister who manages his Department. The Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, has a different approach. She adopts this folksy——

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: ——down-home, everyone-trusts-me style and we all know her background. She will say, "I will put my hands up and is it not terrible how incoherent——

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Since he was appointed, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government has become so oily and self-satisfied, one could plug the national grid into him.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: The Tánaiste's approach is how could it work if there were so many incoherent, different systems in the health boards.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: How could it work if there were all these different pay cycles, people working part-time and people paid fortnightly? However, we knew all that. Is that not the whole point of the exercise? I do not agree with the Taoiseach that all the people involved are nitwits. These are the people who tried to tell this to the Government and call a halt but were ignored. These are the people who knew a...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: This is money wasted. The character of the Government is to waste this inheritance over the last eight years. While this is one of the biggest cock-ups, the Minister responsible, Deputy Martin, is being photographed somewhere. The Tánaiste adopts the approach that when she came in she tried to clean up the place and one should have seen the mess she discovered. This side of the House is then...

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: They will get paid during the absenteeism anyway.

Leaders' Questions. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: They should look for more stupid consultants in future.

Social Partnership Agreement. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 4: To ask the Taoiseach the matters discussed and conclusions reached at the meeting held on 14 July 2005 with the social partners under the auspices of Sustaining Progress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24364/05]

Social Partnership Agreement. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Question 5: To ask the Taoiseach when the next quarterly meeting with the social partners under the auspices of the Sustaining Progress agreement will be held; the likely agenda for the meeting; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24365/05]

Social Partnership Agreement. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: May I ask the Taoiseach, in respect of the speech he made in July at Dublin Castle to the effect that the era of tax cuts was over as a bargaining counter in these discussions, if that is still his position? In respect of the remarks he has just made about An Post, there is a very serious underlying grievance in terms of workers who could not in any circumstances be described as highly paid,...

Social Partnership Agreement. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: The first question I asked the Taoiseach was about his speech in Dublin Castle.

Social Partnership Agreement. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: How will the Taoiseach respond to SIPTU, which if apparently not pulling out social partnership, has certainly opted to defer any decision to engage in negotiations for a new social contract and what are the implications of this, arising from the Irish Ferries decision?

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: I was very sorry, on a personal basis, to hear of the passing of Liam Burke. On my own behalf and that of my Labour Party colleagues, I extend to Deputy Kenny and the Fine Gael Party our condolences. I join with the Taoiseach in offering our sympathies to his wife, Noreen, his daughters, Catherine and Emma and to his extended family. As has been said by both the Taoiseach and Deputy Kenny,...

Order of Business. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: I did not hear the Order of Business. I am sorry, my hearing as well as my other faculties are——

Order of Business. (5 Oct 2005)

Pat Rabbitte: Having regard to the controversy that continues to recur about public expenditure decision making, can I ask the Taoiseach whether the Government is contemplating legislative or other changes in terms of the capacity to intervene in advance and assess a major public decision in respect of public expenditure?