Results 1,861-1,880 of 20,725 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: The figures the Minister of State gave in his response seem to be nine months out of date. Do we have no figures for the third and last quarters of last year, and the first quarter of this year? Figures for the first quarter of 2011 are wildly out of date and surely we can do better than that.

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: This does not relate to the previous Government. The Minister of State should answer the question.

Employment Levels (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: How are we supposed to operate with those figures?

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: He cannot.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I have experience of putting forward a Private Members' Bill and I thank the Bills Office for it.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: It is fine that they attend but it is not reform because while the Minister attends he rejects every proposal. Perhaps he gives us a lesson for not engaging with him. I know the Chief Whip was abroad on Government duty on St. Patrick's day and I commend him on that, but is he aware that when he was away the Deputy Government Whip did not bother to turn up? We had a Private Members' debate...

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: Of course it has. The question is about Dáil reform. We had come into this Chamber -----

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: The Ceann Comhairle does not know what I am talking about. He was not here that evening. Somebody else was in the Chair.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: No, this has to do with Dáil reform. There was nobody at all on the Government side.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: This was a Private Members' debate and there was nobody at all on the Government side of the House. I know the Chief Whip was away, but the Deputy Government Whip should have been around somewhere.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: No, it is not. It is about Dáil reform. Surely to God it is incumbent on the Government to have a quorum in the House and to have a Minister available to answer on an important issue.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I have complained to the Ceann Comhairle's office on a different issue.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: No, on a different issue, and I have not withdrawn that complaint. It was to do with the Minister of State, Deputy McGinley.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: It has not been sorted out. I got no apology. It is tokenism, at the best.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: The Chair invited this, because I have complained to his office.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: There could be nobody on the Government side, as happened before.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: They were not here for a Wednesday evening.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: He is out of order.

Parliamentary Reform (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I had apologised for not being able to be here. I had a confirmation to attend.

Order of Business (27 Mar 2012)

Mattie McGrath: I wish to ask about recruitment legislation and Government contracts.