Results 1,921-1,940 of 6,728 for speaker:John Curran

EU-USA Financial Messaging Data Agreement: Motion (30 Nov 2010)

John Curran: I move: That Dáil Éireann approves the exercise by the State of the option or discretion under Protocol No. 21 on the position of the United Kingdom and Ireland in respect of the area of freedom, security and justice annexed to the Treaty on European Union and to the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, to accept the following measure: the Agreement between the European Union...

Written Answers — National Statistics: National Statistics (30 Nov 2010)

John Curran: The exact information requested by the Deputy is not available. The Farm Structure Survey provides regional estimates and the following table shows the latest figures for the South-East region in June 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2007 (the latest year currently available). Number of farms in the South-East region - June 2000, 2003, 2005 and 2007 Year Farmwork is sole occupation of farm owner...

Written Answers — Census of Population: Census of Population (30 Nov 2010)

John Curran: The aim of Census 2011 is to count every person in the State on Census Night – 10 April 2011. This includes homeless persons and those sleeping rough. Following a number of submissions to the Central Statistics Office on how to cover homeless persons the office set up a consultative group to advise it on the best means of achieving this goal. The consultative group consisted of officials...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: As the Deputies will be aware, the Government established a working group on Dáil reform in 2009, comprising the Minister for Transport, Deputy Dempsey, the Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, Senator Dan Boyle and my predecessor as Government Chief Whip, the Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Pat Carey. Following a number of meetings, this...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: I hope to have my first opportunity to discuss these matters with the new Fine Gael Deputy Whip, Deputy Joe Carey. In a recent Private Members' motion debate, Fine Gael's previous representative on this topic, Deputy Stanton, made the assertion that the Government had failed to make proposals in this area. I was glad to see the Minister of State, Deputy Kelleher, clarify the situation and...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: Without being smart about it, unless the election is going to be called very quickly, I intend to have that meeting before the Christmas recess. I want to go back on a number of issues-----

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: No, we shall do some business. I want to be serious for a moment, however, and go back. I agree with much of what Deputy Stanton said. He went into considerable detail about the Adjournment debate and the significant difference between this House and the Seanad. Before I became Chief Whip I was Minister of State in a Department where I was frequently asked to do Adjournment debates. I...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: Deputy Stagg has indicated previously that matters such as parliamentary questions or State bodies or Leaders' Questions on a Thursday were, in effect, his lines in the sand, whereas Deputy Stanton on the other hand, is talking about making different incremental changes along the way. I understand the sub-committee does not sit in public, but Deputies might advise me in that regard....

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: Deputy Ó Caoláin has raised a number of issues. The Deputy specifically asked if I would raise with the Taoiseach the issue of the introduction of legislation in regard to the filling of a vacancy in a by-election. While I can do that the Deputy has previously raised the question with the Taoiseach on the floor of the House and he has clearly indicated that legislation will not be dealt...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: While that is bad, there are worse cases. I was shocked by some of them. To be fair to the HSE, it made some degree of progress between the first and second meeting. To put this in context, responses to 139 parliamentary questions of all questions submitted in 2009 remained outstanding in August. That figure has since decreased to six. I am not saying that is acceptable. We need to map...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: Yes.

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: I understand the point the Deputy makes. However, in regard to the HSE, there has been a programme and agreement put in place. The problem is that the level of reply and timeliness agreed has not been delivered upon.

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: It is the issue for most people. Most people-----

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: It is an issue for most people because-----

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: It is the issue for most people because they want accurate information in a timely manner and this is not happening. In other agencies and bodies where information is readily available and accessible there are probably fewer parliamentary questions going through the system. Oireachtas Members by and large want timely access to accurate information.

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: This arrangement was put in place with the HSE which clearly, given Deputy Ó Caoláin's situation, has not delivered responses in the manner anticipated. I will provide some of the relevant figures for Members. As indicated earlier, the 2009 backlog is almost cleared. Up to 24 November the HSE had received almost 2,300 parliamentary questions for answer. Some 83% of those questions have...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: On the minimum wage and ministerial pensions, I am not sure it is appropriate for me to address that issue. However, I would like to make one comment. In regard to pension arrangements, the Deputy will be aware that various changes were made a number of years ago in respect of new entrants. I am not sure if that question is relevant to Dáil reform per se. On Deputy Ó Caoláin's question...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: I note the Deputy comments on the meeting. I outlined the Deputy's position and I was being factual, not critical. However, he made an interesting point at the outset of his contribution. When we sit down to discuss Dáil reform, there is conflict because everybody wants something different and trying to reach a consensus can be difficult. If the outcome of the election is as he predicts,...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: -----if it carries the numbers in the House on the day. That is not an option we have tried. We have tried to implement reform on the basis of consensus. This Dáil is coming towards the end of its life and there will be a new one. In that context I thought people would view some of these issues in a slightly different way and it might be possible to have consensus before then but if...

Dáil Reform (1 Dec 2010)

John Curran: It is hardly my fault that we did not get to Question No. 4. I was responding to the questions, not asking them. We need a bit of clarity because questions are asked where line Ministers do not have direct responsibilities. Some of those third party agencies mentioned by the Deputies are subsequently questioned, or come under the remit of the Committee of Public Accounts and so on. Just...