Results 1,941-1,960 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: Will rent continue to be paid until then?

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: What is the new rate for the year?

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: This is one of the key issues that will arise in rationalisation. If one is serious about reducing costs, one must examine the contracts entered into and the outstanding costs.

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: When the Office of Tobacco Control had a separate office, the key priority was its specific remit. It is critical that the remit of the office is retained despite the fact that the office will be integrated. What assurances can the Minister of State provide to the House that its remit will be retained? What priority is the issue receiving at the moment? We can see the work that has been...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: What does the Minister of State envisage the budget to be? I have referred to the cutbacks to the smoking cessation programmes. How much threat is there to the budget and what has been the level of cutbacks to the programme?

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: What is the Minister of State's response to the cuts to the smoking cessation programmes?

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is important we would get the final report on the activities of the office as soon as possible, prior to the transfer. I look forward to reading about the challenges in this area, what point the work has reached and the challenges for the future. I have outlined that they are fairly substantial both nationally and internationally. Perhaps the Minister of State would indicate when the...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: A year is excessive. The report should be made within a maximum of three months given that we are transferring the agency into the Health Service Executive and its operation is changing from being a separate office to having a subsumed role within the Department. It would be important to read an account of the office's activities and future priorities.

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco) (Amendment) Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: I hope the Minister of State will push to get it fairly soon.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: We will be opposing the Order of Business because we do not believe it is acceptable to take all Stages of an important Bill, the Social Welfare Bill, in the House.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: We have raised this issue on numerous occasions and again this week all Stages of a number of Bills are being taken on the same day. It emerged this morning that the Minister had been informed some time ago about the AIB bonuses and yet we saw no action until the issue came into the public arena. There was public outrage and outrage in these Houses that after so much money had been given to...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: It begs the question as to what else is happening about which we do not know. What is happening regarding NAMA and the other negotiations, so much of which goes on behind closed doors? This is a further example of the Government's lack of competence in the management of taxpayers' money and we need a general election as soon as possible. Last night on RTE we saw another "Prime Time...

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Senator is in it.

Seanad: Order of Business (14 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Senator's party is in government.

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: A Chathaoirligh-----

Seanad: Social Welfare Bill 2010: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: On a point of order, the Leader is guillotining the debate on the Bill.

Seanad: Financial Emergency Measures in the Public Interest (No. 2) Bill 2010: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: No.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: Last year, Fianna Fáil and the Green Party voted to end the Christmas bonus that gave those in need of a helping hand to prepare for Christmas and buy essential food and clothes for the holiday period. We were told the country could no longer afford the bonus but that if there was the slightest possibility money could be found, the bonuses would be paid. We know now those bonuses will not...

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Social Welfare Bill was guillotined in the House, contrary to what had been promised earlier.

Seanad: Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

Frances Fitzgerald: We continually hear from the Leader that he never guillotines a Bill. That is nonsense; he does it all the time.