Results 1,941-1,960 of 1,981 for speaker:Conor Lenihan

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: I am not sure of the answer to the Senator's question. I advise her to raise with the Department the significant difference between the figure available to her and that provided by the Department.

Seanad: Schools Building Projects (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: The Department's records suggest the correct figure is 127. It would be helpful if the Senator were to arrange a meeting with the Tánaiste or departmental officials to clarify the numbers.

Seanad: Crime Prevention (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: I thank the Senator for raising this issue and giving me the opportunity, on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Law Reform, Deputy Dermot Ahern, to update the House on it. There has been a significant increase in the number of cash for gold outlets in towns and cities in the State and a significant amount of advertising for the direct mailing of gold to such outlets or dedicated postal...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: I am responding to the Senator on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. The HSE has advised that the senior audiological scientist post in Galway has been vacant since 2002, as the Senator pointed out. The HSE has managed to secure the services of two sessional audiological scientists to provide a limited service from the period August 2008 to November...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: With regard to the Senator's point on whether the HSE was trying hard enough, I am not at liberty to comment one way or another on the competence of the local HSE managers.

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: I am not accountable for them but if there was any performance on their part that was not up to standard, one would clearly like to get evidence thereof, which evidence the Senator is hinting at. We have an interest in the competent and efficient conduct of public bodies such as the HSE. If there was tardiness or incompetence on the HSE's part, I would like to hear what the Senator is...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: I do not want to sound as if I am giving lessons. The public service embargo was applied to everyone without exception. As the Senator knows, because of the austerity measures over the past year the first decision the Minister made was that all individual departures from the embargo had to be by way of individual application to him directly. It is not the case that some sectors were...

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: Exceptions, yes.

Seanad: Services for People with Disabilities (14 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: Some people are actually criticising the Minister for making these exceptions. He has considered applications case by case. It is a matter for the management of an organisation, be it the HSE or otherwise, to prioritise the vacancies it wants filled at a given time. There may be some substance to what the Senator is suggesting but I am not in a position to declare one way or another whether...

Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: The Deputy would know all about that.

Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: That was an own goal.

Order of Business (15 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: With respect, they think they are in North Korea.

Written Answers — Industrial Development: Industrial Development (15 Dec 2010)

Conor Lenihan: Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) was the agency established by Government in 2000 to support oriented basic research in strategic areas to support the needs of Irish enterprise. Specifically, SFI invests in academic researchers and research teams who are most likely to generate new knowledge, leading-edge technologies and competitive enterprises in the fields of science and engineering...

Written Answers — Enterprise Support Services: Enterprise Support Services (12 Jan 2011)

Conor Lenihan: In respect of 2010, a total of 80 new High Potential Start-Up Companies were supported through a programme operated by Enterprise Ireland, the agency for the development of indigenous Irish companies. Of that number, 50% were companies established outside the Dublin region, contributing to company growth across the country. The companies were generated in sectors including Medical Devices,...

Small Business Sector (19 Jan 2011)

Conor Lenihan: Support for micro-enterprise, small businesses and new start-ups is provided by my Department through the county and city enterprise boards and Enterprise Ireland. I have made a capital allocation of €15 million available to the CEBs in 2011. The CEBs will prioritise and manage these funds in a targeted manner in order to maximise entrepreneurial development at local level. Enterprise...

Small Business Sector (19 Jan 2011)

Conor Lenihan: It is disappointing that we have not had a bigger draw-down in this area but the banks and Enterprise Ireland are working collaboratively to encourage their own systems of understanding of each other's work to ensure that can be achieved. A new scheme was announced by my senior colleague, the Minister, Deputy Batt O'Keeffe, with regard to an exchange programme between Enterprise Ireland and...

Small Business Sector (19 Jan 2011)

Conor Lenihan: If I might correct the Deputy, it seems that the order of the day for everybody is to simply say the banks are not lending.

Small Business Sector (19 Jan 2011)

Conor Lenihan: The evidence, such as we have it, from all of the sources available to the Department, particularly the work of John Threthowan, is that there is and has been-----

Small Business Sector (19 Jan 2011)

Conor Lenihan: -----an increase in the amount of lending to small enterprises here in the past year.

Small Business Sector (19 Jan 2011)

Conor Lenihan: It is not a side track. If the Deputy believes that lending to small business is a side track, I do not know if he is-----