Results 2,041-2,060 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Regulations for the Sale and Distribution of Turf: Motion [Private Members] (5 May 2022)

Michael McNamara: I am sorry to be making my contribution after the Minister of State's wrap-up speech because there are a couple of points I would have liked him to address. His colleague the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in his introductory comments spoke about poor air quality in Ennis. Of course, I share his concern regarding the very poor air quality there and the fact that it was over the legal limit...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (5 May 2022)

Michael McNamara: 100. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if a minimum time can be achieved for the processing of applications for work permits for non-EEA workers in the hospitality sector in which there is a critical shortage of available skilled workers; if he will consider simplifying the application process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22528/22]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (5 May 2022)

Michael McNamara: 101. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will consider deploying additional staff to the employment permit section of his Department to reduce the backlog in work permit applications and to enhance the level of engagement with applicants to ensure completed applications are not rejected due to a clerical error or omission in the application form; and if he will make...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (5 May 2022)

Michael McNamara: 102. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will remove the requirement for the hospitality sector to produce a HSE letter confirming their possession of a restaurant licence when applying for an employment permit; if the employment permit section of his Department will accept a copy of a valid restaurant licence as part of the application; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (4 May 2022)

Michael McNamara: 280. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 919 of 26 April 2022, if she will address the case of a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22073/22]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (4 May 2022)

Michael McNamara: 319. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection when a decision will issue to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22221/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: As somebody who advocated that Mr. Fraser be invited to come before the committee I thank him very much for taking the time to do so. I appreciate that he is busy. All Deputies appreciate that civil servants are busy and cannot be attending numerous committees every week. Nor can they pick and choose which committees they appear before and I thank Mr. Fraser for coming before the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: I understand that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: I am not involved in the Ukraine war but I can describe my reaction to it. Was Mr. Fraser surprised at the creation of this professorship and that Exchequer funding was going to be used in that manner? When he learned about it was he surprised at the Exchequer funding? Mr. Fraser is here to discuss Exchequer funding, not the state of the Department of Health and so forth. Was he surprised...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: Mr. Fraser is also the most senior civil servant in the State.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: Dr. Holohan clearly had become very prominent. I believe we would agree that he played a very prominent role. Did Mr. Fraser ever discern a feeling in the Department that his role had become perhaps too prominent, that he was a threat to the authority of the Government and perhaps a new position had to be found for him outside of government?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: Okay. Was there any relief in the Government when he made his announcement or when Mr. Fraser learned of it? Mr. Fraser would have learned that he was to leave before it became public. Mr. Fraser was very specific that he did not discuss it with the Taoiseach. Did he discuss it with any of the people around the Taoiseach, such as Ms Gillane or his various advisers? Did he discuss the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: Okay.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: Not relief, but that a potential problem had been averted, that problem being this challenge that he posed to the authority of the Government. Many people felt a greater allegiance to what he had to say, and felt that his word was that which ought to be followed rather than that of the Government. There was huge confusion about what was law and what was guidelines. Of course, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: Okay. I refer to what Mr. Fraser discussed at the beginning of the meeting. Previously, when people left or retired from the public service they usually went into retirement, but now everything has become more fluid. People come and go in the public service and their tenure is shorter. Politicians have a cooling-off period, and even some political advisers have a cooling-off period,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: In the week that Dr. Holohan's announcement was made, and that is why Mr. Fraser is here, it was announced that the HSE chief operations officer was leaving and going directly to work for Voluntary Health Insurance, VHI, which pays the HSE for services provided, and that the deputy national director of acute operations of the HSE was going to HIQA, which is still within the public sector but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: I am not expecting Mr. Fraser to comment on that, I am just illustrating it by way of example.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: Finally, Dr. Holohan has announced that he is leaving on 1 July. Other than his leaving, which is significant in itself, is 1 July a significant date in terms of things such as the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, and so forth? What happens on 1 July in terms of public pay and so forth?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: There is no increment-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Proposed Appointment to University Research Post: Department of the Taoiseach (27 Apr 2022)

Michael McNamara: I am not suggesting-----