Results 2,161-2,180 of 9,994 for speaker:John Gormley

FÁS Training Programmes. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: First, as the Deputy will be aware, ministerial and departmental responsibility for matters concerning FÁS training programmes lies with the Tánaiste and Department for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, respectively. Local authorities have a strong record in carrying out work on behalf of local communities in areas such as the renovation of community buildings and general environmental...

FÁS Training Programmes. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: I emphasise that this is a matter primarily for the Tánaiste. However, I would be very happy to highlight the Deputy's proposal to her and her Department. The maintenance of our public parks and our local authority landscapes is of great importance to local communities. The constructive proposals that have been made are worthy of careful consideration. The Deputy asked about the numbers....

FÁS Training Programmes. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: I will try to get that information. I have various figures in front of me but I will try to give an exact figure which I do not have at present.

FÁS Training Programmes. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: Yes.

FÁS Training Programmes. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: Again, I emphasise that these are primarily matters for the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, which is why I could not give exact figures to Deputy Tuffy. The suggestions made by all of the Deputies are very constructive ones. I will be happy to bring them to the attention of the Tánaiste. I agree that what the Deputy says makes sense. In the current economic...

Severe Weather. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: I propose to take Questions Nos. 9 and 10 together. In relation to the recent sustained period of severe weather, the critical consideration was the response of the relevant statutory agencies tasked with addressing emerging events. The response arrangements of the statutory and voluntary agencies in dealing with the developing situation were substantially tested. Some areas of the country...

Severe Weather. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: As the Deputy knows, this is primarily a matter for the local authorities, which report directly to the Minister for Transport and this matter is co-ordinated by the National Roads Authority. That authority, which was part of the emergency committee, ensured we had adequate supplies of salt at all times. If one was to consider our response compared to Northern Ireland, which the Deputy...

Severe Weather. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: We did.

Severe Weather. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: We certainly did do that.

Severe Weather. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: What is said is simply the case. I watched the response of the Prime Minister of the UK in the House of Commons who revealed that the UK at that stage had only six days of salt supply. They have six days' supply while we have ten days' supply. I am giving the Deputy the facts and he may not accept them but these are the facts.

Severe Weather. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: No, it is a fact.

Severe Weather. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: We got approximately 3,000 tonnes of salt from Carrickfergus. I must complement the Department of Foreign Affairs and others who were engaged in this process. We managed to access salt from all over Europe. Our embassies were engaged in this process. I attended a ministerial Council meeting at the weekend and I am aware that our Spanish embassy was involved in accessing salt. Salt...

Severe Weather. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: I am more than happy for anybody to review our response because it compares very favourably with the responses elsewhere.

Local Authority Funding. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: All local authority major emergency plans, including sub-plans for responding to severe weather events, are based on A Framework for Major Emergency Management, which became operative on 30 September 2008. The framework and the plans detail a co-ordination structure that enables the principal response agencies - local authorities, An Garda Síochána and the Health Service Executive - to...

Local Authority Funding. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: Regarding the last question, as Deputy Hogan knows, I have already received responses from local authorities. Deputy Hogan referred to this being a first test, but the flooding also presented a test. We reacted immediately. I was in a helicopter the very next day and visited Cork, Ennis and Ballinasloe. On every occasion I met with the managers. It was clear to see that at local level...

Local Authority Funding. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: I am not giving any such an undertaking at this stage.

Local Authority Funding. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: I will answer if Deputy Hogan asks a question.

Local Authority Funding. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: I do not agree with the Deputy. The roads function and funding for roads, as Deputy Hogan knows too well, transferred to the Department of Transport. Deputy Hogan referred to websites earlier. I have looked at websites of various councils and have seen the budgets for winter maintenance. I discovered that Fine Gael, which has a majority on many of these councils, decided in its wisdom to...

Local Authority Funding. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: It is a cop-out on the part of Fine Gael. Even the small bit of responsibility it has, it cannot exercise.

Local Authority Funding. (21 Jan 2010)

John Gormley: You have a majority and you are not exercising that responsibility.