Results 22,401-22,420 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Order of Business (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: Work is under way on the Bill in question which will be published in this session. As the Deputy knows, as part of the great change that has occurred in the Houses of the Oireachtas, we allow Private Members' Bills to be debated on Fridays. The Deputy's party has taken up the option of having the first Private Members' Bill discussed this Friday. The Government will not oppose on Second...

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: The answer to the Deputy's question is that it has not yet been completed. Detailed analysis of the way expenditure has been allowed to continue for many years cannot be carried out overnight.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has asked every Minister to carry out an analysis of every section of his or her Department and report to him on the spending of public moneys and taxpayer's money which, as the Deputy will be aware, was obscenely wasted in many instances. The Minister has not completed his public expenditure review, but he will have the information to hand when...

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: Yes.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy's charge is completely invalid.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: His party made many statements during the years. Since I was a child it spoke about draining the River Shannon.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: I am not sure what level of interest Deputy Martin is showing in the presidential election. I imagine he would have had more interest than -----

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy has made the charge that information emerging from the public expenditure review is being held back because of the presidential election. That is absolute and utter nonsense. Given the complexity of conducting a detailed expenditure review of public moneys in every section of every Department, it is not something that can be done overnight. The Deputy will also be aware that the...

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: I am not clear on the Deputy's point. My constituency office employs five staff - a personal secretary, three personal assistants and an executive officer. The Taoiseach's private office -----

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Ó Caoláin could do with checking things occasionally.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Taoiseach's private office had 12 staff in 2009 and now has 11. The cost in 2009 was €627,473 and is now €574,000. The Taoiseach's constituency office had a staff of seven and now has five. The Chief Whip's private office had four staff and now has four, while the constituency office had four staff and now has three. The private office of the Minister of State at the Department of...

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: I understand Deputy Adams has seven people working in his constituency office in Dundalk. That is his business. Public salaries have been capped at €200,000.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: He has more than me.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: He must be very busy. Obviously, these are individuals with long and considerable experience. Public salaries have been capped at €200,000 and there are categories based on experience. The remit and work of these staff have been set out for all to see. The salary scales on which they are employed are substantially lower than those of their predecessors.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: This is a matter of concern. Yes, I did say prior to the election in the television debate to which the Deputy referred that the 300,000 people who have mental health challenges would be a priority. It is true that at the time, the leader of the Labour Party, now Tánaiste, did refer to those in the disability sector. The delivery of mental health services has been allocated to the Minister...

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: Deputy McGrath asked me detailed questions. The Minister for Children and Youth Affairs has referred to the difficulties that are being encountered in respect of assessments for children under five years of age. The putting together of all the requirements to have a Ministry for children which has the capacity to deal with all the various interconnected children's issues took some time....

Inter-Faith Dialogue (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 3, inclusive, together. I advised the House on 11 May last of my intention to continue with the process of dialogue between Government and churches, faith communities and non-confessional organisations that was inaugurated in February 2007. On 19 May I had the opportunity to meet representatives of many of the partners in this dialogue to convey this...

Inter-Faith Dialogue (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: No, I did not raise it directly but I am aware that it is a matter of considerable interest. An agreed agenda will be put together before I deal with the church directly. This is a matter that I am quite prepared to put on the agenda and discuss with the church authorities. In my meeting with the Church of Ireland I did not have an opportunity to raise Bethany Home because of the nature of...

Inter-Faith Dialogue (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: The question of including Bethany Home within the scope of the redress scheme was originally considered in 2004 and was rejected by the Department of Education and Science as there was no evidence of a public body having a regulatory or inspection function. In May 2007, the Department of Health and Children contacted that Department to advise that papers had come to light which indicated a...

Inter-Faith Dialogue (4 Oct 2011)

Enda Kenny: No, but I can give Deputy Martin some information now. The Forum on Patronage and Pluralism in the Primary Sector was officially launched by the Minister for Education and Skills on 19 April this year. It is a key education objective of the programme for a national Government 2011-2016. In announcing the establishment of the forum on 28 March, the Minister stated that it would take a...