Results 24,601-24,620 of 26,268 for speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: 2013 Allocations for Public Expenditure
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (13 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I will be brief. I thank the Minister and Minister of State for their overview which sets the scale of the challenge that faces them. I have a couple of questions about the housing area. The first point to which the Minister referred is that of the transfer of the rent allowance to local authorities. Does the Minister agree that we have major problems in store unless local authorities...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Household Charge Collection (13 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will consider the relevant points made in correspondence (details supplied) regarding the household charge; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49540/12]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment (8 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if will arrange to have a manual payment raised in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare whose rent allowance was temporarily suspended; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49159/12]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rental Accommodation Scheme Payments (8 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Social Protection in view of correspondence (details supplied) if she will now arrange to have arrears of rent supplement paid to the person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49160/12]

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Does the Minister accept that the Border allowance received by a declining number of members of the Defence Forces is part of core pay and covered by the Croke Park agreement? Will he, in his dealings with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, fight to ensure the allowance, which is essential to those who hold it, is retained? Will he give the House that assurance?

Other Questions: Irish Red Cross (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Does the Minister intend to bring forward a new Red Cross Bill for consideration? If so, what is the timeframe? Is the Minister happy that the serious deficiencies previously identified in the accounting system of the Red Cross have been addressed? In any legislation the Minister brings forward, will there be strict time limits on the duration of appointments to the board?

Other Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: We might do well not to politicise these discussions as much as we have been doing today. The Minister has a job of work to do to convince representative bodies of his commitment in this area. I accept his intentions are positive but it might be useful if he could report to us at some stage that he has been actively engaging with the representative bodies. He did not attend the annual...

Other Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: A bit like political party conferences.

Other Questions: Public Sector Pay (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Defence if he will maintain the border allowance payment in the Defence Forces; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48827/12]

Other Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: We are I suppose at this stage going over ground we have already covered. As such, I will be brief. The Minister spoke about the demands which the reorganisation is placing on members of the Defence Forces. It is important to say that Defence Force personnel are dealing with this reorganisation and are looking to the Minister's promised White Paper which may bring further reorganisation....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Unfortunately the members of PDFORRA do not share the Minister's analysis of the situation because at their conference they talked about the role of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces being downgraded to a part-time role and being a mere "nixer". They talk about the Department not taking the Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces seriously and consequently not being serious about...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: The Minister is being facetious.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Defence the reason the Office of Defence Ombudsman has been downgraded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48826/12]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I thank the Minister for his response. It would be appropriate to acknowledge the work done by Ms Paulyn Marrinan Quinn since her appointment and the importance of the Act that she gave effect to in the course of her service. Certainly recourse to some form of ombudsman service was absolutely essential in the Defence Forces, as it would be in any organisation that has a strong authoritative...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Defence if he shares the concern expressed in some quarters that the changes in the Defence Forces could threaten the security of the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48825/12]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I thank the Minister for his response and I want to refrain from going back to debates on the issue of the organisation. The Minister has set out his stall quite clearly yet members of the Defence Forces remain concerned about the implications of the implementation of the reorganisation, not least in advance of the process of the White Paper being undertaken. I was particularly concerned by...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Defence Forces Reorganisation (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I agree with the Minister on two points, about co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces and the outstanding commitment of the members of the Defence Forces to the security and well-being of the State. However, morale is at an all-time low. Can the Minister indicate the level of outflow from the Permanent Defence Force as a result of the reorganisation? My...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Overseas Missions (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Defence if he expects the Defence Forces to undertake any new United Nations missions in 2013; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [48470/12]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Disadvantaged Status (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number and location of amalgamated new schools which have lost full DEIS status as a result of their amalgamation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49050/12]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Applications (7 Nov 2012)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will arrange to have a rent allowance restored to a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48991/12]