Results 2,521-2,540 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: It is proposed to take No. a13, motion re report of the Committee on Procedure and Privileges on parliamentary standards; No. 1, Inland Fisheries Bill 2009 - amendments from the Seanad; No. 2, Fines Bill 2009 - amendments from the Seanad; No. 20, Nurses and Midwives Bill 2010 - Second Stage (resumed); and No. 21, statements on diversification of primary school provision, to be taken not later...
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I assure the Deputy-----
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: As I brought the order to the House for the day, it would be most appropriate to withdraw No. a13 for further discussion. We will revert to the House.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: It is a matter for the Whips to arrange the legislation awaiting Second Stage. Hopefully, that can be arranged very quickly. Work is currently under way on drafting the heads of the national vetting bureau Bill, which is the legislation concerning soft information. That ongoing work is being expedited by the Minister. As regards the appointment of additional social workers, the HSE...
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Fifty by the end of the second quarter, a further 75 by the third quarter and the final 75 in the fourth quarter. I understand from the HSE that the first candidates have been interviewed, and that by the end of June it expects to have recruited an additional 50 social workers. As recently as the last week in April, the HSE placed further recruitment advertisements in national newspapers....
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: There are two issues. On the progress report, the Minister is more than happy to attend the House, so that can be arranged among the Whips.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: On the second issue, the Government indicated that once the report had been made available, there will be a debate in this House, so there is no change.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: The Government has not yet received them, so that will have to be a matter for further consideration.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: It is the same answer that I gave to the other Deputy. If we can arrange a debate on the matter, the Minister is more than willing to attend the House. We can arrange that.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: That work is ongoing with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation. The idea is to have it for autumn this year.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: Yes, that is the intention.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: There is no proposed legislation. The matter is out for consultation.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: There may be.
- Order of Business. (20 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: It is a matter for consultation. Arising from the consultation, decisions will be made as to whether legislative change is needed, or anything else for that matter.
- Written Answers — Schools Building Projects: Schools Building Projects (19 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: I can confirm that the school to which the Deputy refers applied to the Department for capital funding for an extension project in 2000. The delivery of this project will involve the replacement of the prefabs currently on site. The application was assessed in accordance with published prioritisation criteria for large scale projects and assigned a band 2 rating. Information in respect of...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (19 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: My Department has organised discussions with school management representatives recently with a view to a more collaborative approach to the procurement of goods and services within the school and VEC sectors. This meeting included representatives from the National Procurement Service (NPS) who explained the potential for the Unit to help schools achieve savings. My officials will be working...
- Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (19 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: A reply has issued from my Department to the correspondence referred to by the Deputy.
- Written Answers — School Management: School Management (19 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: It is a long-standing feature of our education system that patronage of Catholic schools in a diocese rests ex officio with the person who is Bishop of that diocese at any particular point in time. Accordingly, it is the case that such patrons have other roles in the context of their church functions. The governance structure of our schools is such that, in accordance with the Education Act...
- Written Answers — School Management: School Management (19 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: My Department had discussions on this matter with senior representatives of the Catholic Church. The Catholic School Patrons and my Department agreed that it was essential to engage in planning for change. In order to advance the matter, my Department agreed that it would examine a number of initial locations to see what scope or options might exist for change of patronage in these cases. The...
- Written Answers — Educational Policy: Educational Policy (19 May 2010)
Mary Coughlan: My Department, in its policy formulation process, has regard to international good practice and to policy responses which have proved effective in other jurisdictions, where they are considered to be appropriate and valid. More generally, Ireland is also involved in a range of EU, OECD and other multilateral processes which facilitate structured discussion, exchange and information-sharing...