Results 3,341-3,360 of 15,555 for speaker:Eoghan Murphy

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question. That is a matter for the Seanad, where the Bill is due for Committee Stage. However, the Seanad is currently dealing with the Judicial Appointments Commission Bill, which is taking some time to make its way through.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: It is for the Seanad, Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question. The local electoral boundaries were reviewed. A commission was put in place to do that. In a couple of areas, though, it went outside its mandate in respect of the designation of boroughs. That was addressed by the Minister of State, Deputy Phelan, a number of weeks ago.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question. This is an important issue to me. That is why I brought it to the Cabinet before Christmas for a decision on sending what we believed could be a successful wording to the Attorney General's office. It is with the Attorney General at the moment. It is important that, when we hold a referendum on this issue, we have agreement on all sides of the House...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question. I do not believe that Mr. Kenny made that clear. What was intended for the site was to use prefabricated technology to deliver social housing. Given the complexity of the site itself for social housing, however, doing so did not represent value for money. It was the right decision not to progress with the site, but that does not mean that Dublin City...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for the question. Of course we have challenges in health, but that is why we are spending more money in health than we ever have.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Each year we have sought to increase the budget for health, both current and capital funding, and where additional resources have been made available, health has been prioritised. I have been part of the negotiations where we have discussed increases in budgets. The cost overrun here is €450 million above what was profiled in the initial outline in 2017. About €320 million of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: -----and the figures that were brought to the Minister in November and then to the Cabinet for decision in December, and what exactly happened in that process. PwC will work in tandem with the Government in doing that. I say in tandem because the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, has been at the joint committee all morning answering questions on this. The Minister for Public Expenditure...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Members will have seen the terms of reference of what they have been asked to deliver, which we will have by March, and we will go on from there. It is very important that we get to the facts of the matter. It is very important that we all understand that we need to build this children's hospital-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: -----and that we are going ahead with this because of the important improvement it will bring to the health system, which needs those improvements in facilities to ensure that when parents have sick children, they are given the most appropriate care possible in the right environment. That is what the children's hospital is about. It will stand there for more than 100 years. It is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: I thank the Deputy for his supplementary question. There are nurses at work today. I know that the nurses who will strike tomorrow do not take that action lightly, given their commitment to and care for the patients they look after. However, we as a Government must bear in mind the potential consequences were we not to stick to the public service pay agreement. Within that agreement,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The idea was to have an interrogation of the process that was being finalised in the gross maximum price process. When he had the information, he brought it to the Minister and the relevant Department. The Taoiseach was then informed. A detailed memorandum was prepared for the Cabinet, on which we would then have had to make a serious decision. At the same time, the public was informed of...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: As the Sinn Féin leader likes to say, the dogs in the street know. Ministers have been hung based on what the dogs in the street did or did not know before. We will follow due process, get the answers and act on the correct information.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: It is important to acknowledge the increase in spending that has happened in the health service in recent years. The increase in spending has happened because we place such a priority on improving the health benefits and results for people going into the health system. Of course, we have challenges in the health system - every country does - because of the types of service we are trying to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: We recognise the important role GPs play in communities up and down the country. We are now involved in an engagement with them. People are engaging on behalf of the State to come to a conclusion as quickly as possible.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: To categorise the additional money that will be spent on the children's hospital as just disappearing without notice is completely incorrect. It is money that is going into a state-of-the-art children's hospital that will stand for more than 100 years.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: It will provide services, including emergency care and support services for families and children up and down the country.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The spend was not known by the Minister and neither was the over-run in 2017. It is incorrect to say it was. As we address these serious issues about which people are angry – we are angry too – it is vital that we get to the actual facts of the matter.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: The issue being addressed in respect of 2017 relates to An Bord Pleanála and the additional sprinkler systems that had to be put in place. The cost was to be managed within the existing budget. That is separate from the information brought to the attention of the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, at the end of August or the beginning of September on the potential for a significant...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (6 Feb 2019)

Eoghan Murphy: Deputy Howlin asked about the GP contract. Of course, we have to get the facts of the matter. The Deputy should know as a former Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform that we cannot make up figures or pull them out of the air. We have to drill down and get to the actual numbers and then bring them to the Minister and the Cabinet. We need to get to the facts. As I said in my previous...