Results 34,441-34,460 of 35,959 for speaker:Pearse Doherty

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: That is right. I think the Government had a majority of one in the early 1980s. If the by-election took place - one of the Coughlans had passed away - it was likely to be won by Fianna Fáil, which would have resulted in the collapse of the Government. It is unlikely that the Government will need to delay a by-election during the lifetime of this Dáil in order to stay in office. The...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: I will vote against the Bill. I am genuinely engaging; I am not having a go. We are all on the same page that we want a more effective Parliament. We want to deliver better. We should be focused on national issues. We are legislators and we need to deal with the big issues that affect every person across the State, and that is the parish pump politics as well. Instead of dealing with...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: That is the reality. The question is: how reducing the number of TDs will make this institution any better.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: It will not, that is true. An argument that has been put forward is that it will stop us being more parochial and force us to deal with national legislation in a bigger way. That is nonsense. We could have the best institutions and the best reform packages possible, but unless TDs want to step up to the mark, then it makes no difference. When I started off in electoral politics members of...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Neither would Deputy Mac Lochlainn thank the Minister for it. For example, if my proposal of a partial list system were to be enacted, then Donegal would have to be a single constituency and that poses major challenges.

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: That is not good from the point of view of a candidate or an elected representative, but it is the best way of dealing with it. Having a larger constituency with more seats ensures the minority view will get heard and, one hopes, be represented in Parliament while ensuring at the same time that the majority view is returned in enough numbers to form a Government. The issue of six-seat or...

Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2011: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: I had not thought about it. The right to cast one's vote is important. I asked the ferryman providing a service to Arranmore Island to tell me the number of days during the course of last year he was unable to get in and out of the island. He put it to me that he was able to get in and out of the island every day last year. That is the norm. The practice of having a different day for...

Written Answers — Public Service Remuneration: Public Service Remuneration (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 39: To ask the Minister for Finance the number of persons currently employed by the State who are earning more than €100,000 per year; and the total cost to the State of all earnings in excess of €100,000 per year. [18587/11]

Written Answers — Public Service Remuneration: Public Service Remuneration (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 45: To ask the Minister for Finance the legal obstacles that may exist to prevent placing a 45% levy on earnings of more than €100,000 per year for those working in the public service. [18586/11]

Written Answers — Bank Guarantee Scheme: Bank Guarantee Scheme (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 130: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide a month-by-month breakdown of bonds due to mature in Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, ESB and Permanent TSB broken down by bond type; their value; their date of maturity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18896/11]

Written Answers — Financial Services Sector: Financial Services Sector (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 135: To ask the Minister for Finance if his attention has been drawn to the fact that Permanent TSB's interest rate on variable rate mortgages are significantly above that of other banks covered by the blanket guarantee; the steps he will take to assist struggling mortgage holders who are at risk of falling into serious arrears as a result of this higher interest rate; and if he...

Written Answers — EU-IMF Programme: EU-IMF Programme (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 143: To ask the Minister for Finance the savings to the State arising from a 1% reduction, a 2% reduction and a 3% reduction in the interest rate on the EU portion of the EU and IMF support programme loan broken down by year and with a total for the lifetime of the loan on the assumption of a seven and a half year loan period as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding; and if he...

Written Answers — State Agencies: State Agencies (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 145: To ask the Minister for Finance if the chairman of the National Asset Management Agency shall be remunerated pursuant to the terms or conditions of his contract with NAMA; the sum of remuneration in the event of the chairman resigning of his own volition, by way of mutual agreement or in the event of him dismissing the chairman from his position; and if he will make a statement...

Written Answers — EU-IMF Programme: EU-IMF Programme (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 148: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide details of projected future draw down of moneys from the EU/IMF programme for the remainder of 2011; the date on which such draw downs are expected to take place; the amount of these draw downs; the source of the moneys and the interest rate charged on each portion of these draw downs; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Banking Sector Regulation: Banking Sector Regulation (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 169: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide figures for the way AIB, BOI, EBS and IL&P are spending on advisers including lawyers, investment advisers and underwriters as part of their efforts to raise the €24 billion committed by him following the latest stress tests; and the measures taken to ensure value for money with respect to this expenditure; and if he will...

Written Answers — National Treasury Management Agency: National Treasury Management Agency (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 170: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will provide figures for the amount the National Treasury Management Agency is spending on advisers including lawyers, investment advisers and underwriters as part of the oversight of AIB, BOI, EBS and IL&P's capital raising efforts as agreed by him following the latest stress tests; the measures taken to ensure value for money with respect...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 232: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for the reduction in special needs assistant provision in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18418/11]

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 281: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the criteria that is to be used in calculating the distance from a students residence and the third level institution that they are attending for the purposes of determining if they may avail of the non-adjacent maintenance grant; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18780/11]

Written Answers — Higher Education Grants: Higher Education Grants (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 282: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if a student residing in Fallcarragh, County Donegal and attending Letterkenny Institute of Technology will be calculated on the basis of travelling via the N56 or via the R251, for the purposes of determining if they may avail of the non-adjacent maintenance grant. [18781/11]

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (5 Jul 2011)

Pearse Doherty: Question 332: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the current time taken to process applications for family income supplement; her views whether this is acceptable given that the excessive waiting times are adding to the financial hardship that applicants are experiencing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18323/11]