Results 37,201-37,220 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Capitation Grants: Motion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: Not on class sizes.

Capitation Grants: Motion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: As every school child knows, the Proclamation of 1916 promises proudly to cherish all children of the nation equally. As Easter approaches and the Minister for Education and Science heads to the annual round of teacher conferences, her report card for this year will consist of an endless line of broken promises and a big black mark. I will remind her of the promises she has broken this year...

Capitation Grants: Motion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: With Fianna Fail safely back in office, does the Minister care? She may believe that she has had the last laugh, particularly on the INTO and the various educational interests. Such is her arrogance that the abandonment of the promise on class sizes was announced via a website notice. Many principals are discovering that their promised extensions have slipped from being urgent to some...

Capitation Grants: Motion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: The Minister blames the board of management, the principal and the teachers.

Capitation Grants: Motion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: The Minister is not a teenager and should take responsibility. As a Minister, she has led a charmed life in terms of promises for education. However, I have a feeling that her record is beginning to catch up with her. As economic horizons narrow, hard decisions must be made. Children should not be the soft targets of reducing expectations. The Labour Party's proposal to double the...

Capitation Grants: Motion (Resumed) (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: By increasing the education budget by just 1%, primary schools around the country could be put on a sound financial footing and parents, principals and teachers could concentrate on children learning. If parents wanted to fund-raise, it would be for extras, not necessities. I am proud of what our teachers, boards of management, principals and parents are doing for children in the primary...

Order of Business (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: I find it difficult to disturb the flow of eloquence.

Order of Business (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: As this is the last day the Taoiseach will be in the House before he goes on his travels, may I ask him about the financial situation relating to a number of Departments that appear to have cut as much discretionary expenditure as possible?

Order of Business (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: The economy is in a serious situation.

Order of Business (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: Is there likely to be a need for a supplementary budget in the autumn or will the Taoiseach make provision for a full debate on the economy towards the end of May, when we will know the figures from March?

Order of Business (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: In my constituency schools that were promised extensions are now being told those extensions are no longer deemed urgent.

Order of Business (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: Small community projects, costing €40,000 per year, are experiencing funding cuts, though they were officially opened less than a year and a half ago, in some cases by the Taoiseach. Can we have a debate in this House about the state of the economy?

Order of Business (12 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: Can we have a response from the Whips or from the Taoiseach, on behalf of the Government?

Overseas Missions. (11 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: Question 89: To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs the present position in Chad; the contact which has been had with Irish soldiers serving in the region; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10291/08]

Leaders' Questions (11 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: Too many.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: Since the Taoiseach came to office approximately ten years ago there have been 150 gun murders on his watch. The murder conviction rate in regard to gun murders is approximately 16%.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: It has been at that rate for approximately the past five or six years. Does the Taoiseach have any proposals in the context of the criminal justice (miscellaneous provisions) Bill, which is No. 29 on the list, to take any initiatives in regard to gun crime? It really is outrageous that there have been 150 gun murders and only 24 convictions.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: The second issue I wish to raise is one the Taoiseach spoke about himself recently. He said he believed there should be independent regulation of the solicitors' profession. In the past six months we have had two cases where the practices of solicitors collapsed with considerable losses to individuals and to the reputation of the legal profession.

Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: The Government is supposed to be considering the report of the Competition Authority with a view to establishing an independent regulatory mechanism for the legal profession. The Taoiseach himself indicated when he spoke on this previously that he was actively considering this. Has he had discussions with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform with a view to giving some...

Order of Business (11 Mar 2008)

Joan Burton: Can I ask about the regulation of solicitors?