Results 3,941-3,960 of 4,073 for speaker:Mary Mitchell O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Funding (18 Sep 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: To ask the Minister for Health the annual costs of mental health to the State and the wider economy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38407/12]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Home Accommodation (18 Sep 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: To ask the Minister for Health the nursing home facilities that are available to persons under sixty five years who are suffering dementia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39365/12]

Consumer Credit (Amendment) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (18 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Deputy Pearse Doherty for introducing this Bill and highlighting the scourge of moneylenders. A recent report claimed that one in 10 consumers has had to resort to moneylenders. This is concerning in light of the exorbitant interest rates some people are forced to pay. It has been claimed that people are being charged annual percentage rates of up to 287%. There are 47 licensed...

School Curriculum (18 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Minister for being in the Chamber. Project Maths has been hailed as the answer to the below average standing of Irish 15 years olds in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment rankings of international student performance. However, major questions and doubts have been raised about this new Project Maths subject. I am concerned that pupils are not being taught...

School Curriculum (18 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Minister for his offer to come back to me with further information. Further claims are being made that inadequate consultation occurred before Project Maths was launched. In particular, it is claimed that the Irish Maths Teachers Association was under-represented on the NCCA board. I ask the Minister to check how many fully qualified and probated teachers were on the NCCA...

Departmental Records (17 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We actually do not know what happened.

Economic Management Council (17 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We know about that.

Departmental Records (17 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: What did the Deputy say at the meeting?

Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: What do the luminaries Abraham Lincoln, Henry Ford, Walt Disney, Milton Hershey and H. J. Heinz all have in common? They all went bankrupt and failed. Winston Churchill stated: "Success is not final; failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Our current bankruptcy legislation frustrates courage. It makes mice out of lions, it makes bottle-washers out of hoteliers,...

Personal Insolvency Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (12 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: We must ensure that the Bill will not be another gravy train. It must be built to serve those who are genuinely in financial ruin as well as taxpayers and those who are repaying their debts.

Family Law Cases (11 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: As the Minister knows, no justice system is perfect and delays in family court hearings, with the consequent negative impact on women and children in particular, is an Irish scandal. I have been approached by a number of constituents, leading family solicitors and women's organisations, all claiming there is a serious backlog in maintenance applications. The picture being painted by the...

Family Law Cases (11 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank the Minister for his comprehensive answer. I will table parliamentary questions on the delays on maintenance. I thank him for introducing legislation on family courts, particularly with regard to the in camera rule. The criminal justice system has the potential to make criminals out of victims. In particular I ask the Minister to examine the Criminal Justice (Withholding of...

Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: What do you think?

Freedom of Information (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2012: Second Stage (6 Jul 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I congratulate Deputy Sean Fleming on bringing this Bill before the House. I agree with much of what has been said on providing for the Central Bank, the National Asset Management Agency, NAMA, the National Treasury Management Agency, NTMA, the Health and Safety Authority, HSA, the Road Safety Authority, RSA and the vocational education committees, VECs, to be brought under the scope of...

Microenterprise Loan Fund Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I thank Deputy O'Donnell and the Minister of State, Deputy Kehoe, for sharing time. I congratulate the Minister on bringing the Bill before the House. It is a good news story although some Deputies always want to talk down good news stories. Small businesses are at the heart of every community with the local sole trader who provides the newspaper, the local butcher who provides the Sunday...

Local Government (Household Charge) (Repeal) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (20 Jun 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I wish to share time with Deputies Nash, Coffey, John Paul Phelan, Lawlor, McCarthy, Nolan and Ciarán Lynch.

Local Government (Household Charge) (Repeal) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (20 Jun 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I was taken aback by what Deputy Finian McGrath just said. He earns a good salary as a Deputy and was a former school principal. I cannot believe he can stand up in the Chamber and advocate for people to break the law.

Local Government (Household Charge) (Repeal) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (20 Jun 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: It is just not acceptable that he could say that in this Chamber.

Local Government (Household Charge) (Repeal) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (20 Jun 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: I want to thank the people of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. In published media reports, it is top of the class in compliance with paying the household charge despite one of its Deputies advocating non-payment. To be specific, 76.3% of households in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown paid which can be positively compared to the national average of 56%. Why should my neighbour pay for the local...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2012)

Mary Mitchell O'Connor: Roscommon is different to the IMF.