Results 4,881-4,900 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The planning Bill has not been brought to the Government yet. We must await it. The legislation on a directly elected mayor is expected to be before us quickly.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Yes, he did.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: It is being drafted.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: It is going ahead.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: This session.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The programme for Government is expected to be brought to finality next month.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I will revert to the Deputy. I do not know the answer.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Next year.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: At present it might be more appropriate for the entire Cabinet to have the opportunity to deliberate on the Estimates before a final decision is made. It is not anticipated that the initial proposals by the Ministers and their Departments will be made available.

Order of Business (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Certainly not this week.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy's initial comment arose from the quarterly national survey. While it was not a surprise it is a reminder of the major challenge we face to sustain employment and create new opportunities here. The Government is taking several initiatives to address many of those issues, for example, concern about access to credit for business has been raised in this House over a considerable...

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I brought together the banks, all the representatives of the small and medium sized enterprise sector, the foreign direct investment sector, and we have worked progressively on many of the issues raised by many sectors. Most particularly, we have been addressing people on both sides of the argument and familiarising them with the challenges within the banking and business sectors. For...

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: It is true that emigration has returned. If one looks at the figures one will see that a considerable number are those returning home. That is a fact. There are still over 26,000 people coming into this country.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: As part of the recapitalisation of the banks there was a tie-in on a code of conduct of business. The banks set down a special fund for green energy and a seed capital fund. The ECB also provided finance to the banks on the basis of new businesses being set up and a considerable sum of money has been drawn down from those schemes. The issue pertinent to many people is not necessarily the...

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: These are vulnerable because of the collapse of the market. In working with those groups, the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism, Deputy Martin Cullen, and I are looking at specific initiatives regarding the sustainability of that sector of which some 35% is greatly vulnerable.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: There is over-supply. We have had to introduce new incentives in order to support that sector and equally so within the retail sector. I say to the Ceann Comhairle and the Leader of the Opposition that on the basis of the availability of credit-----

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: -----there has been a greater understanding. When this started it was very difficult to get people into the one room but that situation has moved on and there are much better working relationships. As a consequence, a considerable number of difficulties have been addressed. Some credit has been made available.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: However, access to further credit is a matter of grave concern and I am working with the banks in order to allow this to happen.

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I appreciate that Opposition Deputies do not accept NAMA and that is fair enough. People are entitled to their opinions in this House. However, there is an enormous risk if we do nothing. Our view on this side of the House is that the introduction of NAMA is the best way to get liquidity into the banks and get them back to function, to do what they should be doing, namely, lending to...

Leaders' Questions (22 Sep 2009)

Mary Coughlan: -----are made. As a consequence, the view expressed by the Minister for Finance during the debate was on the basis of an uplift of 10% over ten years. It is not our intention to lose money in NAMA.