Results 4,961-4,980 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Rehiring (4 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised by my Department that based on the information currently available at this time, there are 20 retired public servants in receipt of a public sector pension employed in my Department. These figures include bodies under the aegis of my Department with the exception of An Garda Síochána. I have asked An Garda Síochána to provide the information directly to the...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Departmental Staff Data (4 Oct 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am advised that there are currently 1,926 whole-time equivalent staff in my Department. This includes 12 staff who are currently seconded into my Department.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work is under way in the Department on that legislation.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Every Deputy in this House would agree with Deputy Griffin that the horror we are seeing on a daily basis in Aleppo is unacceptable. We reiterate the call for all involved to continue to talk and to re-enter negotiations to bring an end to the appalling slaughter that we are seeing there. It is for the Business Committee to discuss whether the matter will be on the agenda of the Dáil....

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I know the Bill is on Committee Stage in the Seanad. I hope there can be progress from there.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are 11,000 children in respect of whom a domiciliary care allowance is paid. The Government is committed to ensuring these children will have an automatic right to a medical card. This will certainly be welcomed as a support for the families who find themselves in that situation. It is priority legislation to be dealt with in this term.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy knows, planning permission has been granted for the long-awaited national children's hospital. The Minister will bring the heads of the Bill that is necessary to progress the project to the Cabinet in November.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will ask the Minister for Social Protection to revert to the Deputy on the publication date of the report. I have no doubt that it will inform the budgetary decisions that will be taken in the area of social welfare. The Government is also committed to the development of further appropriate subsidised child care initiatives, particularly for lone parents in order that they will feel...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can confirm that both the domestic violence Bill and the victims Bill will be published this term. As the Deputy said, the domestic violence Bill has already been subject to pre-legislative scrutiny. I hope, therefore, that it can be brought to the Dáil directly.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will have to revert to the Deputy on both issues. I will ask the relevant Minister to come back to him today.

Leaders' Questions (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, and the focus is on home care for that reason. That is also the reason we must make the shift from secondary care to primary care, as the Government is committed to doing. This will not happen overnight, however. We need to get the message out to members of the public that investment in home care packages has increased and they are not being cut back. However, demand has increased...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Bill will go before the relevant committee for pre-legislative scrutiny in November.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Law Reform Commission for the work it has done in this area. The Government will consider its work as a matter of urgency to see what legislation is necessary arising from the recommendations the commission has made. The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Bill, which will be discussed in the House next week, addresses some of the points raised by the LRC, for example, online abuse...

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand the Bill is awaiting Committee Stage and, as such, it is a matter for the committee in question to decide when to take it.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, I understand it is.

Questions on Proposed Legislation (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy's question did not deal with legislation but what will be in the budget. A task force is working on the issue of insurance, which is an urgent priority for the Minister for Finance.

Leaders' Questions (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We are all familiar with the demand for home care packages in our own areas and across the country. Of course, it is a very striking feature at present that there is increased demand. There is increased investment as well but there is a huge increase in demand with the increasing number of older people. Our policy is one of keeping people in the community and making sure that they get the...

Leaders' Questions (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy raised a number of points. The last point she raised was one of policy in relation to whether there should be a statutory entitlement. The Minister for Health informs me that is in fact being considered by the Department. The second point to make is that the delayed discharges are down this week by 34. Obviously, there is more work to be done because some patients' discharges...

Leaders' Questions (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: We know, and this reinforces the Deputy's point, that on 50% of farms either the holder and-or their spouse has off-farm employment to try and deal with the economic situation they face. Commodity price variation and volatility is an increasing feature of agriculture markets and it is very difficult to deal with. As the Deputy knows, a number of measures have been introduced to support...

Leaders' Questions (29 Sep 2016)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for his points on the farming community and the challenges it faces, in particular in regard to pricing. The Government is determined that the recovery is felt in every part of the country, and that of course includes rural communities. There is evidence of that beginning to happen but, of course, there is more to be done, as the Deputy correctly said. The IFA briefed...