Results 501-520 of 4,915 for speaker:Jim O'Keeffe

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (5 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: The issue of morality and banks has been discussed for centuries. By coincidence, the book I am reading at present is The Merchant of Prato, which deals with the formation of banks in Venice, Genoa and other places and the moral issues involved such as usury. St. Thomas Aquinas held with the just demand approach. However, that is history. Today, we are dealing with the practicality of the...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (5 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Question 19: To ask the Minister for Transport when the proposed new Road Traffic Bill will be published; the way this Bill will deal with drug driving; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39517/09]

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (5 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Question 53: To ask the Minister for Transport the way the field impairment testing for drug driving, as proposed in the forthcoming Road Traffic Bill, will be implemented; the way this test will differentiate between prescribed medication and illegal substances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39518/09]

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (5 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Question 219: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food the average time taken to process applications from date of application to date of clearance for payment of installation aid and REP scheme in each of his Department's offices in County Cork. [39936/09]

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (5 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Question 238: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will establish a conversion course for trained Montessori teachers to enable them to become fully recognised teachers in the primary school structure; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39935/09]

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (5 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Let me outline Fine Gael's central concern about NAMA. I have not said "NAMA, no way" but believe NAMA, as presented by the Government, is exposing the taxpayer far too much. At all times my efforts have been to try to convince the Government on that central issue, namely the value. There are two aspects to the value, the question of what is current market value and the new airy fairy...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Question 128: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the progress made by both the Health Service Executive in their discussions with an association and the group chaired by a person (details supplied) in implementing measures that would deliver more cost effective prescribing by general practitioners, greater use of generic preparations and quality prescribing indicators, ensuring that...

Written Answers — Hospital Accommodation: Hospital Accommodation (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Question 130: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason for the delay in the provision of additional accommodation at Bandon Community Hospital, County Cork; the date for the commencement of the building works; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39230/09]

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: It may have been helpful if some of that famous sensitive information had been available to Members of the Oireachtas over the past couple of years. We might have had a different outcome. The outcome now is a huge bill of over €50 billion, huge exposure of the taxpayer and the Minister tells us that he agrees with the principle of parliamentary oversight-----

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Scrutiny, okay. We will not fall out over semantics. He talks about setting up a sub-committee of one of the existing committees of the Houses. Does the Minister realise what he is doing? There is a model that has worked well since the foundation of the State. It is embedded in statute and it is the model we should be following. Setting up a sub-committee is the last thing the Minister...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: I spent two years in that Department as a Minister of State a while ago. It has fine officials, great backroom training and expertise but they are officials. They have an official mind. They are different from politicians who have a different approach and, with all due respects, are closer to the people. The mix of the two can contribute something. The notion that the officials have...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: The Green Party has sold its soul.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: The Acting Chairman is the same as Julius Caesar.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: However, this body will be dealing with enormous amounts of public moneys.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: It is idle talk.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: It is time for the Minister to walk the walk.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: I strongly support amendment No. 2. I have been a Member of the House for many years and during that time I have not come across legislation as important or with such financial implications as that before the House. If one calculated the costs accrued on foot of all the legislation in respect of which I have made contributions during the past 30 years, the aggregate figure would not in any...

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Thankfully, I did not have enough confidence in Anglo Irish Banks to purchase any of its shares.

National Asset Management Agency Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed). (4 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Put in a sunset clause.

Written Answers — Cigarette Smuggling: Cigarette Smuggling (3 Nov 2009)

Jim O'Keeffe: Question 101: To ask the Minister for Finance his estimate of the loss to the Exchequer in 2009 arising from cigarette smuggling; and the measures being taken and proposed to deal with this situation. [37616/09]