Results 501-520 of 1,338 for speaker:Kathleen O'Meara

Seanad: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2004: Second Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: When is it proposed to take Committee Stage?

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: That is a good example.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 9: In page 15, subsection (1)(a), line 21, after "appointed" to insert "or elected in accordance with regulations made". Section 11 refers to the membership and role of the board. This group of amendments refers to several issues in that connection which I will set out. Amendment No. 9 concerns elections, amendment No. 10 proposes that the chief executive officer should...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank the Minister of State for setting out in so far as he could what the future board will look like. We have a fair idea of that. He said there will be continuity and the new board will consist of quite a number of the current membership of the interim board. The new board will be a management rather than a representational board. Is the view of the Minister of State and his Department...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: Would it not make sense that the board would sit as a board and that the CEO would report to it, if the board is to carry out that supervisory function to the best possible extent? If, however, the CEO is part of the board, that could dilute or even undermine that possibility. If a function of the board is to supervise the CEO and that is the way it should be, how best does one carry that...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: Will the board be able to meet without the CEO?

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I will not pursue my amendments, given that Report Stage will be taken on Thursday and I wish to facilitate the debate.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 14: In page 15, lines 39 to 41, to delete subsection (4) and substitute the following new subsection: "(4) Not less than 40 per cent of members of the Board shall be men and not less than 40 per cent shall be women." Question, "That the words proposed to be deleted stand", put and declared carried.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 22: In page 21, line 6, after "1998" to insert "and provision shall be made to ensure that a detailed breakdown of the estimates of expenditure are available for scrutiny by the Committee of Public Accounts of Dáil Éireann". This amendment relates to the chief executive being the Accounting Officer. The Minister referred to this in the context of an earlier amendment....

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I move amendment No. 23: In page 21, lines 41 to 44, to delete subsection (9). The section is extraordinary and unprecedented. Subsection (9) states: "In carrying out duties under this section, the chief executive officer shall not question or express an opinion on the merits of any policy of the Government or a Minister of the Government or on the merits of the objectives of such a policy."...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: Not while the Minister of State is present.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I thank the Minister for his reply. I understand that the Government of the day would want the kind of relationship with a chief executive officer that meant he or she would not give out or openly disagree with Government policy at an Oireachtas committee. I assume a chief executive officer would not take a job of this nature unless he or she was happy to be in broad agreement with Government...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I do not understand why it is necessary to include this draconian subsection. It amounts to censorship.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: Perhaps it is why Professor Halligan did not want the job.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: We have had an extensive discussion on this matter and I hope the Minister of State has answered other Members' questions. On that basis, I will withdraw the amendment while reserving the right to resubmit it on Report Stage.

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I support Senator Browne in his amendment and in the sentiments he has expressed. I do not accept there has been widespread consultation in the formulation of this Bill. It only became obvious to a number of groups quite late in the day the extent to which they will now find themselves in an entirely different scenario to that they have previously experienced. Despite all that has been said...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: All the Minister of State's references to the legislation point to services provided by the voluntary and community sector. It is clear that the framework set out in the Bill for the relationship between the executive and that sector is purely in the context of services delivered. I have listened carefully to the Minister of State's response and every point has included reference to services...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: I support Senator O'Toole. In my opinion the functions of the health service executive are set out in such vague terms in the section in order to give the board, the CEO and the Minister carte blanche. In other words, anything, everything and nothing can be done. As regards our discussion on an earlier amendment, the definitions section does not define what is meant by a "service". A...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: This is like when someone asks questions of the National Roads Authority and never gets a reply because the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government always says it is a matter for the NRA and that he does not have a function in the matter. We should also look at the accountability of the executive to the Oireachtas through the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children. It...

Seanad: Health Bill 2004: Committee Stage. (14 Dec 2004)

Kathleen O'Meara: It was a shambles.