Results 5,301-5,320 of 16,057 for speaker:Mary Coughlan

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The legislation is fairly complex and, as the Deputy will be aware, it took us from 1908 to 1998 to introduce an amendment to the child care legislation, in which both of us participated. The complexities of child care legislation are enormous.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: On the soft information, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is currently drafting legislation.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: On the second report, the matters arising have not yet been considered by the Government. I understand it was only made available two weeks ago. In regard to the amendment to the Constitution, the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children, under Deputy O'Rourke as its Chairman, is considering this matter and its deliberations will be brought to finality his autumn.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The civil partnership legislation will be published this session. As Deputy O'Sullivan correctly stated, the Adoption Bill has been passed by the Seanad and we will try to facilitate discussion on it as quickly as possible.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: That is a matter for the Minister of State.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Níl dáta socraithe don Bhille faoi Údaras na Gaeltachta go fóill. The two defence Bills will be published later this year.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Unfortunately, there is no date as of yet.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: We are not in a position to advise on the financial services regulation Bill. The draft of the financial services (miscellaneous provisions) Bill is near completion and it will be published in 2009. I can go and on but I need to have a question.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The Deputy was not present when I addressed parliamentary questions on the legislation earlier this week.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: That is published and before the House.

Order of Business (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: It was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday and it will be published shortly.

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 78 and 79 together. Unemployment is increasing across the country due to the downturn in the economy and this has impacted on the Tallaght area also. This situation is unwelcome and I share the Deputy's concern in the matter. The increases are, however, an indication of the challenges that are now facing the labour market and the economy as a whole. This...

Written Answers — Job Losses: Job Losses (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The company concerned has recently submitted a number of claims for statutory redundancy rebate payments with my Department. These applications will be examined by the Redundancy Payments Section to see if they meet the eligibility criteria set down in the Redundancy Payment Acts. Under the Redundancy Payments Scheme all eligible employees are entitled to a statutory redundancy lump sum...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (21 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Based on a review of payments made over the period 27th to 30th April, the average time taken for payments to be issued by my Department to outside businesses in respect of goods and services received was 11 days where a valid invoice was received and all necessary tax requirements were in order. The processing of payments by my Department's agencies is a day-to-day operational matter for...

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (20 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: In so far as my area of responsibility is concerned, the European Communities (Classification, Packaging, Labelling and Notification of Dangerous Substances) Regulations 2003, S.I. No 116 of 2003 and the European Communities (Classification, Packaging and Labelling of Dangerous Preparations) Regulations 2004, S.I. No 62 of 2004, which transpose the requirements of Directives 67/548/EEC and...

Written Answers — Community Employment Schemes: Community Employment Schemes (20 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: Community Employment (CE) is an active labour market programme designed to provide eligible long term unemployed people and other disadvantaged persons with an opportunity to engage in useful work within their communities on a fixed term basis. The purpose of CE is to help unemployed people to re-enter the open labour market by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to a...

Written Answers — Work Permits: Work Permits (20 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The recent review of our employment permit arrangements was undertaken in order to ensure that they continue to be appropriate to the needs of a changing labour market, and were announced following the outcome of a consultation process with the Social Partners. In recognition of the fact that skills and labour shortages no longer exist in various sectors of employment, a number of occupations...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (20 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: The General Scheme of the Companies Consolidation and Reform Bill was published in July 2007. The General Scheme (which comprises some 1,250 sections) is broken down into two separate groups of provisions (Pillars A and B). Pillar A deals exclusively with private companies limited by shares (also called private companies) and Pillar B deals with other corporate forms such as public limited...

Written Answers — Ministerial Correspondence: Ministerial Correspondence (20 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: I wish to draw the Deputy's attention to my replies to his Parliamentary Questions of the 12th May 2009 and the 19th May 2009. As stated yesterday in my reply, an official of my Department contacted the person concerned on the 12th May 2009 and had further contact with him on the 13th May. A final response was issued to the person concerned on the matter on the 15th May 2009.

Seanad: Companies (Amendment) Bill 2009: Committee Stage (20 May 2009)

Mary Coughlan: What the Senators are proposing is an addition to the proposed subsection (5A) of section 194 of the Companies Act 1963. The amendment creates an offence the fine for which is €10,000. I appreciate where they are coming from and their enthusiasm for sending a message. However, as it stands the fine is €1,900. It used to be £100, but that was a long time ago. It has been increased...