Results 5,881-5,900 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: I agree with the Deputy that is an extremely important public health Bill, which I hope will have the full support of everybody in this House. It is on Committee Stage in the Seanad. When it completes that process, it will come to the Dáil.
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: I will ask the Minister for Health to communicate directly with the Deputy on that issue.
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that the new Bill will be largely modelled on the previous Bill and it is not intended that there will be further pre-legislative scrutiny. Its detail will be discussed by the committee.
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: If the heads of the Bill are published in July, it can go for pre-legislative scrutiny shortly after that. That would be the next step.
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: If the heads are published in July and if the pre-legislative scrutiny is completed, then drafting of the Bill can commence. Depending on the progress of the pre-legislative scrutiny and the issues that arise, the drafting will be done. I do not know whether it would be possible for it to be dealt with in the next session but it is important that the work starts. The heads will be...
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: Yesterday the Cabinet discussed the citizens' assembly and the Taoiseach has made it clear that there will be an opportunity to discuss the terms of reference and the approach to be taken. There will be a debate in the Dáil on that. It is expected that the assembly will be up and running by November or, if possible, earlier than that, by which time the various initiatives required to...
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, will contact Deputy Murphy with details regarding the policy issues raised by the Deputy.
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 is a very important Act and its implementation is a priority. Discussions have been held with the Department of Health, which is responsible for the body that will deal with many of the issues that arise under that legislation. The Department has agreed to implement that aspect of the legislation, which is the key part...
- Questions on Proposed Legislation (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has already confirmed that he is dealing with the Low Pay Commission at present and intends to come before the House in the near future in respect of the matter. On the criminal legal aid board matter, that will be dealt with later in the year. Work has begun on the policy issues. It is a commitment in the programme for Government but work has...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: The details of the case described by the Deputy are very distressing. Greater discretion is being exercised by the HSE and the number of discretionary medical cards in circulation has increased from approximately 52,000 in the middle of 2014 to over 106,000 at the end of May 2016. The programme for Government commits to maintaining that humane approach to discretionary medical cards. The...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Government's intention is to provide the best possible health service. There have been very significant increases for the health services over the years and €500 million was given to the health services just two weeks ago so that we can deal with the situations outlined by the Deputy and prevent the consequences to which he referred. A good health service works at a preventative...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: I have made very clear in my reply to the Deputy that this is a priority issue for Government. I recognise her passion for this issue and it is shared by all of us. It is a priority issue, we are investing in this area and I will ask the Minister of State to communicate with the Deputy directly in respect of the specific points she raised about the timeframe for the review and why the...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: I spoke about the importance of compliance and I certainly accept what the Deputy says about it. I did not mean to suggest in any way that the issues of the other centres which have not met full compliance were in any way insignificant. The point I made is that the potential for full compliance is certainly there. That is what the Minister of State will be pursuing with respect to the...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: Regarding the compliance issue, six approved mental health centres achieved full compliance with all the regulatory requirements in 2015. While what Deputy Adams says is true that other centres were non-compliant to varying degrees, I am advised that, given the nature of the requirements where centres were non-compliant, the potential for full compliance is strong. Certainly, the Minister...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: I accept that the whole area of mental health needs ongoing investment which we need to prioritise. I hope the health committee will prioritise a discussion of the full implementation of A Vision for Change, which also needs a review. The report that Deputy Adams referenced, the Mental Health Commission annual report of 2015, reflects the very widely accepted need to develop further a...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: The programme for a partnership Government strongly reasserts the central role of education. Indeed, the very first line is, "Education is the key to giving every child an equal opportunity in life." There are plans to commit a huge amount of extra investment in our education system at every level. I recognise what Deputy Micheál Martin says about the importance of guidance...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: Obviously, the former Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, made some provision for a 50% restoration of the cut that had been made in this area, which schools will have from 1 September.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: There is provision there for schools to examine how they want to approach this.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: In respect of the Deputy's point about dedicated provision, clearly that will form part of the Estimates discussion. The Minister will examine the precise costings relating to that. There is a commitment in the programme for a partnership Government to reintroduce guidance counselling in secondary schools, but the Minister will discuss that with all members of the education committee and it...
- Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Parole Boards (22 Jun 2016)
Frances Fitzgerald: The establishment of a Parole Board on a statutory basis was a commitment under the previous Programme for Government. I have publicly stated my intention to develop and bring forward legislative proposals providing for a statutory Parole Board and this was also a commitment in the Fine Gael manifesto earlier this year. Draft proposals have been under development in my Department to...