Results 6,321-6,340 of 21,149 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: It is not me who has acted to compromise the position of a senior civil servant. That has been the action of the Government and the Taoiseach himself.

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----but about promoting the Taoiseach's party. It was not about news, but about propaganda. It was not done to benefit the people, but to benefit Fine Gael. The Taoiseach now says he has ordered a review of the unit-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----and has asked Martin Fraser, a person for whom I have the utmost regard, to carry out that review. However, the Taoiseach can hardly ask any of us to treat this as a credible proposition because, while I mean no disrespect to Mr. Fraser, was he not the person responsible for the oversight of the Taoiseach's spin unit in the first place-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----and central to its establishment? In no way could he be considered an independent assessor. It is, therefore, now time-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----for the Taoiseach to wind down his strategic communications unit and I would go further-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes. The rules must be applied or misapplied in an even-handed manner, I am sure the Ceann Comhairle will agree.

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: If the Ceann Comhairle does not mind, I will further put it to the Taoiseach that not alone should this unit be stood down, but he and any other relevant officials should go before the Committee of Public Accounts to give a full account-----

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----of what was spent and how. These were, after all, public moneys and not Fine Gael moneys.

Leaders' Questions (6 Mar 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: I believe that the Taoiseach doth protest too much on this matter. I am not entirely clear what is his assertion of his own personal conspiracy theory. I am not entirely impressed with the Taoiseach's political priorities. In budget 2018 the strategic communications unit was allocated €5 million. I will put this in context. This is one third of the additional money that was...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: We should beware contrived outrage on any side. In the rough and tumble of proceedings in the House things are sometimes said that are unfair or unwise, but that should not be used as a pretext for not answering direct questions. The expenditure of public moneys for political purposes is a public interest issue, with which we must get to grips. I suggest to the Taoiseach and the Government...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is how I heard some of it. However, it is now abundantly clear that we are dealing with something far more serious. The Taoiseach can no longer brazen this one out or shrug it off. These are significant sums of public money involved and we need a robust process and procedure to assure members of the public - not to assure Sinn Féin, the Labour Party or Fianna Fáil - that...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Communications (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: In response to a parliamentary question from Deputy Ó Broin yesterday, the Taoiseach said that an indicative budget of €1.5 million has been allocated for publicity in respect of Project Ireland 2040 and confirmed that the launch event for this plan cost approximately €45,000. This is a ludicrous abuse of taxpayers' money, particularly given that so many elements of this...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: I know it is tangential to the point but I want to voice my support for Deputy Burton's suggestion on the naming of the national children's hospital. I cannot think of a more appropriate figure to name this facility after than Dr. Kathleen Lynn. We could dispense with a very elaborate and long process if we could have agreement on that point. The suggestion has been made quite widely and...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: I raised the now draft withdrawal agreement earlier with the Taoiseach. The initial responses from some are perhaps predictable but they are regrettable nonetheless. It now seems that the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, and the leader of the DUP, Arlene Foster, are rejecting this draft agreement as wholly unacceptable, constitutionally dubious and something that they are not prepared...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: 5. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his recent engagement with the President of Italy, Mr. Sergio Mattarella on 14 February 2018. [9666/18]

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: And Deputy Ross.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: Apparently not.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: There was only one proposal put to the Taoiseach yesterday in respect of the cold weather and our elderly and vulnerable citizens, which is that the Government would pay a double week of the fuel allowance. Nobody on this side of the House gave advice to the elderly to leave heating on 24-7. In fairness to the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, when he said that I took it that he meant it...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Deputy is absolutely hilarious. I am sure people who are cold in their homes are only rolling around laughing at him. He really is a comic.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Feb 2018)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can the Taoiseach confirm the date of the payment of the double week? That was not clear from the Minister, Deputy Regina Doherty's, announcement. Is it 12 March? Will the recipients who receive the allowance in two lump sums also be included in the payment?