Results 641-660 of 1,981 for speaker:Conor Lenihan

Written Answers — Prospecting Licences: Prospecting Licences (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: Details of the number of Mineral Prospecting Licences and Petroleum Exploration Licences granted in the period 2004 to 2009 are contained in the following table: Licences Granted Years 2004 - 2009 Year Prospecting Licences (Minerals)Petroleum Exploration Licences(Oil and Gas) 2004 - 263 2005 - 517 2006 - 1654 2007 - 1435 2008 - 915 January to April 2009 - 280 Twenty-one of the...

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 66 and 108 together. Following the 2009 budget day announcement on 14 October 2008 on the rationalisation of State agencies, the Government has now formally approved proposals for the restructuring of the inland fisheries sector, which include the creation of a single strengthened national inland fisheries authority to be known as inland fisheries Ireland....

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: Much of the structure and architecture of this area originated in the rod licence dispute which raged across the country for a long time and was resolved by the late and much lamented John Wilson. We are rationalising the boards because we are under a standing instruction from the Department of Finance to consider State agencies. The Fine Gael Party has made much of this push to remove or...

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: It has been agreed that Ballina and Galway will stay open because of the range, size and scale of activity in those locations. We have identified a saving of at least €300,000 in respect of the reduced board membership. Further savings will follow and I will be delighted to update the Deputy on them as they accrue. The move to Carrick-on-Shannon is on hold in line with the decision to...

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: It is important to remember that staffing will be managed carefully and that there will be the same number, or a similar number, of staff working in our fisheries resource at the end of this year. We are trying to streamline it by creating one single authority. The intention is that it will report to me, as Minister of State.

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I said "the new authority".

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I hardly think it worthwhile going ahead with elections for regional boards which are to cease to exist.

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I am not clear why or how one would encourage such elections to take place.

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I hope they will not go ahead but I will revert to the Deputy in detail on the matter.

Inland Fisheries. (12 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I would not be in favour of elections to bodies which are about to disappear or reach the end of their natural lifespan. Clearly, it would not be desirable to have elections to the bodies in question. The new authority, the remit of which will be to manage the inland fisheries resource, will be in place by the end of the year. To answer Deputy Stanton's question on industrial relations...

Special Educational Needs: Motion (Resumed) (7 May 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I propose to share time with Deputies Cregan, Dooley, Blaney, Connick, Calleary and Conlon. I reassure Deputy McManus that I will bring the matter to the attention of the Minister, Deputy O'Keeffe. I am the Minister of State at the Department but her comments would be best directed at the senior Minister in this case. I do not want to distract Members from our purpose with regard to this...

Written Answers — Water Pollution: Water Pollution (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: Appropriate papers from the then Department of Fisheries dealing with inland fisheries matters would be eligible for transfer to the National Archives when thirty years old and would ordinarily be available to the public through the National Archives Office. If, however, the files in question relate to issues the management of which continued beyond 31 December 1978, files would not have...

Written Answers — Fishing Industry Development: Fishing Industry Development (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: Following on from the 2009 Budget Day announcement on 14th October 2008 of the rationalisation of State agencies, the Government has now formally approved proposals for the restructuring of the inland fisheries sector, which include the creation of a single strengthened national inland fisheries authority to be known as Inland Fisheries Ireland. This authority will replace the existing...

Infrastructure Stimulus Package: Motion (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I thank Fine Gael for tabling the motion and I thank it for bothering to put the time and effort into proposing documents, hard policy choices and alternatives to those tabled by the Government. There has been a genuine change in the behaviour and attitude of the Members opposite. In these extraordinarily difficult times it is the responsibility of the Opposition not only to criticise or...

Infrastructure Stimulus Package: Motion (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: We face an extraordinary economic and financial crisis of the like that no one in the House and no one in the elected parliaments throughout Europe and the world has ever seen before. We are living through especially difficult times. Were Fine Gael or Labour in Government today rather the Fianna Fáil and the Green Party they too would encounter the same difficult challenges. I refer...

Infrastructure Stimulus Package: Motion (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: That downturn was occasioned by the extraordinary and horrible events of 11 September in the United States, especially at the twin towers in New York. Following that, we applied the brakes because there was a perception globally that growth would be stalled, paralysed or reversed. In fact, that did not take place. There was a sudden Exchequer downturn in that case from which we emerged...

Infrastructure Stimulus Package: Motion (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: We were lucky and we emerged from it rather more quickly than expected. This time we cannot gamble recklessly on an early recovery.

Infrastructure Stimulus Package: Motion (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: We must take measures in the budget and in the supplementary budget and in respect of the whole spending profile in which the State engages to rectify matters and to ensure that when we emerge from this period the possibility exists to be competitive relative to other economies in Europe and beyond Europe's borders. The stimulus package which some, in a rather naive way, sought is not the...

Infrastructure Stimulus Package: Motion (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: It can and should take place and come about in a timely and speedy fashion, even if it is required to move ahead of any requirement for legislation. If it can be created in shadow form and move forward that would be a positive action to take. It is very important that we respond to the obvious demand from the public for credit. I thank the Opposition for tabling this motion. We do not...

Infrastructure Stimulus Package: Motion (28 Apr 2009)

Conor Lenihan: I know he is not particularly knowledgeable about it but I am sure that in the fullness of time he will inform himself properly about these matters.