Results 8,841-8,860 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: It is not within the scope of the legislation.

Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Second Stage (15 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I thank the Deputies. I appreciate their constructive commentary on the importance of getting this Bill signed into law before 19 July. I also appreciate the fact that it is important to discuss the legislation and go through it with a fine-tooth comb. The first question raised by Deputy John Browne was why this is taking so long. Discussions have been ongoing at Commission level in...

Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Committee and Remaining Stages (15 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The concept of reducing a risk to as low as is reasonably practicable, a concept known as ALARP, is best practice adopted internationally and a concept reflected in the offshore safety directive. There is no definition for ALARP set out in either domestic or international legislation. The concept of what is as low as is reasonably practicable has been considered by the Court of Appeal in...

Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Second Stage (15 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Tá an reachtaíocht seo a bhaineann le coinníollacha sábhailteacha iontach caol agus gairid. Chomh maith le sin, tá brú ar achan tír san Aontas Eorpach cloí leis an spriocdáta den 9 Iúil. Déanaim comhghairdeas le mo chuid oifigigh as ucht an obair a rinne siad ar an reachtaíocht...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (15 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Under the Irish Language Learners Scheme (Scéim na bhFoghlaimeoirí Gaeilge), my Department provides assistance to Gaeltacht households which accommodate students attending Irish colleges in the Gaeltacht. While my Department does not provide direct support for students attending Irish colleges in the Gaeltacht, I am aware that scholarships are provided from time to time by various...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Údarás na Gaeltachta Expenditure (14 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The information requested on companies supported by Údarás na Gaeltachta in County Donegal that are in receipt of employment grants and the cost to the Údarás of this support during the 2012-2014 period is provided in tabular format at the end of this reply. Total employment in Údarás na Gaeltachta-supported companies in County Donegal was 1,951 jobs in 2014,...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Air Services Provision (14 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The procurement process for this contract is being administered by the Office of Government Procurement. I understand that the closing date for receipt of tenders was 22 June and that the assessment process is currently under way. I have not yet been advised of a date for the completion of this process.

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Foras na Gaeilge (8 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Cuireann Foras na Gaeilge maoiniú ar fáil do nuachtáin agus d’irisí Gaeilge i gcomhréir lena fheidhm reachtúil úsáid na Gaeilge a éascú agus a spreagadh ar bhonn uile-oileáin. Maidir le maoiniú a chur ar fáil do nuachtáin agus d’irisí ar leith, is ceist oibríochtúil í sin d’Fhoras...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta bheith ar ais sa Seanad arís.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Go raibh maith agat as an gcuireadh bheith anseo. Dúirt an Seanadóir Healy Eames go bhfuil brón uirthi nach bhfuil Aire sinsearach, an Teachta Jan O'Sullivan, i láthair. Ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil caidreamh maith idir mo Roinn agus an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna i dtaobh an tumoideachais atá ar siúl idir an chéad agus an dara bliain. Tá...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall scairt a chur agus an t-eolas a sheoladh chuig an Aire sinsearach inniu. Ba mhaith liom mo mhíle buíochas a ghabháil leis an Seanadóir arís. I thank the Senator for raising this issue and I welcome the opportunity to address the Seanad on the topic. As the Senator may be aware, the Teaching Council is the independent...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The important focus of the response is to put pupils at the centre of the process.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Every teacher embraces that philosophy. Senator Healy Eames is a former teacher and I am a former secondary schoolteacher. I worked in St. Mark's in Tallaght in 1992 and in the Loreto school in Letterkenny in 1993. The situation has changed dramatically since then. The focus is more pupil-centred. I accept there are challenges, especially in terms of the experience of Montessori teachers...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Government Economic and Evaluation Service (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom aitheantas a thabhairt don Seanadóir as ucht an Ghaeilge a úsáid ar dtús fosta. Gabhaim míle buíochas leis. I thank Senator Barrett for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, who is not available this afternoon due to Government business. The...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Government Economic and Evaluation Service (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: It is important to keep this conversation going but I would like to acknowledge that every Department has bought into, and is contributing to, this process and there is an input. We always have to be conscious that it is a three-way conversation between the citizens, the Legislature and the experts. When I was a Member of this House in 2005, I quoted my father who said: "If we do not watch...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Eurozone Crisis (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I thank Senator Bradford for putting down this matter, which is evolving as we speak. He has given a broad and holistic view on this important issue. Greece remains a full member of the euro area and it is in all our interests that it remains so. However, as the Government has stated on many occasions, as a member of the euro area, each member state has responsibilities and obligations....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Eurozone Crisis (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Language is open to interpretation. I have been learning Irish in the past year. There is an old Irish saying that is valid in this debate, ní neart go chur le chéile, there is no strength without unity. We want Greece to be part of the eurozone and we want that strength in unity. When we are using language, we should go back to our first language and maybe we are better at...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The primary objective of An Scéim Phobail Gaeilge(the Irish Language Community Scheme), which Foras na Gaeilge has been implementing for the past 10 years, is to support local voluntary communities in promoting the Irish language in their respective target areas and groups. Under the present scheme, funding is provided to 19 committees, 11 based in the North and 8 based in the South....

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Invasive Fish Species (2 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the state agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. I have been informed by IFI that from the first discovery of Dace in the tidal waters at St. Mullins, in 1992, the species had spread over 70km upstream, to near Vicarstown and upstream of the confluence of the Barrow...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I acknowledge the Senator's concerns in this matter. There is no definition of what constitutes "as low as reasonably practicable", ALARP, set out in either domestic or international legislation. The concept has been considered by the Court of Appeal in the UK and by the courts in Ireland. The Judiciary has found that for a risk to be determined as ALARP, it must be possible to demonstrate...