Results 10,701-10,720 of 21,149 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald
- Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: 57. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the extent to which, in all public procurement processes, accessibility is considered, given that users have differing capabilities and that users' abilities may be impaired, either permanently or temporarily, by various physical, intellectual, sensory or mental health disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1947/16]
- Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: This question refers to accessibility in all public procurement processes. Public bodies have a legal responsibility to incorporate accessibility in the procurement process under section 27 of the Disability Act, which came into effect on 31 December 2005. What does that look like, how does that operate and what weight or seriousness is afforded to it?
- Other Questions: Public Procurement Contracts (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: I thank the Minister. The reason for raising the issue is that, as I hope we can agree, issues pertaining to disability and persons with disabilities are far too often marginal or peripheral to mainstream debate, and we need to change that. It stands to reason that the State, in particular the Government in office, through all its actions, including procurement policies and processes, needs...
- Other Questions: Tender Advisory Service (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: It is essential that there is not just an advisory service for small and medium-sized enterprises and microbusinesses in respect of these tenders, but that there is also an effective complaints mechanism. Such a mechanism should give a result to complainants and not just tea and sympathy. The Minister is familiar with many consistently raised issues that are of a general nature, yet also...
- Other Questions: Tender Advisory Service (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: 56. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of complaints made by small and medium enterprises to the Tender Advisory Service since it was launched in February 2015; the nature of the complaints, concerns and issues raised and which of them were the most common; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1946/16]
- Other Questions: Tender Advisory Service (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: My question relates to the number of complaints made by small and medium-sized enterprises to the Tender Advisory Service which was launched in February 2015. I ask the Minister to set out the nature of these complaints, concerns and issues, to identify the most common complaint or issue raised and to make a statement on the matter. I am sure he is conversant with the number of complaints...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: There is no pretence about the fact - it is not a good record for the Government - that there are 68,000 people waiting for inpatient treatments, 400,000 people waiting for outpatient appointments and under-staffing right across the system. My local hospital, the Mater hospital, is at least 100 nursing staff short of what is required. If the Minister is trying to put a gloss on this that he...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: We need to spend more on health.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: No.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: Hospital trolleys are not value for money.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Government hammered the front line.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: That is lying.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister wants to leave elderly people on trolleys and people on waiting lists.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: Did the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar, ask the Minister for more money?
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: Perhaps he did not.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: 53. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his discussions with the Department of Health regarding expenditure on health. [2082/16]
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: My question relates to health. Nowhere is the chaos of the Government more evident than in accident and emergency and the burgeoning waiting lists. I would like the Minister to place on the record of the Dáil the discussions he has had with the Minister for Health, Deputy Leo Varadkar, in respect of health expenditure.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: No, that is pretty spectacular too.
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Health Services Expenditure (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: I do not take any comfort, nor I am sure does anyone, from the fact there is a Cabinet sub-committee on health, that the Government has an official group on health, that the Minister is discussing budgetary matters daily with the Minister, Deputy Leo Varadkar, and yet we have the mess and the misery that reigns in our hospitals. The Minister commended himself on his increase in funding to...
- Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Value for Money Reviews (19 Jan 2016)
Mary Lou McDonald: My children are still in a prefab.