Results 10,741-10,760 of 15,491 for speaker:Eamon Gilmore

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: I am sorry to labour the point, but I have seen the circular sent by the Department of Finance to every Department. It is manifestly clear from the circular that the line Departments have no discretion whatever on this matter.

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: Practical issues are coming up all the time. Some of these short-term contracts are expiring. Our attention has already been drawn to instances where services are being affected as a consequence of the contract not being renewed, whether for a nurse or a care worker. The issue of whether it will be renewed arises. The Taoiseach told us, the circular from the Department of Finance...

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: Let us suppose I wish to table a question — the Taoiseach should bear with me as we still have some parliamentary rights — to a Minister asking if he or she will grant an exemption for, let us say, a contract nurse or a contract care worker or whatever in a given hospital or a given part of the service. There is no point in my addressing that question to the Minister for Health and...

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: ——something to say on it. There is no point asking a Minister if that Minister cannot decide. Should all such questions now go to the Minister for Finance?

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: The Taoiseach replied that only the Minister for Finance can decide this matter. If I ask the Minister whether he will, for example, approve the renewal of certain contracts in the health service, will the Ceann Comhairle allow the question?

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: The line Minister has no responsibility.

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: It sounds like a lot of paperwork.

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: At a lot of extra cost.

Official Engagements. (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: I acknowledge the Taoiseach's visit to the United States and his meetings with US President, Mr. Obama, were a diplomatic success. I compliment the Taoiseach and all concerned on this and I welcome the proposals, arising from the visit, for the strengthening and deepening of relations between Ireland the United States. I understand the Taoiseach gave an undertaking to the US President that...

Official Engagements. (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: I would not say that was the first time the Taoiseach was at variance with the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. He should wear it as a badge of honour.

Official Engagements. (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: I have one brief additional supplementary question. Will the proposed new consulates in Atlanta and Texas be hit by the recruitment embargo announced by the Government since his visit to the United States?

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: Previously, I raised with the Taoiseach the legislative implications of the announcement to amalgamate certain State agencies made in last October's budget by the Minister for Finance. Among these is the Equality Authority. The legislation has not been published but in the meantime the budget of the Equality Authority has been cut and it is proposed to decentralise the authority. The...

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: It is and I will explain why it has to do with the business of the House.

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: I expect the circular and its implications will give rise to parliamentary questions. The problem is that the circular expressly states that individual Departments no longer have discretion in this matter and that any exemption from the embargo must have the approval of the Minister for Finance. In asking this question, I seek guidance from the Ceann Comhairle. If we table questions to a...

Order of Business (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: We said they should be taxed, not tagged.

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: These unemployment figures are extremely bad. This is the third successive month in which the figure for unemployment has been the highest ever recorded in the history of the State. There are now some 371,000 on the live register. This represents an increase of over 200,000 on the figure that obtained at Christmas 2007. The figure of 371,000 does not include the 240 jobs that will, as...

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: I do not accept that the Government is working sufficiently hard or urgently to find a solution to this problem. The current position is that 600 of those employees will walk out the door next Friday and, therefore, there is not much time left. My colleagues, Deputies Broughan, Shortall and Costello met with the Industrial Development Authority last night to discuss ways in which this...

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: It is a lie like the lie that the Minister did not know about Aer Lingus pulling out of Shannon. That was a lie too, was it not? If the Minister for Transport was doing his job——

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: Is the Minister withdrawing it?

Leaders' Questions (1 Apr 2009)

Eamon Gilmore: Butter would not melt in his mouth.