Results 11,661-11,680 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (16 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 423: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will travel to Asia via the UK and Germany in mid-December 2008 to address consumer concerns in those countries in respect of Irish pork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46000/08]

Written Answers — Pigmeat Sector: Pigmeat Sector (16 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 428: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Food if he will appoint a task force within his Department to expedite traceability within the pork sector from the processor to the supermarket shelf; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45999/08]

Written Answers — Departmental Property: Departmental Property (11 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 82: To ask the Minister for Finance the type of heating systems that will be employed at the new public service buildings in Buncrana; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45721/08]

Written Answers — Nursing Home Subventions: Nursing Home Subventions (11 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 88: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the reason the increased high dependency subvention for nursing home patients that was due to start on 1 January 2008 has not been provided; if she will address this matter; and if she will back date the payment to 1 January 2008. [45688/08]

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (11 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 101: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of square meters of unused office space or potential office space in the Health Service Executive estate in County Donegal; and the number of metres of office space or potential office space unused at St Conal's Hospital Estate, Letterkenny, County Donegal. [45758/08]

Written Answers — Departmental Offices: Departmental Offices (11 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 102: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the amount of money being spent on the renting and leasing of private property by the Health Service Executive in each of the 26 counties on a county basis in tabular form. [45759/08]

Written Answers — Telecommunications Services: Telecommunications Services (11 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 219: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason the local exchange upgrade for broadband is not servicing the house of a person (details supplied) in County Donegal that is located 3 km from the local exchange upgrade; if he will address this problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45687/08]

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (11 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 253: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if he will clarify the terms of reference laid down by the Teaching Council in respect of the process for addressing complaints against the special education needs organiser; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45689/08]

Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: I will share time with Deputy Ring and Deputy Connaughton.

Health Bill 2008: Second Stage (Resumed) (11 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill in the short time available. I have two questions for the Minister, one simple and one quite fundamental. The Minister hopes the ending of the automatic entitlement to the medical card will yield a further €20 million. I believe it will not save money. Given that the new system will lead to further HSE bureaucracy and labyrinthine form...

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 73: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment her views on the impact the reduction of VAT in Northern Ireland and the increase here will have on the retail and services sector in the Border counties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45007/08]

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: There is a broader issue in regard to competitiveness and costs. The Tánaiste referred in last night's Private Members' debate to a differential of 5% in price differences between North and South. Is this figure taken from a Forfás report that has not yet been published?

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Some of the difficulty in regard to the VAT differential is one of perception among consumers. People are heading for the Border in large numbers and they cannot get there quickly enough. I noticed a race between motorists and Tesco delivery lorries on the M1 one Thursday morning.

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: The six Tesco lorries were obstructed by the number of motorists coming from the South. I heard recently that retailers in Derry cannot get fork-lift drivers to unload stock from the trucks quickly enough. I have a simple mathematical question for the Minister and her Ministers of State. What is 21.5% of nothing?

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: The reality is that 21.5% of nothing is nothing. The British Government has reduced the rate of VAT in an effort to get money into tills. That is what will get the economy moving again.

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: We must face up to that challenge. Retailers cutting their margins will not be enough to re-stimulate economic activity.

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Neither the Minister nor her Ministers of State were able to answer that simple mathematical question.

Economic Competitiveness (10 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: The Government cannot blame retailers.

Written Answers — North-South Economic Development: North-South Economic Development (9 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 145: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of times she has met with Minister Arlene Foster in 2008 to discuss the integration of the two commercial zones on this island; her views on the Hain-Ahern 2006 assertion that companies should be encouraged to redesign logistical strategies and treat Ireland as one commercial zone rather than two...

Written Answers — Taxation Policy: Taxation Policy (9 Dec 2008)

Joe McHugh: Question 166: To ask the Minister for Finance his views on whether the Irish and British Governments' diverging indirect taxation strategies contradict the Hain-Ahern 2006 assertion that companies should be encouraged to redesign logistical strategies and treat Ireland as one commercial zone rather than two separate entities. [45035/08]