Results 1,241-1,260 of 3,523 for speaker:Lucinda Creighton

EU Presidency (22 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: The Deputies know as well as I do that when Ministers go to these events, they want to do their business and get out of there as quickly as they can. Time is precious. A total of 160 meetings will take place during the Irish Presidency. Some of them will be held outside Dublin. The vast majority of them, including all of the informal ministerial meetings, will take place in Dublin. I...

EU Presidency (22 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: It goes without saying that we will use the Presidency to showcase Irish goods and services. The Government intends to use the tendering process to ensure, as far as possible while complying with our legal obligations, that Irish companies are given every opportunity to showcase their goods and to benefit. The Presidency will have enormous potential for the restaurant industry and the...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: I welcome this opportunity to address the House as part of the programme of events to mark Europe week. I am also glad to update the House on our approach to the EU Presidency, now less than eight months away. As it happens, Ireland will celebrate the 40th anniversary of its accession to the EEC as it takes over the Presidency. I feel this anniversary provides us with an opportunity to...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: Just after.

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: Yes.

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: We will not be going to Dromoland Castle.

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: The Senator is right.

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: Senator Colm Burke made a good point about research and development. We have an ambitious target but, unfortunately, the target under Europe 2020 is the same as for the previous ten-year strategy, the Lisbon strategy. It was not achieved because member states dragged their heels and were lazy. It is clear that if member states fulfil their obligations to achieve a target of 3% of GDP for...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: When I attend a ministerial meeting, I want to arrive, do my business and get out of there as quickly as possible, as we all have busy agendas. Ministers do not come to sample the local cuisine, fishing and so on. That is not the way the world works. The bang for our buck in terms of the investment required to bring Ministers to other parts of the country and what we get out of it is...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: Excellent.

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: Senator Terry Leyden made a number of points in his original intervention, but his proposal that the flags be flown in public places nationwide is excellent and one I will pursue. I agree with him as it affects these Houses also. It was a great source of pride this week to see the flags flying here and we must remind ourselves of the key role we played in the enlargement of the European...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: -----and it is hostile, partisan, aggressive and unfortunate. If we can engage the people during our Presidency, we will be doing them, the country and the European Union a great service. I take the Senator's point and will consider what else we might be able to do, but we are working on a proposal. Regarding schools, I launched the Blue Star pilot programme this year and it is hugely...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: Possibly. I am examining some possibilities in that regard, but we must expand the programme next year. There was an enormous demand this year. Everybody wanted to participate, but we had limited resources. The programme is vital in terms of our strategy for communicating during the Presidency. To reply to Senator Fidelma Healy Eames's question on the financial transactions tax, we have a...

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: Yes. On Senator Paul Coghlan's offer in respect of Muckross House, we are always delighted to visit the Kingdom which is a fabulous county for showcasing Ireland.

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: We will certainly consider the Senator's proposal. We are always particularly interested in venues which will not result in the State incurring costs.

Seanad: EU Presidency: Statements, Questions and Answers (Resumed) (10 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: We can discuss the matter. I have proposed to the Chairman of the Joint Committee on European Union Affairs, Deputy Dominic Hannigan, that I provide the joint committee with a full and comprehensive briefing on the Presidency in June. I had hoped to do so much sooner, but it has not been practical to do so, as everyone is busy and tied up with the referendum. The committee, for instance,...

EU Presidency: Statements (9 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: I will try to answer all the questions as quickly as possible. Both Deputy Daly and Deputy Collins referred to the 25 million unemployed people in the European Union. I do not dispute that there is a massive unemployment problem both in Ireland and many other European countries. However, it is not correct to state that we can continue spending money we simply do not have. It is just not...

EU Presidency: Statements (9 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: I believe we have gone seven minutes over time.

EU Presidency: Statements (9 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: I will try to reply to them all. I could spend the 20 minutes answering those questions-----

EU Presidency: Statements (9 May 2012)

Lucinda Creighton: -----but I will limit the time I spend replying. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle can rule me out of order on that. I will begin with the question on the community method of decision making, something about which I have spoken repeatedly for the past year and about which I feel strongly. I chair the interdepartmental group in government preparing our priorities for the Presidency. This is...