Results 12,801-12,820 of 21,203 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald
- Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I commend the Minister on the passage through this House of this legislation. We all appreciate that it is ground-breaking. It is also long overdue. We have raised many issues in a spirit of co-operation and common purpose. I do not doubt that we will reflect further on them as the legislation takes effect. I commend the Minister and his officials on the considerable body of work they...
- Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 56:In page 13, between lines 38 and 39, to insert the following:“(g) in the case of a lobbying activity by a person under section 5(1)(a), the overall amount spent on that lobbying action by the client, and in the case of a lobbying activity by a person under section 5(1)(b), the costs associated with that lobbying action,”.Others have pointed out that for...
- Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: People can judge whether the amount of money and resources invested relates to the extent of that influence but the Minister proposes to deny that information within this framework, which is wrong. I am not sure the arguments about commercial sensitivity and privacy tally exactly with what the Minister is setting out to do. I believe that lobbyists could shave down the costs associated with...
- Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 59:In page 15, to delete lines 10 to 39, to delete page 16, and in page 17, to delete lines 1 to 7.We discussed this on Committee Stage along with other issues. I see no valid reason to protect from public scrutiny lobbying of public officials with respect to public policy, legislative or funding decisions on the basis of adverse effect on the financial interests of the...
- Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 41:In page 9, between lines 28 and 29, to insert the following:“ “charitable organisation” means a charitable organisation which is the holder of a CHY number issued by the Revenue Commissioners;”.I indicated earlier that I wish to withdraw the amendment.
- Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 42:In page 10, to delete lines 21 to 35, and in page 11, to delete lines 1 to 19.This amendment reflects that fact that, on reading the Bill, I felt that the definition or scope of the public service body was too restrictive. My amendment proposed to strike out the definition, but having reflected on this I want to withdraw the amendment and adopt an approach of adding...
- Registration of Lobbying Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 38:In page 9, between lines 13 and 14, to insert the following:“(f) senior public servants between the ranks of secretaries general and principal officer; (g) regulators; (h) management boards of public bodies;”.I was surprised this amendment was not grouped with the previous batch. The position has been set out that in addition to overtly political...
- Order of Business (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Taoiseach confirmed yesterday that only two of the recommendations of the Constitutional Convention will be put by way of referendum during the lifetime of the Government. The Tánaiste will recall that the Dáil resolution to establish the convention committed the Government to respond to each of the recommendations within four months of publication and to schedule separate...
- Order of Business (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: It was a Government commitment made in respect of a particular schedule.
- Order of Business (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Whips should not have to do so.
- Order of Business (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: And many have not.
- Order of Business (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Deputy Durkan should get his Whip to raise the matter.
- Leaders' Questions (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: The Government's strategy document, launched to much fanfare before Christmas, specifically promises 5,384 new social housing units, to be delivered in 2015. I did not write the document; it is a document of the Tánaiste's Government and of a Labour Party Minister. I asked the Tánaiste to explain to us how she proposes to make good that promise and deliver the units in 2015. If I...
- Leaders' Questions (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: She commended me for commending her, and then she echoed my point that housing units cannot be delivered overnight. She made the promise to provide 5,384 new social housing units in 2015 but she is not going to deliver them, yet the promise was in her document. She might explain this to us. Irrespective of the meetings the Minister might have had throughout the country, the fact remains...
- Leaders' Questions (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: If that is the case, it is a disgrace. When will local authority budgets be allocated? Does she know? Does she care? I do not need her to run off and ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Alan Kelly, to release another press statement. It is appropriate that she answer specific questions when they are put to her. I am concerned about the social...
- Leaders' Questions (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: And keep the promise to provide 5,384 units.
- Leaders' Questions (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Not at all.
- Leaders' Questions (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: I did not ask that; I did ask about the 5,384 units.
- Leaders' Questions (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: So the Tánaiste is not going to answer. Will we see the units in 2015?
- Leaders' Questions (15 Jan 2015)
Mary Lou McDonald: Five thousand, three hundred and eighty four social housing units.