Results 12,861-12,880 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training (13 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I acknowledge the Deputy's point that qualifications at a very high level are no longer sustainable in terms of employment. If one changes one has to take a course at a lower level. The Deputy argues that this should be addressed. I will ensure the Minister for Social Protection is made aware of the issue urgently.

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (13 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputies for their comments and acknowledge the presence of Senator Maurice Cummins in the House. All I can say is that I will make sure the Minister is made aware of the concerns raised by the Deputies and of the local feelings that were so clearly expressed. I wish to reiterate the point that, with specific regard to Waterford, the intention is that the hospital will retain...

Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training (13 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Department estimates that expenditure on employment supports will be over €960 million in 2012. This substantial expenditure, which is against a backdrop of significant fiscal consolidation, underlines the Government's commitment to enhancing support for activation and assisting people return to employment. As outlined in the Pathways...

Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (13 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Deputies Paudie Coffey, Ciara Conway, John Paul Phelan and John Halligan for raising this matter. I note Senator Maurice Cummins is here also. I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly. A key stepping stone towards the introduction of universal health insurance will be the development of independent not-for-profit hospital trusts in which...

Topical Issue Debate: Regulatory Bodies (13 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I assure the Deputy that I will bring his comments and views, which have been strongly and clearly expressed, to the attention of the Minister, Deputy Rabbitte. I appreciate what he has said but I reiterate two things. The EU regulatory framework for the postal sector requires that the regulatory function is discharged separately from the shareholder function of the Minister. That is one...

Topical Issue Debate: Regulatory Bodies (13 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter in the House which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Pat Rabbitte, who is unavoidably absent. ComReg is statutorily responsible for the regulation of the postal sector and independent in the exercise of its regulatory functions. Furthermore, the EU regulatory framework for the postal...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries (6 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I have been advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that, along with other major salmon rivers in Ireland, the River Feale contains a genetically unique population of salmon. Best scientific advice, both nationally and internationally, indicates that the introduction of a salmon hatchery operation into a wild salmon fishery can reduce the ability of the genetically distinct native strain...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries (6 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I would draw the Deputy’s attention to the questions I answered in this House on 2nd October and again on 11th October . The International Council for Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice is that the eel stock continued to decline in the period 2009 to 2011 and urgent action is needed. In 2011 ICES reiterated its previous advice that all anthropogenic mortality (e.g. recreational...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Licences (6 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: Thirteen licensing options were awarded in November 2011 under the 2011 Licensing Round. There are currently eighteen exploration licences, seventeen licensing options and five petroleum prospecting licences extant in respect of exploration in the Irish offshore. All authorisations granted are subject to the carrying out of agreed work programmes. While work programmes in respect of...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Industry Data (6 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I would like to advise the Deputy that my Department maintains an extensive national archive of definitive petroleum exploration and production data on industry activities carried out in Ireland. All operators and contractors are required to submit all technical data and information relating to all authorisations, drilling activities and exploration surveys to my Department. In order to...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Exploration Licences (6 Nov 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: In February of last year, following an open competition, onshore petroleum licensing options were awarded by the then Minister of State at the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to: Tamboran Resources PTY Ltd over parts of counties Cavan, Leitrim and Sligo; Lough Allen Natural Gas Company Ltd over parts of counties Cavan, Leitrim, Roscommon and Sligo; and Enegi Oil...

Topical Issue Debate: Sexual Abuse (25 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Deputy Flanagan for raising those points in his supplementary contribution. I acknowledge and appreciate the trauma he feels as a representative of County Roscommon. We all feel the same because any child abused anywhere, in any constituency, in any home, is one too many. I concur fully with him that action needs to be taken and I believe it is being taken. The HSE published its...

Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service (25 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I again thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I will ensure his comments which will be published in the Official Report are brought to the attention of the Minister and his Department. I will ask the Minister to take on board the issues he has raised. My duty is to provide the Deputy with a response, but it is the duty of the Minister and his Department to ensure the wishes the Deputy...

Topical Issue Debate: Sexual Abuse (25 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and providing me with the opportunity to outline, on behalf of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the policy and services in place to deal with sexual abuse. As the Deputy stated, sexual violence has a devastating effect on victims and their families and is a serious health and human rights issue. In March 2010 the Government launched a...

Topical Issue Debate: Ambulance Service (25 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Deputy Keaveney for raising this issue. Before I reply I join him in offering my personal sympathy, that of the House and of the entire country, to the family in question on the tragic loss of their children. It was a traumatic and awful event and we deeply sympathise with the family. The National Ambulance Service, NAS, provides pre-hospital emergency care and intermediate care...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries (23 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is a National Body formed in July 2010 from an amalgamation of the former Central Fisheries Board and the 7 Regional Fisheries Boards. The establishment of IFI facilitates more efficient and effective management of the inland fisheries resource along with an improved national perspective in the formulation of inland fisheries policy which is more streamlined,...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries (23 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: The open season for salmon fishing in Ireland is set by regulation, on the advice of the Standing Scientific Committee, and generally closes on 30 September. I am advised by Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) that in light of requests for extension of the season, it requested the Standing Scientific Committee (SSC) to devise criteria that could be used to extend the angling season. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Inland Fisheries (23 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: Catchment-wide electric fishing (CWEF) is the semi-quantitative technique used to assess salmon fry (0+) abundance on rivers like the River Barrow which are closed to angling and do not have any other means to assess salmon status. The data collected using this standard approach is comparable with similar data from other rivers nationally. Sampling is generally undertaken at sites...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Foreshore Licences (23 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: Standard Exploration Licence 2/11 which was granted last year is held by a consortium comprising Providence Resources Plc (operator) and PSE Seven Heads Ltd over an area of approximately 380 square kilometres in the Kish Bank Basin off the Dublin/Wicklow coast. The licence, which is a follow-on authorisation to Licensing Option 08/2, is for a six year period with an obligation to drill an...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Hydraulic Fracturing (23 Oct 2012)

Fergus O'Dowd: The terms of reference for this second and more extensive research are currently being drawn up. It is the intention of the Environmental Protection Agency, assisted by a steering committee comprising, amongst others, my Department, the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, together with the Commission for Energy Regulation, to launch the research call later in 2012....