Results 14,461-14,480 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I will not accept this amendment for the reasons I outlined in the discussion earlier. I went over the issues in some detail in my Second Stage reply. It is important that the commission is compact enough to be an effective decision making body. However, I accept it is important in that context that there is proper liaison between all the Members of both Houses and the commission.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Foster Care: Foster Care (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: My Office is currently in discussions with the Department of Finance concerning the rate of the foster care allowance to apply for 2007. Following these discussions, my Office will provide the Deputy with any revised rates of the foster care allowance.

Written Answers — Education Welfare Service: Education Welfare Service (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The National Educational Welfare Board is developing a nationwide service on a continuing basis that is accessible to schools, parents/ guardians and others concerned with the welfare of young people. For this purpose, Educational Welfare Officers (EWOs) have been deployed throughout the country to provide a welfare-focused service to support regular school attendance and discharge the...

Written Answers — Detention Centres: Detention Centres (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: My Department, in the Abridged Estimates published on 16 November 2006, estimates that the amount required to meet the operational costs of the five children detention schools for the year ending 31 December 2007 is €31.75 million.

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: B'fhéidir go mbeidh níos mó ann tar éis an toghcháin seo chugainn.

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Níl na Náisiúin Aontaithe i gceist anseo, bord stiúrthóirí atá i gceist.

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am glad there was a broad welcome for this Bill from all sides of the House and of this very constructive debate. I am also grateful for the kind comments made by a number of Members about myself. I thank the members of the commission specifically for the work they have done in the past few weeks leading up to the presentation of this legislation in the House. Three specific concerns were...

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Deputies will recall that the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission Act 2003 provided for the setting up of the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission to administer the running of Dáil Éireann and Seanad Éireann. The commission came into being on 1 January 2004 and was provided with the necessary funds to carry out its functions for three...

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: It is also the considered opinion of the Minister for Finance that the commission has performed its job admirably under the able chairmanship of the Ceann Comhairle.

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The commission is composed of 11 members, ten of whom are Members of either the Dáil or the Seanad. These include the Chairman of Dáil Éireann, the Chairman of Seanad Éireann and one Member appointed by the Minister for Finance. The remaining seven members — four from the Dáil and three from the Seanad — are appointed from the Members of each House. The 11th member is the Clerk of...

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: This figure has been agreed with the commission and, in the opinion of the Minister, represents excellent value for the taxpayer.

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The responsibilities of the commission include payment of the salaries and allowances of Deputies and Senators and payment of the salaries of the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas. The general election in 2007——

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission (Amendment) Bill 2006: Second Stage (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: ——and a European election in 2009 will place extra financial burdens on the commission, for which the funding allocation provided for in the Bill will also cater. One item to note in the Bill is in section 3, where the functions of the commission are expanded to include the provision of translation services in respect of Acts of the Oireachtas. It is appropriate that the commission...

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: It is not——

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The first part of the Senator's amendment simply states that "Nothing in this Act shall be used to disqualify, prevent, or otherwise impede an Irish citizen who is resident outside the State, from registering his or her will". That is the case under the legislation in any event. The second part of the amendment seems to be drafted under a misapprehension. If one executes a will in another...

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: This is not my Bill. The Bill is being promoted by Senator Leyden and it is not incumbent on me to provide interpretations in respect of it. Where the Senator uses the word "will" in the first part of his amendment, it clearly means a will in accordance with Irish law. That is how it will be construed. A will is identified as being such under the Succession Act 1965, as amended. There is...

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am listening.

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: It is Senator Leyden's Bill. I have no function here.

Seanad: Registration of Wills Bill 2006: Committee and Remaining Stages (13 Dec 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I wish to outline the views of the Government on the Bill because this seems an appropriate place to do so. Senator Leyden has made a valiant attempt in this amendment to make clear that the register will not provide any presumption about the existence or non-existence of a will or the validity or non-validity of a will. The amendment states "The registration or non-registration of any...