Results 15,481-15,500 of 21,237 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I appreciate that as a general rule the period will be six months which I understand from the Minister will be adhered to in most cases. I think an additional three months would be sufficient. While I appreciate that obviously bodies have internal administrative concerns, there is a public appetite for freedom of information legislation to be reinstated and rigorous in its application. I...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 2: In page 10, lines 5 to 8, to delete all words from and including “on” in line 5 down to and including “provisions.” in line 8 and substitute “not later than 12 months from enactment.”.This is a timing issue and relates to section 8 which deals with the publication of information on FOI bodies. The legislation, as drafted,...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Bill 2013: Committee Stage (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I move amendment No. 3: In page 10, line 35, to delete “21 April 2008” and substitute “1 January 2005”.This amendment relates to the retrospective element of the legislation. The Minister has suggested bodies go back to 21 April 2008. I understand that it would be unreasonable to go back as far as 2003 because it would impose an administrative burden. The choice...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: A Chathaoirligh,-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: We cannot return to it because once the Chairman puts the question, the Committee Stage commences.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: With all due respect to the Chairman and to the Minister, there is little point in the Minister telling us that he will bring the code of conduct here for us to jointly pin down. My understanding was that we were going to jointly pin down the legislation.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The draft legislation-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----that the Minister presented was very different.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not have a telephone.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: If the Cathaoirleach does not mind,-----

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: No, no.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: It is not.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I have made the point on the code of conduct. I take no comfort from that. The Minister will bring it here, we will chat about it, and the Minister will go off and do whatever he will do according to the evidence to date. Second, it is entirely disingenuous for the Minister to state that this was always his intention. He made clear his intention that there would be a fee, but he has...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----in respect of the fees themselves. It is unacceptable for the committee that we operate in this way. If I might respectfully say to the Cathaoirleach whose position I respect, whatever the party politics of an issue like this, there is a bigger issue for the committee and how we work. If we are being told that there will be pre-legislative scrutiny and that this is a collective...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister is not.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: How original.

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: First, it is really dishonest for the Minister to use the introduction of prescription fees and other cuts over which the Government has presided over as cover for introducing in this legilation multiple fees. Second, he knows, as we all do, that the reason the fees issue is controversial in the course of this debate at this committee is that it is accepted across the board that having a fee...

Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Select Sub-Committee on Public Expenditure and Reform: Business of Select Sub-Committee (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I want to object to the taking of Committee Stage of this legislation today. I say that on the basis that, at the 11th hour, the Minister has introduced a very substantial amendment to the legislation relating to the fees regime. The Minister and the committee are aware that the issue of fees was the most contentious item in respect of the restoration of full freedom of information...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Redundancy Payments (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: 182. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 22 was not provided with enhanced redundancy when other persons employed on a similar basis were provided with same. [47727/13]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Asylum Applications (12 Nov 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: 303. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide an update in the application for asylum in respect of a person (details supplied). [47726/13]