Results 15,741-15,760 of 21,255 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: This morning, not only the HSE spokesperson but the masters of the maternity hospitals have been saying that they are struggling to cope with the level of births and the level of services they must provide in our maternity hospitals. We all know it and they have been saying it for a very long time. The report identifies failures in management and accountability, including political...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Tánaiste has said the report makes for difficult reading - for nobody more than for the Halappanavar family, the family of Tania McCabe, for many other families and for any woman, particularly any woman of child-bearing age who may at some stage rely on the maternity services in the State. The Tánaiste described the report as a good report; I would describe it as a damning...

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: We have another tragic turn of events and the same sort of event unfolds again. That is not accountability; that is a matter of farce - a very dangerous farce for women's health. What about the accountability and, crucially, what about the resources?

Leaders' Questions (10 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Next Tuesday is budget day when decisions on spending will be made, including in the area of health. What comfort and reassurance can the Tánaiste give to women, who are potential users of the maternity services, that the issue of lack of resources, identified fairly and squarely by HSE spokespersons as recently as this morning, will be addressed?

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Job Numbers (10 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: 11. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of posts that were expected to be created in 2012 for which €2.8 million of employment grants were returned to the Industrial Development Agency. [42587/13]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Job Numbers (10 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: 18. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of new posts supported by the Industrial Development Agency that were to be realised in 2013; and the number of such posts that are in place to date. [42586/13]

Other Questions: National Procurement Service Savings (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I support Deputy Sean Fleming. In fairness to the Government, it has rightly prioritised this issue. However, we must not only consider the value for money aspect, but also the local employment element. I am sure that the Minister and his colleagues are aware of the significant alarm in the stationery sector. There is a belief among long-established domestic companies that jobs will be...

Other Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is very gallant of him. This echoes the sentiment of my earlier question. The Minister instanced the area of DEIS and said that the Government did not touch those posts for the most disadvantaged schools. However, this was only because it got caught out. The Minister for Education and Skills was heading like a steam train to remove teachers from the most disadvantaged schools in the...

Other Questions: Open Government Partnership (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: I welcome the good work that was done in respect of the consultation with civic society during the summer months. In light of that, what does the Minister make of the open letter yesterday from eight civil society organisations - the National Women's Council of Ireland, FLAC, the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, the Children's Rights Alliance, Open, Gay and Lesbian Equality Network,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: There has not been a profound sea-change. That is the difficulty. I stand corrected that there will be 0.2% growth this year.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Bravo. Good for the Government. It is, however, hardly a resounding success. In the most recent budget, the Government imposed a property tax on family homes and cut child benefit, the back-to-school clothing and footwear allowance, jobseeker's benefit and the respite care grant. It also increased fees for students at third level, raised the thresholds relating to student grants, etc. I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes, they were difficult for the people on the receiving end.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: 2. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will equality proof budget 2014 in advance of his announcement and publish the findings of the proofing process on budget day. [42567/13]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Equality Proofing of Budgets (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: If the Minister's objectives have been to underwrite fairness and equity in his budgetary efforts, he has clearly and manifestly failed. If his objective has been to enhance growth, he certainly has failed because officials tell us that we have precisely 0% growth this year. I asked the Minister about equality budgeting and I have raised this issue with him many times. It is clear to...

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: Yes, like in the 1990s when the economy was booming. That is right.

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Taoiseach actually believes this.

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: They are all over in Canada.

Leaders' Questions (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is pathetic.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Ministerial Pensions (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: 26. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will provide in tabular form the post Haddington Road agreement annual pension payment to former office holders and where applicable to provide former Ministers’ and taoisigh TD pensions also in a separate column. [42512/13]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: National Lottery Licence Sale (9 Oct 2013)

Mary Lou McDonald: 42. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the impact the legal proceedings initiated by The Rehab Group and Rehab Lotteries will have on the tendering process of the new national lottery licence. [42513/13]