Results 18,041-18,060 of 24,635 for speaker:Mary Harney
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: It has not been amended.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: The intention is that FÃS will be decentralised to Birr around Easter 2009. I acknowledge and repeat the fact that if a person works for one of the State agencies, there is no possibility of moving into the Civil Service or another State agency.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: No.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: Decentralisation is clearly voluntary.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: It has always been voluntary and it is also very popular.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: One of the most frequent questions I am asked by many civil servants is when it will happen.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: With regard to specialist staff, the Government very successfully decentralised the Marine Institute to Galway, and all but two of the staff moved in that decentralisation programme. It is not the case that professional staff with expertise in a particular area are not prepared to move to locations outside Dublin.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: We wish to ensure that, on one hand, the decentralisation programme is done in a way which delivers effective public services. It should be done voluntarily and there should also be balanced regional development. Like many of my predecessors and my successor as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who have tried to convince some of the world's largest corporations to locate in...
- Order of Business. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: It is proposed to take No. 22, International Criminal Court Bill 2003 â Report Stage, resumed; No. 23, Health (Repayment Scheme) Bill 2006 â Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 21, Planning and Development (Strategic Infrastructure) Bill 2006 [Seanad] â Second Stage, resumed. Private Members' business shall be No. 32, Courts (Register of Sentences) Bill 2006 â Second...
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: I share the outrage expressed by every decent person in the country that a man who plied a young woman with alcohol and pleaded guilty to carnal knowledge of her should walk free in these circumstances. Everyone is rightly concerned that something like that could happen. It is her plight and the plight of young women like her whose innocence has been disgracefully taken away that is our...
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: I am informed that no one ever suggested it should happen and no Government ever sought to do it because we wanted to keep the strongest possible laws in place in this area. Recently, the Ombudsman for Children communicated with the Minister that, even now, we should not change the law. However, we have no option but to make a change on foot of the Supreme Court decision. On the question of...
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: Of course I believe the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform. Neither the Minister nor the Attorney General had any personal knowledge of this case.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: It is important that we move beyond party politics and deal with the issue.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: The public wants to see us address what has arisen in a comprehensive fashion. The Government was briefed yesterday by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform and the Attorney General on the legal situation. We discussed various options and the intention is to have legislation later this week. The Cabinet sub-committee will meet the Attorney General later today to deal with the...
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: I know of no Government that has legislation in the drawer ready to be implemented because a matter is before the High Court or Supreme Court. We won the case in the High Court and it was not anticipated that it would be lost in the Supreme Court. Even if that had been anticipated, we would have had to wait to see the Supreme Court ruling to draft the appropriate legislation, which must be...
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: First, in case there is any misunderstanding, the reason I am here this morning is because of the importance of the issue. As the Deputy is aware, it is tradition when a Head of State visits the country for the Taoiseach to meet that Head of State and I was due to do it in his absence. That is the reason for the change in who took the Order of Business. Second, regarding the Law Reform...
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: It was never proposed here.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: I share the view of parents. Of course they want strong legislation in this area. The Deputy has acknowledged that his party took the view that the legislation was too harsh. I suggest the vast majority of people wanted to maintain harsh legislation in this area. It stood the test of time for 70 years. It was upheld in the High Court in 2004. That is a fact. I do not believe there would have...
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: The Law Reform Commission said it was too conservative and too harsh. It did not say it was unconstitutional.
- Leaders' Questions. (31 May 2006)
Mary Harney: I am not twisting it.