Results 18,401-18,420 of 21,260 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not expect Mr. Coughlan to do complex calculations on the spot. I appreciate the documentation he has given us, but it is not sufficient for the committee to have an informed discussion on the subject. We need to know the amount of unvouched payments. How much money is going through the system in representative or secretarial allowances for which there is no paper trail? It would be...

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Combining the public representation and secretarial allowances amounts to just short of €2 million in unvouched payments. We have to cease that practice. I appreciate Mr. Coughlan's commentary. His idea of an independent body deciding on the allowances regime and the level of allowances is probably wise advice. Public representatives need to take note that money of that magnitude...

Public Accounts Committee: Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Houses of the Oireachtas Commission - Review of Allowances (23 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I understand I have 20 minutes and I will try to stay within this time. I am glad Mr. Coughlan acknowledged in his statement that €31.7 million, which is the sum for salaries and allowances, is substantial. He is right to acknowledge this. I take issue with Mr. Coughlan when he says the system for accounting for this money is robust. He used that term a couple of times. I would...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Staff (23 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the savings that would be made if there was a salary cap of €100,000 on employees in local authorities. [46080/12]

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (23 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide in tabular form for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date 2012 of the total amount of expenditure on consultancy by his Department, anybody under his aegis or State agency for which he has responsibility; the names of the consultancy companies awarded contracts; the nature of the work concerned; the fees paid to each consultant and if the matter...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (23 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide details in tabular form for the years 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and to date 2012, inclusive, of the arrangements entered into by him, anybody under his aegis or State agency for which he has responsibility for the obtaining of advice from a senior or junior counsel and or a firm of solicitors; the subject matter for which advice was sought; the names of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Expenditure (23 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Taoiseach if he will provide a list of all companies or persons providing an external professional service to his Department such as ICT, legal advice, advertising, project management and including any other external professional service not listed; the amount invoiced by each company to him over the past 12 months, in tabular form. [45657/12]

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 36: Defence - Review of Allowances (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is entirely appropriate. The difficult circumstances of individuals and their families must also be considered. There is legislation concerning the minimum wage and thresholds below which nobody should fall. I very much hope that will form a very clear part of the agenda and perspective of the State as it pursues those discussions.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 36: Defence - Review of Allowances (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Some of us. Not all public service employees are subject to the rigours and demands which military service entails. I do not accept that as stated this had to continue or should continue just because the Defence Forces is looking over its shoulder at other areas of the public sector. That is badly conceived. It does not add up. It is an easy task to identify the exceptionality around the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 36: Defence - Review of Allowances (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Where were those linkages historically between the military service and the public and Civil Service?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 36: Defence - Review of Allowances (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: The net point being as follows, namely, the State should not be underpaying people to the extent that it does and then trying to take the bad look off it through the system of allowances, which then come under pressure and put the individuals concerned and their families under further pressure. I understand that all of this needs to be negotiated and debated among the Defence Forces and that...

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 36: Defence - Review of Allowances (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: In Mr. Howard's view, how inclusive will the process be?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 36: Defence - Review of Allowances (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I welcome the delegates. I wish to ask about specific allowances. Archaic language was mentioned. The chaplain's housekeeper's allowance is €1,868 per year. Where an additional maidservant is required, the payment is €842 per year. I am intrigued by these figures. Fourteen individuals are in receipt of these allowances. Does Mr. Howard see the allowances?

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 36: Defence - Review of Allowances (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Hallelujah for that. I am greatly relieved. The allowance that received most publicity was for underwear and night attire for female personnel. Drilling into the detail, one sees that abolishing this outrageous payment for 377 recipients would yield just under €13,000. This best reflects how a level of sensationalism can take hold. It is useful to have this information before us....

Order of Business (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: The judicial council Bill is intended to provide effective remedies for complaints about judicial misbehaviour, including lay participation in the investigation of complaints. When will that legislation will come before the House? The Rape Crisis Centre has called for sentencing guidelines for some time as opposed to mandatory sentencing, as is the case in England. Will they be forthcoming?

Order of Business (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Today, for the second time in a short number of months, we heard reports of a convicted rapist having their custodial sentence suspended and being asked to compensate the victim financially. I do not think I have to say to the Dáil just how worrying that trend is. I think it reflects very many issues within our justice system, not least a deep cultural issue around the Judiciary and...

Order of Business (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----against women and children.

Public Accounts Committee: 2011 Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 36: Defence - Review of Allowances (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Deputy O'Donnell is assuming that all soldiers are men.

Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Bhí clár ar TG4 aréir, clár a leirigh scannal mór sa cathair seo. I do not know if the Minister saw the documentary last night but it lifted the lid on what must surely be one of the worst ever planning scandals in this city or the country. The documentary, "Iniúchadh - Oidhreacht na Cásca", has exposed a record of skullduggery and secret dealings between...

Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: That is an evasion if ever there was one. I do not accept that the Government can simply stand idly by when matters of this scandalous nature come into the public domain. The Minister is well aware that issues pertaining to the national monument have been the subject of widespread debate, including in this Dáil. The Government has a responsibility not just to the city of Dublin but to...