Results 18,541-18,560 of 21,260 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: ---and bridge that gap and only take €58 million of a cut from front-line services? Is that Mr. O'Brien's position?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I grasped that point. The problem with that scenario is that this year, reducing the cost of drugs was to bring in €124 million, but that has not happened. The recouping of the full cost of private beds in public hospitals was supposed to yield €143 million, that did not materialise. What worries me is that the witnesses are working on an assumption that by year end, that is...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does Mr. O'Brien understand the value of discussing the issues in a forum like this as things are happening, because this is not a theoretical exercise we are engaged in? He knows as well as I do that this is about the services that people receive in real time, in the here and now.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I do not want to harp on about the fiery start to this meeting but, given that both gentlemen are new to their jobs, I hope that their statements "pleading the fifth", to use the term, do not represent the manner in which they will proceed in interaction with Oireachtas committees. It would be a backward step to do so. When Mr. O'Brien's predecessor, Mr. Magee, appeared before the...

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: My maths are correct so the HSE is looking at a potential overrun of €509 million. Deputy Harris asked about the €78 million that can be clawed back from savings through non-front line activities. That leads me to the conclusion that the HSE is looking to secure additional savings of €431 million to achieve a balanced budget. Is that correct?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: That brings us up to €438 million. That is a huge amount of ground to make. In pursuing this line of questioning, I take the view that too much has been hacked from the health budget. I would like the witnesses to help me navigate through the savings of €438 million. If I have understood them correctly, the figure will represent savings from the front line.

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Do these policy matters relate to generic drugs and the savings to accrue from the private use of public hospital beds? Are these the tranches of policy in which the witnesses envisage the balance of savings to be made?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Can Mr. O'Brien amplify his response?

Public Accounts Committee: Vote Management and Budgetary Situation in 2012: Discussion with Department of Health and HSE (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I want to clarify one point in advance of Dr. McLoughlin's statement and I apologise to the lead speakers. I heard Mr. O'Brien's statement and scanned Dr. McLoughlin's statement. I hope that they have not signalled that the committee will be faced with extensive stonewalling by both of them. I have a number of questions that I wish to raise with them and I am sure that is the same for my...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the findings of a report published recently by the National Council for Special Education that the significant reduction in teaching posts in schools, including the 700 posts lost at second level due to changes to guidance counseling and the loss of more than 6,000 middle management positions as a result of the continuing embargo is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Expenditure (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will reconsider his decision to cut a further €77 million from the education budget; and if he has considered alternatives measures to this further reduction to his Department's annual budget. [43114/12]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Applications (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Social Protection when a person (details supplied) will recieve a decision on their application for a carer's allowance. [42860/12]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Conservation (9 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if, in view of impending budget cuts, if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the energy bill for the public sector is estimated at €500 million a year; his futher attention has been drawn to the potential demonstrated by existing Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland and Office of Public Works led projects to...

Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I refer to promised legislation on upward only rent review. The matter is under review and there are some complications. The rental arrangements people have with the State and State agencies must be addressed. Regarding the Keane report, the Tánaiste spoke of his concern for people in mortgage distress. What is coming forward from the recommendations by way of legislation? I refer...

Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Does that mean nothing is happening?

Order of Business (4 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I want an answer, not a debate.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: We know all of that. It is waffle. Answer the question.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Tánaiste is well aware that he does not have to convince anyone in this House as to the value and necessity of primary health centres, so I wish that he would dispense with what amounts to waffle when straight questions are put to him.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Let us piece it together now because the Tánaiste is not volunteering information - it has to be extracted from him.

Leaders' Questions (4 Oct 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Tánaiste signed off on the additional 15 primary health care centres. When he did that he was aware of Deputy Róisín Shortall's concerns. He told us that he did not know anything about the criteria. I suggest to him that as Tánaiste he should have paid more attention and, if he did not know about the criteria then I hope to God he will tell us that he has an...