Results 18,581-18,600 of 21,260 for speaker:Mary Lou McDonald

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I suppose that, in spite of herself, the Minister has added clarity to the debate in as much as she has set the record straight.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister has informed us that Cabinet colleagues were not consulted in the manner in which the Taoiseach led us to believe they were. The Minister has also indicated that her colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, was perhaps aware of the details of this matter but that she was not.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I hope the Ceann Comhairle will bear with me, particularly as I did not avail of the opportunity to make a statement earlier.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: The reason this matter is so important is that Deputy Róisín Shortall - I presume the Minister for Social Protection will concede the latter knows about Cabinet and high government - has informed us that, to use common parlance, there was "funny business" going on with the list. The Taoiseach absolutely refuted her claim and stated the criteria used had been clear and that Cabinet...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister for Social Protection has now completely unpicked that version of events. To her credit, she is being honest in that regard. This proves that the stroke or parish pump politics we thought had been consigned to history with the previous Administration are alive and well on the watch of Fine Gael and the Labour Party. What is tragic about this is that it says to people that not...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: The Minister for Social Protection has indicated that she has full confidence in the Minister for Health. Deputy Róisín Shortall indicated the same thing last week when she voted confidence in him. However, it appears that the criteria were not clear, that the Labour Party Ministers were not consulted and that the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly, went on a solo run....

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----irrespective of their party's stated position of transparency and standards in government, which is absolutely shocking.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I fully understand the position.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I did not say the Cabinet was involved, the Taoiseach said it.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: This has been an interesting session so far.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: When all of the controversies emerged around the Minister, Deputy Reilly, it was sort of episodic. There was the issue to do with his personal finances, the issue to do with his interest in private medicine, particularly in a private nursing home, the debacle around the €130 million of cuts and so on and it became apparent to me at least that Cabinet would circle the wagons, the...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: From what the Minister is saying, she is with them on that. She is standing by her man, Deputy James Reilly, despite the fact that anybody with an ounce of wit could see that the man is not a suitable occupant of that Ministry. That is my first point. The second point is that the Minister gave an ode to Róisín. She said she is talented, compassionate and ambitious. I have no...

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: She has further told us that there was not transparency in the decisions around the primary health care centres. We are not speculating; the woman has told us that.

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I put the question to the Minister, and it has been raised with her already. Was she part of the consultation with her man, the Minister, Deputy James Reilly, in respect of diddling the lists-----

Leaders' Questions (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: -----of primary health care centres? Was she part of that discussion? Did she sign up to the additional criteria? Is she satisfied, unlike her colleague, Deputy Shortall, that there was no stroke politics involved and that the criteria were set out and agreed upon? Did she sign off on the addition of these extra primary health care centres?

Resignation of Minister of State: Statement (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: Was that Deputy Michael McGrath's response to the statement?

Resignation of Minister of State: Statement (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I am sorry, a Cheann Comhairle, I was not aware that I would have the opportunity.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Funding (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the €35 million allocated in 2012 for the development of community mental health services; the number of posts filled; the number of posts remaining to be filled; if this sum is still ring-fenced for this purpose; if he will give a guarantee that it will not be used for other purposes; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Expenditure (27 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: To ask the Minister for Health the date on which he approved the €130 million further cuts to the 2012 health budget, including the proposed cuts to personal assistance services for the disabled, the home care cuts and the home help cuts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40988/12]

Magdalene Laundries: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (26 Sep 2012)

Mary Lou McDonald: I can only imagine the fear, the isolation, the helplessness and, perhaps for many, the final submission felt by those women and girls incarcerated in the Magdalene laundries. While I can only imagine the nightmare, I know there are many who live with the reality. I am also conscious as we debate this motion that there are women and their families watching this debate for whom the Magdalene...