Results 341-360 of 2,211 for speaker:Paul Connaughton

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: A number of weeks ago, we raised an issue with the Office of Government Procurement regarding a meeting we had with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. I know we asked it for an update as to what had happened since that meeting. Have we received any correspondence back? Some of those concerned who I met received no feedback whatsoever from the Department of Public Expenditure...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: It met the Small Firms Association. It is saying there was confusion.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: No.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (25 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: As of last Thursday, it had not happened anyway.

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Eligibility (25 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: 70. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will consider reassessing the access that unemployed persons whose spouses are working have to training courses or upskilling options; if she will consider changing the current regime in order that persons precluded from receiving social welfare payments because their spouses are working could access back-to-work aids such as access to...

Credit Unions: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (24 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on the motion. From listening to some of the Technical Group contributions, one would almost get the impression we announced the closure of 400 credit unions today, which is simply not the case. The motion in front of us is about the last four years and the role of credit unions into the future. There is no doubt this Government put an emphasis on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Design and Layout of Ballot Papers: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: One of the issues that arose in the marriage equality referendum about which I received complaints related to the many young people who got involved who were voting for the first time. Some of them found out too late in the day that they were not even on the register. Did the Department receive many complaints in this regard? These were people in their 20s and early 30s who had a vote at...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Design and Layout of Ballot Papers: Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (24 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: There were just one or two cases where the person may have moved away for college but was still coming home at weekends. Those people swore black that they never received a letter from the local authority saying it would remove them from the register unless it was told otherwise. That leads to an awful lot of frustration when one is coming up to polling day.

Topical Issue Debate: Nursing Staff Recruitment (24 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: I thank the Minister for his response. The issue raised with me by nursing home owners is that is taking a long time to inform nurses of problems with their registration applications. Applications are being placed at the bottom of the pile when problems are identified. A similar approach was taken some years ago in respect of student grant applications to Student Universal Support Ireland,...

Topical Issue Debate: Nursing Staff Recruitment (24 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: This Government is fully committed to job creation and ironing out the red tape that prevents employers from taking on staff, yet at the moment there are 300 vacancies in the private sector nursing homes across Ireland largely due to the delays experienced in registering nurses with the Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland. This issue has been raised with me on a number of occasions,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Sector: European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (23 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: I welcome Commissioner Hogan to the meeting. Most of the issues have been discussed but I will try to raise one or two thorny issues. I know the Commissioner will say the issue of the hen harrier is not one that concerns him but the problem is that people here say it is not their issue and I get the impression that it is the same story in Brussels, that it is not their issue. The problem...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Sector: European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (23 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Was this issue raised by other countries? The proposal was blocked by two countries a number of years ago.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Sector: European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (23 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Okay. Thank you.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (23 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: 589. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the options available to persons (details supplied) currently residing in Oxford in England, but who, due to age and ill health, wish to return to Loughrea in County Galway where they were born; the agencies that are in a position to offer advice, guidance and assistance regarding their housing needs; and if he will make...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (18 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: The HEA is due to appear before the committee on 9 July. I want to ensure that the HEA will receive the correspondence and that people will be able to attend the meeting who have a knowledge of that case in order to explain it. There remain many questions as to how the cost was arrived at, why there was no strict terms of reference and the issues arising from that letter. Will someone from...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (18 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: I welcome Mr. O'Driscoll and his officials. Last week we had the issue of the suspected BSE case. What is the update on that situation?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (18 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Is it a confirmed case of BSE?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (18 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: It was reported that this animal had three offspring. Has the Department been able to track those three animals?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 30 - Agriculture, Food and the Marine (18 Jun 2015)

Paul Connaughton: Have they all been tested at this stage?