Results 1-20 of 27 for feel "party:" . (isset($parties[ucfirst("$a[1]")]) ? $parties[ucfirst("$a[1]")] : "$a[1]") speaker:Robert Dowds

Public Accounts Committee: HSE Report on Foster Home in Waterford Community Care Area: Discussion (2 Feb 2016)

Robert Dowds: ...is as despicable now as it was six years ago. The HSE's actions over the last week are the latest in a series of attempts to silence us. We are no longer willing to accept this treatment as we feel we need to send a signal to the HSE and to other people who might wish to speak up for vulnerable people being failed by our health services who cannot speak for themselves. I will tie in with...

Public Accounts Committee: 2014 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 11 - Office of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances
Vote 18 - Shared Services
Vote 41 - Office of Government Procurement
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting and Budget Management
Chapter 5 - Management of Government Grants
Chapter 6 - Payroll Accrual for National Accounts
Chapter 7 - National Lottery Fund (19 Nov 2015)

Robert Dowds: ...all be satisfied if the changes in procurement policy are improving efficiency. On the other side of it, as individual Deputies, we get complaints, particularly from small companies that are feeling as though they are being pushed to the wall because of Government procurement policy and the difficulty that small companies have in competing with much bigger enterprises.

Public Accounts Committee: National Asset Management Agency: Financial Statements 2014 (Resumed) (1 Oct 2015)

Robert Dowds: In a sense, Mr. Daly is leading into my next question which he may not feel able to answer. Does he have any sense of where these allegations may be coming from and whether they have an obvious malign intent? I appreciate if he does not wish to say anything about that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (24 Sep 2015)

Robert Dowds: ...Expenditure and Reform but from listening to him talk on many occasions about divvying up money between Departments, my impression is that the health sector is the one where it is most difficult to feel that extra money will go to some useful purpose. It is an area we should focus on. It may seem odd for a Labour Party Deputy to say this but I think if people are not doing their job they...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (2 Jul 2015)

Robert Dowds: Mr. McCarthy may not feel it appropriate to comment on one of my other concerns, namely, whether the company was paying the right share of tax in this country given that its parent company was based in the British Virgin Islands.

Employment Equality (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage [Private Members] (16 Jun 2015)

Robert Dowds: ...what I was arguing, none of them would speak. It was possible for me to speak because I happened to be part of a minority. I knew I would not be looking for a job in a Catholic school so I did not feel any nervousness in arguing that viewpoint. I believe we are in a changed place. I cannot envisage that being the case now. I know the Minister of State present will recognise this. We...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Communications, Energy and Natural Resources
Chapter 8 - Operation of the Emergency Call Answering Service (7 May 2015)

Robert Dowds: ...? If I could move to one or two other areas, I will then leave it to Deputy Perry, who is going to cover some other points. On the area of energy research, to what extent does the Department feel this should be prioritised? Can Mr. Griffin outline the long-term approach to this area of growing importance, particularly in terms of non-polluting and renewable energy?

Public Accounts Committee: Revenue Commissioners Investigation of HSBC Offshore Accounts (12 Mar 2015)

Robert Dowds: ...Mr. Gallagher and Mr. Cody for coming before us. I congratulate Mr. Cody on his appointment. I found his testimony extremely interesting and I thank him for it. I appreciate that Mr. Cody may feel he is unable to answer some of the questions I wish to ask and I will understand if that is the case. If a person is a tax defaulter or if he or she has evaded tax, does Revenue continually...

Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: Motion (Resumed) (28 Jan 2015)

Robert Dowds: After listening to Deputy Anne Ferris, I feel inadequate in terms of addressing this issue but there are certain things that I want to say. It is very important that this investigation takes place and I welcome the fact that this commission will be established. It will look at the underbelly of a very repressive society which existed in this country and which was not in keeping with the...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements of the Higher Education Authority 2013
General Report No. 85 of the Comptroller and Auditor General: Accountability and Governance on the National College of Art and Design (22 Jan 2015)

Robert Dowds: I do not feel there is a sufficient strength in what Mr. Ó Foghlú is saying to ensure things will be done properly. If they are not, there will be-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of Planning and Development (No. 1) Bill 2014: Discussion (Resumed) (20 Jan 2015)

Robert Dowds: ...and cities have many vacant sites that are an eyesore. It does not really matter whether the locations are big, such as Dublin, or small towns around the country. Could Ms Hughes, or anyone who feels able to comment on this, go back over how she envisages the provisions in this area could be strengthened? I did not get the impression that she is against doing something about vacant...

Allegations Regarding Sexual Abuse by Members of the Provisional Republican Movement: Statements (12 Nov 2014)

Robert Dowds: ...these situations. I find it very scary that a political party, with this question over it, stands together like glue, with all its members speaking with the same voice. It just does not ring true. People must have feelings about what is right and what is wrong in this situation. All the constitutional parties in this State and others in Britain did a huge amount of work to help bring...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Financial Statements 2012: Irish Sports Council (2 Oct 2014)

Robert Dowds: If an organisation at local level feels the need for support, will it be able to get it from the national level, in terms of developing the administrative side? I accept what Mr. Treacy said in terms of coaching, the care of boxers and so on. As someone who is not from that background, I was struck by how well the participants are looked after.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive
Section 38 - Agencies Remuneration (3 Jul 2014)

Robert Dowds: Does Mr. Timmins feel the rest must be let sit as it is until the contracts work out?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Vote 38 - Health
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive
Chapter 21 - Budget Management in Health Service Executive
Chapter 22 - Eligibility for Medical Cards (12 Jun 2014)

Robert Dowds: ...by the staff in those institutions who are subject to the full rigours of Haddington Road and so on. It must be having a detrimental impact on the workings of those institutions because of bad feeling so on.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children Reports: Office of Ombudsman for Children (10 Jun 2014)

Robert Dowds: ...from dealing with some of the asylum seekers is that they are loth to make complaints. Some of them come from very authoritarian dictatorships and they assume they will not be listened to. They feel it is very important, given that they are seeking asylum here, that they do not tread on anyone's toes. They are therefore slow to make complaints about anything. My impression from...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 39 - Health Service Executive
Annual Report and Financial Statements 2012
Section 38 - Agencies Remuneration (16 Jan 2014)

Robert Dowds: Professor Whelan suggested in his opening remarks that he feels there is a need for change in certain areas. Has the board considered that in this day and age, it would be appropriate to have a board that is elected by all the different interests in the hospital? I would like to recognise at this point, as Deputy Harris did at the beginning, the extremely important and valuable work that is...

Local Government Bill 2013: Second Stage (Resumed) (14 Nov 2013)

Robert Dowds: I appreciate the Minister's presence in the Chamber. Local government reform is something I feel very strongly about, having served on a council for almost 12 years. It was always a matter of great frustration that so much power was in the hands of unelected people. There are some positives in this Bill. There are some things that could be improved on but it is really important that we...

Cannabis Regulation: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (6 Nov 2013)

Robert Dowds: ...a year on how best to tackle illegal drugs and drug-related crime. It is the most vulnerable communities with the weakest voice in this Chamber who would benefit most from that. For that reason, I feel it is my duty to speak for them so they will stop suffering in the way they have had to suffer for so long.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Child Care Facilities and Inspections: Discussion (11 Jun 2013)

Robert Dowds: ...and the penalties for non-compliance? How easy is it to close down a facility if it is not operating properly? It may not be appropriate for the delegation to answer this question, so they should feel free not to answer if that is the case. What will happen to the child care facilities examined in the "Prime Time" programme? To return to something mentioned by Deputy Ó...