News 24th Seanad The election of Senators for the 24th Seanad took place on Friday, April 29. While the Taoiseach has yet to announce his 11 nominees, all other members have been elected. These include; 5 to the Cultural and Educational panel; 11 to the Agricultural panel; 11 to the Labour panel; 9 to the Industrial and Commercial panel; 7 to the Administrative panel; 3 to the Trinity College panel; and 3 to the National University of Ireland panel. In terms of party membership, 18 of those elected are from Fine Gael; 14 from Fianna Fáil; 9 are from the Labour party; 3 from Sinn Fein; and 5 are Independents. A list of all those elected according to their panel is included below. Trinity College Ivana Bacik Sean Barrett David Norris National University of Ireland John Crown Fergal Quinn Ronan Mullen Agricultural Paul Bradford Paddy Burke Michael Comiskey James Heffernan Trevor O’Clocartaigh Brian O’Domhnaill Denis O’Donovan Susan O’Keeffe Jim Walsh Pat O’Neill Paschal Mooney Terry Brennan David Cullinane Labour Maurice Cummins Fidelma Healy-Eames Cáit Keane Marie Moloney Terry Leyden Tony Mulcahy Darragh O’Brien Ned O’Sullivan John Whelan Industrial and Commercial Colm Burke Jimmy Harte Imelda Henry Paul Coghlan Marc MacSharry Catherine Noone Averil Power Kathryn Reilly Mary White Administrative Martin Conway Mark Daly Michael Darcy Diarmuid Wilson John Kelly Denis Landy Tom Sheahan Cultural and Educational Michael Mullins Labhras O’Mhurchu Thomas Byrne Deirdre Clune John Gilroy PAI Directory 2011 The political changes that have taken place in 2011 have created a need for an accessible reference point on government, the civil service and parliamentary representatives. The PAI Directory 2011 takes account of the dramatic changes in the governmental landscape in a single volume and easy to use format. The Directory's information has been updated since the general election 2011 and includes: senior and junior ministers’ contact details and biographies; new departmental structures; and a list of the new TDs. The Directory also features up-to-date information on: agencies and associated bodies; the Office of the Attorney General; and the European Union. The PAI Directory 2011 is to be published shortly. Copies may be purchased for €19.95 + p.p.. Advanced order your copies today! Telephone: 01 8198500 or Email: [email protected] Oireachtas Update Dáil Tuesday May 3 Dáil 2.30pm Questions (Taoiseach) 3.15pm Questions (Minister for Finance) 4.15pm Leaders Questions 4.36pm Order of Business Biological Weapons Bill 2010 Order for Report, Report and Final Stages (Department of Foreign Affairs) Statements on Suicide Prevention (Resumed) (Department of Health) 7.00pm Private Members Business 8.30pm Matters on the Adjournment Wednesday May 4 1.30pm Leaders Questions 1.51pm Order of Business 2.21pm Questions (Taoiseach) 3.06pm Questions (Minister for Education and Skills) 4.21pm Statements re EU/IMF Programme (working title) (Department of Finance) 7.00pm Private Members Business 8.30pm Matters on the Adjournment Thursday May 5 10.30am Order of Business Statements re EU/IMF Programme (working title) (Resumed to adjourn at 1.30pm if not previously concluded) (Department of Finance) Statements on Suicide Prevention (Resumed to conclude at 3.30pm) (Department of Health) 3.30pm Questions (Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation) 4.45pm Matters on the Adjournment Committees Wednesday May 4 The Select Committee on Standing Order 103 will meet at in Committee Room 1, Leinster House 2000 at 2.30pm. Agenda: Subsidiarity check on COM (2011) 121: Proposal for a Council Directive on a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base (Officials from the Department of Finance). Appointments New Secretary General for Department of Public Expenditure and Reform Robert Watt has been appointed as Secretary General in the newly created Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. Robert Watt was previously an assistant secretary in the Sectoral policy division in the Department of Finance. New President appointed to Mary Immaculate College Mary Immavulate College, Limerick has announced the appointment of Professor Michael A. Hayes as its new President. The Professor, who hails from Limerick, is set to return from England to take up the post where he has been residing since 1980. He is currently Vice–President and Professor of Catholic Pastoral Studies at St Mary’s University College Strawberry Hill in Twickenham, London. He is also a renowned academic in the field of Theology and Religious Studies and is also a qualified Psychotherapist. He is to succeed Professor Peadar Cremin, who oversaw many changes in Mary Immaculate throughout his term in office such as the physical growth and development of the University including the construction of two state-of-the-art buildings, Tailteann and Teamhair/TARA facilitated by a major capital investment programme to a total of €40 million. He extended a warm welcome to the announcement of Prof. Hayes’s success. ProfessorCremins time in office is set to come to an end August 31 2011. Departments of State Minister of Education and Skills announces publication of report by Commission on School Accommodation The Minister for Education and Skills, Ruairi Quinn TD, announced last week the publication of the report of the Commission on School Accommodation which puts forward new criteria and procedures for the establishment of new primary schools. According to the Department, a review was deemed necessary given the rapid growth in population and changing demographics in recent years. The report recognises the increasing parental demand for diversity of school provision and in particular for Irish medium and multi-denominational/non- denominational education. Health Minister announces key step in reform of the HSE A press release issued last week from the Department of Health outlined the announcement by Minister Dr James Reilly of major changes to the board of the Health Service Executive. All current board members announced their resignations and the Minister announced plans to legally abolish the board structure by the end of the year. Minister Reilly will put in place an Interim Board for the HSE which will involve senior figures from the Department of Health and from the executive of the HSE. Minister Reilly said it was his intention that the new board would allow for “greater integration and less duplication in the delivery of health care services to patients” and added that “there is a pressing need to reform services to the benefit of patients and those people in need of the services”. The plans match the proposals in the Programme for Government which includes changes to the HSE and increased responsibilities for the Minister for Health and the Department of Health. The Department’s press release added that once the legal requirement for the existence of the board is removed and the board abolished, a new corporate governance structure will be put in place which will make the health services more directly accountable to the Minister for Health who in turn is accountable to people through the Oireachtas. .