Results 6,101-6,120 of 12,701 for speaker:Willie O'Dea

Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: I recognise that but the Government made promises and was elected on the basis of those promises. The centrepiece or jewel in the crown of the Government's proposed constitutional reforms was the abolition of the Seanad. The programme for Government states that the Government will "prioritise" this measure but the Government's understanding of "prioritise" is a bit funny, given that two...

Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: Another difficulty arises as we go further into the life of this Government. I canvassed for the recent children's referendum and was one of very few Deputies who did so. I went out and knocked on doors because I strongly believed in it. Towards the end of the campaign, however, I was seriously worried that the referendum would not be passed because so many people told me they would be...

Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: I am not referring to the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government but to the Minister for Justice and Equality. Where are we with these powerful committees that were supposed to solve the problem of the imbalance in power between the Executive and the Oireachtas? We now have fewer committees than before and they are more starved of cash than ever. In reality, nothing...

Electoral (Amendment) (Dáil Constituencies) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: Fianna Fáil supports the Bill. The boundary commission has been a feature of the system since before I was elected a Member of this House, which was not today or yesterday. It is fair to say no Government of any persuasion has ever sought to interfere with the recommendations of a boundary commission, which is good. With all due respect to all sides of the House, if politicians were...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Employment Support Services (27 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to extend access to the jobbridge scheme to the self employed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52490/12]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Departmental Staff Remuneration (27 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that two members of staff who are redeployed from FAS to her Department and are carrying out all of the higher grade duties whilst on secondment to LES Limerick on a continuous basis for 16 years, have not received the acting up allowance currently €16,135 since January 2012; that they have been...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (27 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide funding for the Options Programme in County Limerick which allows persons with special needs, the average age of which currently is 24 years, to remain within the training environment, giving a sense of worth of worth and value; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52830/12]

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: There are no new imaginative provisions on anti-social behaviour and there is nothing about compliance. We are now being told that the much vaunted changeover, which was sold as a fundamental policy plank and which attracted a lot of votes, will not take place as promised on 1 January. It is a pity.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: I have documentation from the Department of Social Protection, which I am sorry I did not bring with me.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: When one is dealing with the Labour Party one must bring the written evidence. The Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Burton, tried to tell me last week that expenditure on child benefit had actually risen and that she had failed to support private landlords. One must have written evidence when one is dealing with them now. I have documentation, which I will publish after this debate,...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: I am not opposing it because there is little or nothing to oppose.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: -----particularly when there is the simple scheme to which I referred. Although I could be wrong, I would guess that the deposit retention scheme that we will see here will be similar to that which applies in the United Kingdom. I stand open to correction on that. There is also the question of compliance. I have been involved in and advised on cases with the Private Residential Tenancies...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: I acknowledged that. The Government is two years in office and all we have is this Bill which, frankly, is a combination of the mundane and the minuscule.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: There is nothing here, bar changing the name of the board, reducing the numbers for quorums, etc.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: It is doing nothing for the people of Castletroy, Caherdavin and Farranshone, all those areas within the Minister of State's city where residents are being plagued by the activities of these tenants, a large part of whose rent is being paid by the victims.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: The Government is in office two years and the problem has continued.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: It is a long time since 2004 and the problem has continued unabated.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: The point is that there is a sort of vague notion that it all will be handed over to the local authorities next year. I have documentation from the Minister of State's colleague, the Minister for Social Protection, Deputy Joan Burton, which states that this changeover will take place on 1 January. Is that the date?

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: This is like Animal Farm where "four legs good, two legs bad" became "four legs good, two legs better". In adding one word, the Minister of State changes the meaning of the slogan.

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill: Second Stage (Resumed) (22 Nov 2012)

Willie O'Dea: The promise to everybody was that this would all change from 1 January. We are now told it will not all change on 1 January.