Results 8,021-8,040 of 16,746 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: That is an enormously frustrating response as it is the same response we have been getting for two years now. One, therefore, gets the impression from the response that the forum established by the former Minister, Deputy Howlin, has not achieved anything. Deputies have mentioned supervisors who have since retired. The first person to raise this issue with me has passed away - I am sure...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Administration (25 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Acting Chairman and the Office of the Ceann Comhairle for giving us permission to raise this matter. It is a cross-party group and one which might not come together on many other subjects. It is appropriate that the Minister for Education and Skills is taking the matter because he will have good knowledge of it also. It is about valuing the work of community employment schemes,...

Finance Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: I would like to share time with Deputy MacSharry.

Finance Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: As I have already spoken extensively on the budget, I propose to focus on some of the issues that arise in the context of the Finance Bill 2017. I will begin by speaking about the process itself. Many of the contents of this Bill, which was published last Thursday, were signalled in advance. The Bill is being discussed generally on Second Stage before it is the subject of a line-by-line...

Finance Bill 2017: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: Last Friday, I spent an hour with approximately 30 sixth class pupils in my local school who had spent the week doing a project on sustainable development and climate change. As I listened to Deputies in this Chamber this morning, I wished they were put through the wringer in the same way that I was interrogated last Friday about what we are not doing on climate change. Christine Lagarde of...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teachers' Remuneration (25 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: 79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to deal with pay equalisation in view of the rejection of the Public Service Stability Agreement 2018-2020 by certain individual trade unions; his views on whether this issue will escalate; his further plans to consult with the unions that rejected the agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40550/17]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Departmental Bodies Data (24 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: 118. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the number of staff allocated to the Irish Government Economic and Evaluation Service in each of the years 2011 to 2016 and to date in 2017; the budget in each of the years 2011 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45012/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Occupational Therapy Expenditure (24 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: 214. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to allocate additional resources to the early intervention occupational therapy services in the HSE west area; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the current waiting list for early intervention services currently runs to 21 months; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44594/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Assisted Human Reproduction (24 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: 275. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to assist families with IVF; if those plans will be brought forward to 2018; if not, the plans in place for those that will need IVF assistance in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44992/17]

Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: I acknowledge the ongoing work of the ESB, Irish Water and local authorities to remedy the damage caused by Storm Ophelia. Will the Minister give an update on power and water supplies around the country? It seems we are preparing for another significant weather event this weekend that will involve much more rain than we had last Monday. There are many communities across the island...

Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: The Minister will know that, as we speak, the finance committee is hearing from the Central Bank on the issues relating to tracker mortgages. Everybody will agree that the way the banks have treated those on tracker mortgages is abominable, to say the least. Despite the Taoiseach's sudden interest in this issue, it did not just happen today or yesterday but has happened for many, many...

Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: The Minister said the Government would have no truck with this behaviour but we have known about it since 2015 and banks have dragged their feet and have dragged people's lives through the muck since that time. The Minister has been in Cabinet since 2011 so if the legislation was defective and weak he has had six and a half years to fix it, but he has not. There seems to be no plan to do...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (18 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: That response was given to me three or four weeks ago. I am asking the Minister of State about the current situation, in the context of what is ahead over the next few weeks, months and indeed days and the weather advisories being given overnight. I welcome the individual property protection pilot project in Crossmolina which involves the installation of flood gates in homes in the town....

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (18 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: It is not blocking work. I often hear that IFI is in some way blocking cleaning. What I would say is that Inland Fisheries Ireland writes every year to every local authority reminding them of their responsibilities in relation to works on rivers. In general, that work should be carried out in the period 1 July to 30 September. Clearly, we are past that date now. It is important that...

Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (18 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for giving us the go-ahead to raise this matter this evening. I want to join everyone in recent days who has paid tribute to Met Éireann and the National Emergency Co-ordination Centre as well as our local and national media and everyone who was involved in preparing us for the response to Storm Ophelia on Monday. I extend my sympathies to the...

Financial Resolutions 2018 - Financial Resolution No. 4: General (Resumed) (11 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: Look at what that brought us.

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Disabled Drivers and Passengers Scheme (11 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: 87. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will review the medical criteria of the Disabled Drivers and Disabled Passengers (Tax Concessions) Regulations 1994 in view of their restrictive nature which in turn excludes persons that suffer from serious and debilitating conditions other than the qualifying conditions disability; if he received representations from other Ministers on the issue;...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Funding (11 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: 179. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to the fact that insurance premiums for community schemes have increased dramatically from 2016 to 2017; if she will increase the materials grant for community employment schemes as a result of these increases; her views on whether such increases in premiums leave many schemes in danger of...

Financial Resolution No. 3: Intangible Assets (10 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: Again, I will put the same question I put about stamp duty. There is €150 million allocated against this measure for next year. Is there absolute certainty with the forecasting model used by the Department that this amount will be raised? The Coffey report was a welcome addition to our debate on corporation taxation. It is again important that on budget day we reiterate our...

Financial Resolution No. 2: Stamp Duties (10 Oct 2017)

Dara Calleary: There is an irony that the Minister is the person introducing this legislation. He was a lone voice in the wilderness of the noughties warning against dependence on stamp duty for Government revenues. I will repeat the query of my colleague earlier. Is there absolute certainty in the Department that founding the entire budget on this measure, which it is anticipated will yield €376...