Results 1,041-1,060 of 2,967 for speaker:Séamus Healy

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (5 Feb 2015)

Séamus Healy: There is a frightening scale of child poverty in this country, and professionals dealing with vulnerable families have known that for a number of years. We had further official confirmation of that recently with the Central Statistics Office SILC figures and the UNICEF report of last year. Surely that is a wake-up call for the Minister and her Department to address this issue. I ask that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (5 Feb 2015)

Séamus Healy: There are 135,000 children living in material poverty in this country, and approximately 400,000 households are suffering deprivation. That is 30% of the population according to the Central Statistics Office. Child poverty has doubled in the period of the recession, from approximately 6% initially to nearly 12% today. The UNICEF report shows that children here have fallen further and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (5 Feb 2015)

Séamus Healy: The Minister is being deliberately misleading with regard to Chile and Poland. No one has suggested that Ireland should have levels of child benefit comparable to those countries. 10 o’clock The Central Statistics Office and UNICEF have stated there are frightening levels of child poverty in this country, that they have increased substantially in recent years, that if they are not...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Feb 2015)

Séamus Healy: 12. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will restore the fee electricity and gas units, the fuel allowance and the length of the heating period to the level obtaining in 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4985/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: One-Parent Family Payments (5 Feb 2015)

Séamus Healy: 27. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will restore the income disregard for lone parents at work from €75 per week in 2015 to €146.50 per week, the level pertaining before budget 2012; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4987/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Payments (5 Feb 2015)

Séamus Healy: 39. To ask the Minister for Social Protection in view of the fact the current rent supplement scheme is not fit for purpose and is creating hardship and homelessness for housing applicants, her plans to introduce a revised scheme including increased rent caps and increased rent supplement payments; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4988/15]

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance Scheme Payments (5 Feb 2015)

Séamus Healy: 49. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will restore the back to school allowance to 2009 levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4986/15]

European Debt: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (4 Feb 2015)

Séamus Healy: Debt is a millstone around the necks of the Irish people and of all low and middle-income families across Europe. I support the call for a new European debt conference. There is precedent for that. In 1952-53, Germany had 50% of its debt written off with a moratorium on repayment and a lengthy repayment period of 50 years or more. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan has told us that...

Housing Affordability: Motion [Private Members] (27 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: There is a very significant housing crisis in this country and the figures are truly horrendous. A total of 90,000 families languish on local authority housing waiting lists throughout the country. A total of 73,000 families are on rent supplement, in many cases, condemned to live in poor, substandard, damp and insecure accommodation. For example, in Tipperary, 3,100 people are on the...

European Council: Statements (27 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: The election at the weekend of the anti-austerity Syriza party in Greece is a significant development not only for Greece and the Greek people, but also for all of Europe, and particularly for the programme countries including Ireland, Spain and Portugal. I heartily welcome the victory. The Greek people have supported all those in Europe suffering from unjust austerity imposed by the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Medical Indemnity Insurance Costs: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their presentations. What we have heard today is the other side of the coin. It gives us a much more balanced view of the whole issue following on from last week. Particularly welcome is the indication from all parties that they would be in favour of a statutory duty of candour. This is vitally important and is probably the cornerstone of...

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: IDA Site Visits (27 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: 243. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation the number of Industrial Development Agency sponsored visits to County Tipperary in the years 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014; and the number of planned visits for 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3866/15]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Measures (27 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: 317. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality in view of the recent traumatic events in France and the recommendation of the Constitutional Convention, the plans the Government has to hold a referendum to exclude blasphemy from the Constitution Article 40.6.1.1; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3864/15]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Home Inspections (27 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: 407. To ask the Minister for Health the way it is planned to meet the Health Information and Quality Authority requirements in respect of a nursing home (details supplied) in County Tipperary; if a fully costed and funded plan has been submitted to HIQA; if not when it will forward a plan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3873/15]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Broadband Service Provision (27 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: 577. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the plans he has for the provision of an effective broadband service for an area (details supplied) in County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3872/15]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Medical Indemnity Insurance Costs: Discussion (22 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for the presentations. It is quite clear that the system that deals with medical negligence is not fit for purpose. I welcome, in particular, the presentation from the Irish Medical Organisation because it reflects, to a large extent, something I have said for quite some time. As late as last week I mentioned the cuts of €4 billion to the...

Junior Cycle Reform: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (21 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: I am keen to record my support for the teachers' strike action tomorrow. Furthermore, I record my support for this Private Members' motion. In supporting the motion, I use the term "junior cycle change" rather than "junior cycle reform", because reform infers upgrading and improvement. However, I believe the proposed changes, far from improving second level education will be detrimental to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Coping with Challenges of Huntington's Disease: Discussion (15 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for their presentations and the documentation they submitted to us prior to this meeting. I am sorry that I could not be present for Dr. Pender's presentation this morning. Huntington's disease is obviously an incredibly difficult illness. Ms Towey made reference to a prevalence study, and I would like to know the current status of that study. Has it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Accident and Emergency Departments: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (15 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the Minister, Mr. O'Brien and his officials to the meeting. The first thing we need to establish and accept is that accident and emergency overcrowding is unacceptable in any circumstance. That is only the beginning. Having accepted that, we must take action to solve the problem permanently. What we have been doing for years, what we have done in the past week and what we are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Accident and Emergency Departments: Department of Health and Health Service Executive (15 Jan 2015)

Séamus Healy: The situation currently, as Mr. O'Brien said, is 11 weeks but I am told it is higher than that. Let us take it that it is 11 weeks but last year it was six weeks.