Results 11,361-11,380 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): World Economic Forum (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 to 17, inclusive, together. I travelled to Davos, Switzerland to attend the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum from 22 to 24 January. The Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, also attended the forum. The World Economic Forum annual meeting is attended by political and business leaders and heads of international organisations from across...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy would be the first on his feet saying that we cannot cut them off completely, nor is there any intention to do so. However, if we are to have a contribution from everybody, with assistance for those who are in particular need, the answer to the Deputy's question is that the penalty is reduced pressure. Any review of the average metered charge is deferred until 2016. The Deputy...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: I do not deny there is a serious problem here.

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: It is not one that grew up overnight and it has been around for quite a number of years.

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Minister of State, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan, was dealing with aspects of the issue this morning. Clearly, it is not a situation that one wants to see, where families, for whatever reason, find themselves having to sleep in cars or having to be boarded in hotels in emergency situations. Deputy Murphy is very well aware from her experience here that, in the so-called tiger years, we were...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: How do we move from a point where we acquire sites, provide funding streams for either local authorities or contractors to build houses, have an income stream coming in to pay for that and allocate people to these houses? During 2014, the Minister of State with responsibility for housing and planning, as she has already said, intends to maximise the number of housing for homeless households....

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: That emphasises a housing-led approach which is about accessing permanent housing as a primary response to all forms of homelessness. In the past two years, some 1,500 people here in Dublin have moved from the homeless sector to independent living, which is significant but obviously not enough. The homelessness oversight group was established in 2013 for the purposes of reviewing all of...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: I do not at all accept the Deputy's charge. The Government made a decision on the issue this morning. We were accused by Fianna Fáil of not having the courage to spell out what the average charge would be and the conditions that would apply to lower it for certain sectors. As I stated last week, the Deputy is party to decisions on the water charges people pay in Northern Ireland, but...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: I have made it perfectly clear on a number of occasions that this is the last major imposition that the Government will make on the people.

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: I want Deputy Gerry Adams to understand that in the discussions we have had in recent weeks this issue was taken very seriously and engaged on constructively. The Government has issued a direction to the regulator stipulating that the subvention of €537 million is conditional on the average charge being €240 per year, or €60 per quarter. Taking into account the...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy accused the Government on many occasions in the House of not having the courage to spell out the details of what was involved before the European and local elections. He has been proved wrong in this case. Meters constitute a conservation measure. The Deputy has tried to insinuate in some way that people are amadáns or stupid. I disregard this completely and it is beneath...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: It is beneath the Deputy to put words in anybody else's mouth, as he would often say. He can withdraw that remark in respect of everybody in the House. The people are well able to make up their own minds.

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: Evidence from many places around the country demonstrates the level of conservation achieved by water metering in households in private group schemes. One can measure the level of conservation. I have been very pleased with the results in saving huge volumes of water. Regarding people who decide not to pay, this is not fair to all of those people who are hard pressed and who do make a...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: I did not see the show referred to by the Deputy and do not wish to comment on an individual case. Obviously, these are exceptionally sensitive cases. It should not be assumed that the Government is out to withdraw medical cards from people as a matter of policy. The Deputy is well aware that for many years community welfare officers from various parts of the country were in a position to...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: In regard to the cases highlighted, the facilities, aids and appliances required by a sick child or adult are met by the long term illness scheme. The question that arises is how far can we stretch discretion given the equality of assessment that applies in terms of the income limits. I have been informed by the HSE that it has been flexible in dealing with individual cases. I accept that...

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: While the long term illness scheme covers all aids and facilities, there are cases that need to be dealt with on an individual basis. I have undertaken to deal with this.

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: I will not stand over a situation where children and young adults in need of State support do not get it. None of us wants to see that happen. As I understand it, the HSE in dealing with individual difficult cases has been more than flexible in terms of the income limits.

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: I am speaking about cases of which I am aware.

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: The question that arises is how far does one extend that flexibility. If one takes all of the children-----

Leaders' Questions (6 May 2014)

Enda Kenny: Taking all of the children who have problems of one sort or another, be they physical, intellectual and so on, how does one ensure equality between one person with a particular medical circumstance and another? Where in this regard is the line to be drawn? As I said earlier in my discussions with the HSE, when a system such as this is centralised and computerised the nature of it is lost...