Results 24,101-24,120 of 29,533 for speaker:Brendan Howlin

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Let us take the first question and see how far we get.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Seanad Reform (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: My first question is in regard to intent. I know the programme for Government and I have the reply to a question by me on 4 October, which I expect is exactly what the Taoiseach has just told the House now, namely, that the programme for Government is committed to implement the Manning report. I am looking at the executive summary and recommendations of the Manning report. Does the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Seanad Reform (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Why has the Taoiseach committed to it?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: 4. To ask the Taoiseach to set out the number of political staff and advisors he has employed; and the role of each. [41631/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: I have actually lost count of the number. Does the Taoiseach now have eight special advisers? Is that right?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: How many actually work to the Taoiseach? I want to get this correct in my head. He has the chief of staff, Brian Murphy, Nick Miller, Angela Flanagan, Professor Patrick Geoghegan, John Carroll, Philip O'Callaghan, the former Senator, Jim D’Arcy, who is an advisor on the Border and Brexit, and Sarah Meade. Is that right? Are they all the Taoiseach's staff?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: That is eight. Is that correct? Is Feargal Purcell still in place? That is another one. On top of that, we have the strategic communications unit. How many staff are in that unit?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Is that six more?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: Normally, the Taoiseach would answer questions in the House on the staff. We have done it always over the years. There is a formidable volume of additional special advisers and staff over and above that employed by the Taoiseach's predecessor. Do we have a running cost? I would exclude civilian drivers obviously. How much are the political staff going to cost?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Staff (17 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: It was six by our count.

Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: The Leas-Cheann Comhairle knows I am always disciplined on time.

Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: The tracker mortgage scandal has now affected 13,000 customers, with that number expected to rise. A total of 102 houses and apartments were repossessed as a fallout from the scandal. A total of 23 of these were family homes and a further 79 were buy to let properties. Put simply, 23 families were put out of their homes as a result of what can only reasonably be described as malpractice on...

Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: More than two years have now passed since the courts found that PTSB had mismanaged a mortgage. More than two years have passed since the Central Bank began its enforcement investigation, yet only a quarter of those affected have received any redress. I do not think that is acceptable and I do not think the House believes it is acceptable. I do not understand why the two banks concerned...

Questions on Promised Legislation (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: More than a year has passed since the Dáil accepted on Second Stage my Bill to outlaw rogue crisis pregnancy agencies. In March 2017 officials of the Department of Health met representatives of the Labour Party and gave a firm commitment to consider an alternative approach, namely, the regulation of all counsellors giving advice on pregnancies. The regulations were to be placed before...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Communications (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: 1. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his Department's plans to conduct market research. [41633/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Communications (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: 4. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the advertising undertaken by his Department. [43749/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Communications (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: The Taoiseach has acknowledged that a tender worth €130,000, excluding VAT, was issued to conduct polling on attitudes towards Government, along with a six month rolling tracker poll. Who commissioned that research and who designed it for Government? In terms of Question No. 4, last week there was a series of sponsored advertisements on Facebook promoting the budget, with prime...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Communications (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: The strategic communications unit is doing it?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Communications (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: That has nothing to do with the strategic communications unit.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Communications (18 Oct 2017)

Brendan Howlin: I thank the Taoiseach for his detailed reply. I am concerned, however, about the new move into paid political advertising. The Taoiseach will know that political promotional ads cannot be paid for from the public purse. The issue of the allocation of moneys to parties in opposition arises because we cannot spend money in promoting our parties or party policies in an overt way. We have to...