Results 27,881-27,900 of 40,897 for speaker:Simon Coveney
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: As usual, the Deputy sees conspiracies around every corner.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: The Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme was a measure which was discussed between the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government and the Department of Finance, as any scheme would be when significant moneys are involved. In this case it was a €200 million fund and, of course, there was back and forth, questioning its merits. The truth is that at the end of that discussion,...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: They will not. The Deputy is like the Member who raised questions yesterday, expecting a silver bullet to solve the affordable housing problem. That is not going happen.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy does not like to hear what is happening because it is starting to work.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: There is a broad range of measures to reduce rental inflation and to increase the number of affordable homes which are available.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: In the past several weeks, the Minister has been speaking to the European Investment Bank, EIB, on funding new proposals and cost rental, another concept which the Government is developing.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: There is a specific category of person who cannot simply get access to the financial resources and lending to be able to buy homes at affordable prices.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: That is what this loan scheme is going to respond to. We are getting significant interest in it which is showing that it is working.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: It is good to hear the Deputy is no longer talking about social housing targets because we are actually starting to meet them now.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: This year we will deliver over 4,000 and last year it was 2,000.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: The Deputy does not like the answers to the questions.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: Will the Deputy now allow me to give the figures on affordable housing? Through the serviced sites initiative, as well as a combination of money and land, we now have a target figure of 3,000 units.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: We will be getting the figures back from local authorities.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: This is the usual problem with Deputy Ó Broin. When one provides the data and the answers he requests, he tries to talk one down. He just does not want to listen.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: The truth is Rebuilding Ireland is now starting to gain traction and is working. The Deputy, however, does not like to hear the facts.
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: Like the Deputy, I welcome the judgment of the Workplace Relations Commission and hope it sends a signal to the many people who find themselves in similar circumstances to Ms Valerie Cox. As the Deputy noted, the Government has agreed to increase the compulsory retirement age from 65 years to 70 for public servants who were recruited before 1 April 2004. It has also approved the scheme of a...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: We all know former civil servants in their late 60s who would be well capable of doing a really good job, but we are losing their expertise, knowledge and experience at a time when there is competition for skill sets in the economy and it is sometimes difficult to fill posts with persons with the skill sets we need. This is the right thing to do on many levels. It arises in a context where...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: There were a lot of questions there, so let me try to revert with answers on some of them. The Deputy has raised the cataracts issue with me in the House previously. I am sure that he has raised it with the Taoiseach as well. The National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, is about trying to get operations done for people - maybe not locally, but certainly on this island - to ensure that we...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: -----from the previous month and 4,764 from the same period last year. It is taking effect and making a difference. It is having an impact on procedures, with which we are familiar. Between July 2017 and the end of last year, there was a reduction of more than 2,000 people waiting for cataract appointments, 200 fewer people waiting for hip operations and a series of other improvements in...
- Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)
Simon Coveney: I am glad that the Deputy referred to a brand new hospital in Bandon. Indeed, other hospitals will be funded under the new capital programmes that we announced a few weeks ago, some of them in Cork. There are constant challenges to improving health care provision and infrastructure throughout the country. We have just come through-----