Results 29,141-29,160 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for raising the question. When he was on this side of the House, he often praised the Government for the priority it had given to children-----
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: -----in the context of the very difficult situation that was inherited. I can remember him on many occasions commenting on how Fianna Fáil, his current party, had cruelly reduced the supports to families in relation to areas like child benefit.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: Deputy Keaveney was very eloquent on that.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: Just to remind Deputy Keaveney in relation to his comment on child benefit-----
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: -----I was very happy to increase child benefit by €5 per month in this year's budget.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: It was not as much as we would like-----
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: -----but we have promised to do the same again next year. That was just in the context of Deputy Keaveney's opening comments. Of course all mental health services are incredibly important, both to adults and specifically to children. I think it has been recognised and agreed by all parties in the House that the practice of children ending up in services intended for adults is not appropriate.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: The development of child and adolescent mental health services is a priority, and has been, for my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and the Minister for Health, Deputy Varadkar. Just to put it in context again, notwithstanding the severe financial difficulties that the country found itself in at the time of the last election and from 2008, an additional €125...
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: I am not quite sure why the Deputy speaks about a botched referendum on children's rights.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: I think I hear undertones of another conversation Fianna Fáil and others are having, but that is a different issue. The children's rights referendum was passed in an open vote by the citizens of the country. The party opposite may have a different view of it, but its members should respect the will of citizens.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: Then they should not describe it in that way.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: As we are four years in government, the Deputy was out by 20% on that point. As I recognise that he is the father of three children and interested in this issue, I will take his questions seriously. We have invested across the board in children and meeting their needs. The committee and groups which have come together on child and adolescent mental welfare issues have acknowledged the...
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: The Deputy needs to read the report.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: The report recognises the progress made by the Government. I have read the report, whereas the Deputy has possibly only read the cover.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: We will continue, as resources permit, to expand our investment in children and adolescents with mental health difficulties and to make primary care centres which are being rolled out around the country the primary location for dealing with children with mental health problems. The centres will be as close to home as possible and require no more inpatient treatment than is absolutely...
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: The Deputy's party leader, Deputy Gerry Adams, could be described as Uncle Junior in the "The Sopranos". More than 1 million people have signed up with Irish Water. What is Deputy Mary Lou McDonald saying to them, people who want to see a proper water system in Ireland and an end to the scandal of more than 40 rivers and lakes being polluted by raw sewage?
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: My priority is the people who want to see safe and healthy water. The people who marched on Saturday have a democratic right to do so, but according to Garda reports, there were between 25,000 and 30,000 in attendance.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: It is a sizeable number of people, but does Sinn Féin want to deny the will of the 1 million people who want to see a proper water system in this country?
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: Sinn Féin has tricked and tracked on this issue. At one point it was strongly and prominently in favour of a well managed water utility which would supply safe drinking water. As it is on the record of this House, Deputies opposite need not shake their heads. They have been doing a U-turn on this issue so much that at times they must be dizzy. They were going to pay the charge at one...
- Leaders' Questions (26 Mar 2015)
Joan Burton: The Deputy's interest is only in the next general election, but my interest is in the next generation. I want our children and grandchildren to have a clean supply of water for their health, the development of the economy and tourism and agriculture. Only a party in denial such as Sinn Féin, for which the future of the country matters less than its electoral future, would suggest there...