Results 30,321-30,340 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: -----and their parents who would benefit from a GP medical card the opportunity to improve their health not just from nought to six years, but because those years are so vital for the rest of their childhood and their adult life.

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Anybody who has read or heard about this issue through the media, or who has had an opportunity to meet people with a deep interest in this case, as I have, including members of his immediate family, whom I met briefly, would want to see Ibrahim Halawa at home in the bosom of his family in Ireland. We know that he went to Egypt to see his extended...

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: I thank Deputy McDonald for her concern about Mr. Halawa. If she wants him to be released, it does not help his case for her to disregard the work that has been done by Irish officials on a continuous basis. It is very easy for the Deputy to come into the House and scoff on almost any issue. She scoffs at the work of the officials in question and the idea that they have visited Mr. Halawa...

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: It does not become her to do that.

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: I do not know if she is familiar with how the legal and political systems work in Egypt but our officials have worked extremely hard. Last week, the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Taoiseach met at length members of the Halawa family and went through the case with them in great detail.

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: From her comments, it is clear that members of the family also met Deputy McDonald either before or after that meeting. Everybody in Ireland is deeply concerned about the position in which this young man finds himself and wants to see him home in Dublin.

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: We have a foreign affairs service so as to have a resolution to these types of extremely distressing case. As I stated, I commend Amnesty International and want the Government to continue its detailed work to have this young man released. The Deputy wants me to enter into negotiations on the floor of the Dáil. I want to focus on what will see this young man released but she has other...

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: As I mentioned previously in the House, I met at length last week with a number of the organisations that are working very hard to address issues relating to homelessness. I use this opportunity to stress again that if there is anyone out there, particularly families with children but also anyone else, who has a difficulty around rents or tenancies and fears that he or she is at risk of...

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: We are now moving to put extensive capital sums into local authorities. In Dublin alone, we are making very good progress on reopening boarded-up void properties.

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: I am sure the Deputy is familiar with the fact that Dublin City Council is now producing far more opened accommodation which has been renewed and refurbished for families. The priority at the moment is for families with issues around homelessness to be dealt with as quickly as possible by the local authority. However, it is going to take us some time to come to terms with all of the...

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: I had an opportunity recently to meet with the various organisations. Unfortunately, because of the general disturbance in front of Deputy O'Sullivan and some of it behind me, I was unable to hear everything she said on the statistics. I understand, however, that some of the statistics were ones I discussed with the Focus Ireland delegation, including its new CEO, who came to see me. I...

Leaders' Questions (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: Very significant numbers of people will benefit by between €50 and €150 a week in additional earnings. That might not sound like a lot of money to people in here on a TD's salary, but for a family it is a very significant amount. As with the housing protocol, this policy has been ongoing in the Department for the past three years and already in the past two years 19,000...

Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: It is proposed to take No. 5, Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015 - Second Stage (resumed), to adjourn at 7.30 p.m. tonight if not previously concluded; No. 6, Communications Regulation (Postal Services) (Amendment) Bill 2015 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage, to adjourn at 7.30 p.m. tonight if not previously concluded; and No. 7, Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015 -...

Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: The criminal legislation has been before the Cabinet recently and is under discussion. I would expect to see it advanced quite quickly after that. I did not quite understand the Deputy's point about the cap on admissions in schools. To be clear for the record of the House, the former Minister, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, indicated that his preference was for a cap of 25%. Following the...

Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: Consultations and discussions are ongoing. It is hoped that a conclusion can be reached which will address the various concerns.

Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: We want to see a good, robust open-access system to all educational facilities.

Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: On the last point, as Deputy McDonald knows, the civil debt (procedures) Bill will, provided the House gives its agreement, implement in law the recommendations and report of the Law Reform Commission. That has been made clear to the Deputy on quite a significant number of occasions. On the Fennelly report-----

Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: It feels on some days like Deputy McDonald may have gotten out the wrong side of the bed. I know sometimes she is a bit tough but usually she is a little bit more pleasant. On the Fennelly commission, no report has been published. I will receive it when it is published. I have seen media reports that an interim contact or report has been given to some parties, but I do not have any...

Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: Earlier this year, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform gave the go-ahead to county councils around the country to take on 300 additional staff-----

Order of Business (11 Jun 2015)

Joan Burton: Deputy Grealish should just hold on. It is up to Galway County Council-----