Results 31,441-31,460 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: We have the bankruptcy, the climate change and the legal services legislation to finish. These are important Bills and I hope that the Opposition parties, in the interests of having the legislation put through, will be able to make their valid points and where amendments are made and accepted, fair enough.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: I cannot confirm what will happen in the Dáil, but I hope we will get all those Bills through in the time that is available in this session. I look forward to the Deputy’s help in that regard.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: As the Deputy is aware, in a referendum the answer is either "Yes" or "No". It is not "might" or "would" or "maybe". It is not a question of asking people do they want to consider abolition of this entity or not, and by the way they might consider something else while they are at it. It is a straightforward question. I am quite sure that many of the people who were at the meeting in...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: Yes and it is a very good report. It is a very objective report from experienced people who have served in the Seanad and in this House and understand the mechanics of politics very well and have no vested interest in the Seanad or in being Members of the Seanad.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: I did not bring it forward because of the view taken by the working group on the question of implementation.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: If that is not what it said the Deputy seems to know, regardless of whether he read it. That is what it said. There is not agreement on this report.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: There is no agreement on this report. The Deputy will have his debate before Christmas, but he will not agree with Deputy Micheál Martin or us. There will be different points made and that is fair in political discourse and debate but I do not think the people in Ballymascanlon last night were angry about high-flown rhetoric about Seanad Éireann.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: Not at all. The Deputy should not be foolish. There are many challenges and issues to be considered and they can only be dealt with by decisiveness and clarity and not high-flown rhetoric, like putting €2.2 billion on the table for social housing, or whatever. People understand that.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: Garda numbers yes, and a new unit to deal with cross-Border crime, and a new authority to deal with that and €200 million to provide the Garda with proper information systems so that it can apprehend criminals. We can get everybody involved, north and south of the Border to deal with this.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy’s contacts will I am sure be helpful to the Police Service of Northern Ireland and the Garda in that regard and we look forward to putting those criminals behind bars where they should be.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Seanad Reform (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: It does not take high-flown rhetoric to do that. We need communications systems, security forces that are well financed and facilitated with resources to do that and protect our citizens. That is why people get angry when they do not see that. I hope they see it now.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: I propose to take Questions Nos. 7 to 12, inclusive, together. The Cabinet committee on Construction 2020, housing, planning and mortgage arrears which was established in 2014 has met eight times to date, of which five meetings took place in 2015. The committee last met on 8 October. The next meeting of the committee has not yet been scheduled. For reasons of Cabinet confidentiality,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: The question of homelessness and rough sleepers is dealt with under the social policy and by the public service reform committee which also meets. This is not to state the question of housing and construction was not discussed directly by the Cabinet. I refer to the discussions that normally take place on reports from individual Ministers. I was not aware that Departments were admitting...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy is deliberately mixing up the question of social housing and private housing. The Minister for Finance, in consultation with NAMA, has reached agreement that 20,000 private houses would be provided by NAMA between now and 2020 on lands owned by NAMA and with contractors contracted to NAMA. That is private housing.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: That is to deal with a serious shortage of private housing in this city and other places. The Government has put €2.5 billion on the table for social housing and has called all the chief executives of the local authorities together and instructed them to get on with their targets and objectives and to start building. That is separate development of infrastructure from the private...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: Regarding social housing, budget 2016 will ensure that 17,600 households will have their housing needs addressed next year, in 2016. That is in addition to those who received accommodation and assistance during 2015. For 2016, the housing allocation has increased by 18%, or €125 million, from €686 million to €811 million. That accounts for more than half of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: They would probably say we were in a better situation than Belfast. I think they would look at the situation-----

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: -----where the Government has reacted to an unprecedented challenge.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: Far be it from Deputy Gerry Adams to cast aspersions on anybody.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (1 Dec 2015)

Enda Kenny: A total of 87% of people are up to date with their mortgage payments. Those who are in difficulty have had very little contact with the lender in the first place. That is why the insolvency agency practitioners and MABS are working with each individual case to take them out of the distress and remove the fear which had led to the situation where letters are unopened. I hope that in the...