Results 32,981-33,000 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (13 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: Regarding the Macroom bypass, the design has been completed, planning permission is in place and land has been purchased. The mid-term review will offer an opportunity to engage in some consideration of it. The Minister will have some extra funding available. The project has moved a long way and the Deputy knows the road very well.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (13 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: Regarding Deputy Eamon Ryan's question about climate change, the other day I was speaking to the former President, Mrs. Mary Robinson. She had just returned from Ethiopia, where, she told me, a population of 80 million would increase to 200 million by 2050, 50% of whom would be under 17 years of age. They are extraordinary demographics. Climate change is challenging on the African...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (13 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: Money is available at very low rates. A couple of months ago I wrote to President Juncker about the matter and he sent back a very good reply, offering an opening. I spoke to the European Council about it and other countries have followed suit. I met one of the chief directors of EUROSTAT, which categorises these matters in a particular way, and I have put officials here in touch with her....

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Curragh Plains Representative Forum (13 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: On 8 March 2016 the first meeting of the newly established Curragh Plains Representative Forum was held. The meeting was chaired by the Department of Defence and was attended by invited representatives from the Defence Forces, an Garda Síochána, Curragh Racecourse, Curragh Racehorse Trainers and Kildare County Council. The purpose of the Forum is to provide an opportunity for the...

Written Answers — Department of Defence: Defence Forces Recruitment (13 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: I am advised by the Military Authorities that a total of 1,424 General Service recruits were enlisted into the Permanent Defence Force in 2011, 2012 and 2013 as set out in the following table. 2011 2012 2013 532 539 353

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: As we speak, the Minister with responsibility for housing is attending with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and others at the formal launch of the Government's housing action plan and so the Deputy's question is very pertinent and appropriate. We have made no secret that the issue of providing accommodation and proper housing for people, both social and affordable, and...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: The plan will be debated in the Dáil today and tomorrow. It is important to say that local authorities have performed very indifferently in many cases. Some are better than others. However, they were not responsible for the complete collapse of the housing sector. We know what happened to the construction sector in general. Obviously, many builders went out of business while many...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: We have dealt with this before with Deputy Adams and a number of other Deputies. On the question of value for money, we fully support the ongoing examination by the Comptroller and Auditor General into the disposal by NAMA of the loans of Northern Ireland debtors. The Comptroller and Auditor General, as Deputy Adams is aware, is best positioned to independently review the transaction in...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: There are investigations going on in the jurisdiction in the North into allegations that were made here. Deputy Adams makes the point about the Comptroller and Auditor General. Let me repeat for the Deputy that the Comptroller and Auditor General and NAMA appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts on 9 July last year. At that appearance, the Comptroller and Auditor General indicated...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: I thank Deputy Howlin for his question. The Low Pay Commission is an independent entity set up by the previous Government to bring a structure and a realism to claims for increases in the minimum wage. As the Deputy is well aware, the Low Pay Commission was set up because of the nature of the way claims were being put forward prior to that. The former Minister of State, now Senator Gerald...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: As I stated, the Low Pay Commission was given a mandate to make recommendations based on the economic position as it sees it applying in this case. It made a recommendation of 10 cent per hour, or approximately €3.90 per week. Clearly, if that progress was followed on a yearly basis, one would be waiting a while before reaching €10.50, never mind €11.50.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: The commission, in its independence and wisdom, has taken into account the possible implications of Brexit. If the position were different economically or known to be very different, it may have made a different recommendation. The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation will consider the report in its entirety and come back to the Government. I take the Deputy's point but I also feel...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: -----it is an independent entity and it values its independence. It feels free to make the recommendation, taking all these issues into consideration before producing the report, which has been published today.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: I would have thought that out of all the discussions, consultations and detail in the report, the Deputy would have found something that might interest him. Obviously, he has a different view. I cannot answer the Deputy's question-----

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: -----which is why he asked it.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: Let me explain. The Deputy will not be able to answer my question either. Some 47,000 social housing units are to be delivered by 2021, supported by an investment of €5.35 billion. That is real money that is on the table. However, Deputy Boyd Barrett will not be able to answer the question as to the impact of a housing delivery unit being set up in the Department with...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy is entirely wrong and I disagree with him. The figure of 47,000 is real; the figure of €5.35 billion is real. I did not hear the Deputy say how many council houses are going to be built in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown this year and, of course, he knows all these answers.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: Does he know how many were built in the past ten years? I did not mention incentives for private operators but I did mention incentives for local authorities, such as a €200 million fund for access to sites that are currently off limits and the opportunity to design their own schemes and expedite planning permissions so that they can get on with building council houses for tenants all...

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: Councils and local authorities are to be given the opportunity to improve and repair voided units and to take over houses that are not finished and finish them for their own social housing clients.

Leaders' Questions (19 Jul 2016)

Enda Kenny: Every chief executive of a local authority now has the opportunity to work towards the overall objective of 47,000 units by 2021. There is a special response to the report of the Oireachtas committee, which was well chaired by Deputy John Curran, in an appendix to the report. Each and every proposal that was made has been responded to by the Minister.