Results 36,141-36,160 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Official Engagements (2 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I travelled to the United States for the annual St. Patrick's Day visit. My visit from 11-17 March encompassed four cities; Philadelphia, Boston, Washington and New York. Unfortunately due to adverse weather conditions my programme in Boston was curtailed and a scheduled visit to Rhode Island had to be cancelled. The most up to date information of costs paid to date by the Department of...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Capital Expenditure Programme (2 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: No funding was provided to my Department for information technology infrastructure under the Capital Plan.

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Cabinet Committees (2 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The Government has established ten Cabinet Committees, with titles and membership as shown in the table. Cabinet Committees are established by the Government to assist it in carrying out the responsibilities of Government in the areas indicated by their titles. They meet as appropriate according to their work schedules. Cabinet Committee Membership Housing Taoiseach (Chair)...

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The Government has shown priority in the funding it has allocated to the health area for 2017 which, as the Deputy is aware is, €14.5 billion. The Government allocated €20 million to the National Treatment Purchase Fund for 2017, rising to €55 million in 2018. Last December the Minister, Deputy Harris, granted approval to the National Treatment Purchase Fund to dedicate...

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: This is my final point, a Cheann Comhairle. In 2016 alone there has been a 4% increase in inpatient and day case activity over 2015. Last year, almost 1.69 million patients received inpatient or day case treatment in hospitals, which is an increase of almost 40,000 on the previous year. That demonstrates the urgency and priority attached to the issue, while admitting that the waiting lists...

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: In the negotiations and discussions we had about the formation of a Government, it was agreed, indeed at the Deputy's own suggestion, that the National Treatment Purchase Fund would be restored. The restoration was costing €20 million for 2017, rising to €55 million for 2018. It is not true to say that nothing is happening. The NTPF has now commenced the initiative of...

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: As Deputy Adams well knows, the Committee of Public Accounts is removed from the influence of the Oireachtas. I am not aware of the papers he to which he refers being given to that committee. They have certainly not come into my possession, nor should they if they were given directly to the Chairman or a member of the Committee of Public Accounts. I have confidence in the Garda...

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The answer to the last question is "No".

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: No, it is not the truth. The problem here is the supply of houses throughout the country. Anyone can understand that there is real pressure in certain segments of the housing sector. The Deputy can nod his head if he likes. I read a report this morning that said that 49 houses priced between €400,000 and €700,000 were snapped up inside a day by those who could afford them....

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The number of vacant properties since 2011 is 40,000. The action taken by the Minister in respect of the second point raised by Deputy Boyd Barrett was on foot of legal advice received from the Attorney General.

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Let me clarify what I meant when I said that 40,000 properties have come back into use.

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I take the Deputy's point. One thousand properties were purchased by the State at a cost of €203 million.

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The others are through the normal churn of reconstructions, sales, local authority purchases and so on.

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: The Minister will soon launch the strategy for the return of vacant dwellings to habitable use. There are approximately 34,000 vacant units in Dublin. There is a list of vacant apartments and dwellings to be returned to use.

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Even Deputy Boyd Barrett understands that these apartments cannot be returned to a habitable state overnight in order to be allocated to people.

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Boyd Barrett has pointed out to me in the past number of weeks that people have been sent 10 km or 12 km to hostels or hotels because the local accommodation was unsuitable. The strategy that the Minister, Deputy Coveney is to introduce in the next couple of weeks is to deal with that very issue.

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: Vacant units, apartments and houses in the Deputy's area and every other area have to be the subject of a strategy to return them to habitable use for people in order that they can raise their families in them.

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: It means that agreement is required. Obviously there are a number of different parties here; the State, the city council and private property owners. The Government made a decision by the end of 2015 to purchase Nos. 14 to 17 Moore Street and to keep the site permanently in the State's hands for people to understand the historic importance of the buildings and their part in Irish history....

Leaders' Questions (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: I recall speaking to experts in restoration about the structural condition of the building. It was clear that we could not proceed to do sensitive restoration work without the building being structurally sound. It is for experts and engineers to determine how that should be done. I take the Deputy's point. There is a measure of agreement here. Having made a major move in purchasing Nos....

Order of Business (9 May 2017)

Enda Kenny: We should get something very clear here, first of all. This is a very different working Dáil to previous Dáileanna because the Government does not control the full agenda here. One of the changes that we made was to give backbench Deputies the right to put forward opportunities for Private Members' Bills. That is an important facility in any democracy.