Results 37,521-37,540 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: RTÉ Staff (6 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: 215. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his attention has been drawn to concerns by music lovers regarding the ongoing downgrading and shrinking of the RTÉ orchestras; his plans to preserve the orchestras and bring them up to the full staffing level required (detail supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52149/17]

Public Services Pay and Pensions Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: Has the Minister explored any alternatives to the particular provisions set out in this section? Should his party and Fianna Fáil vote these proposals through, when does he expect to enact them, or are they simply something he proposes to hold as a threat? Everybody in this House, including the Minister, should acknowledge that the vast bulk of the membership of the teacher unions,...

Public Services Pay and Pensions Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: Some people are very privileged and most of them acknowledge that privilege. There are many people in this House who owe their position to the work done by teachers across the education system. As I said, I am aware of the value the Minister attaches to education and his appreciation of the school he attended, which had a great showing in the recent survey of the numbers of pupils going on...

Public Services Pay and Pensions Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: I asked the Minister if he had a proposal for this legislation, if he goes ahead with it, as to when he plans to enact this section. An art of being a negotiator and negotiating change in, and supporting, institutions is to grasp opportunities as they arise to resolve situations which have become extremely difficult. In his public statements, the Minister has indicated a strong desire to do...

Public Services Pay and Pensions Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: I support the amendment proposed by Deputy Dara Calleary. In the context of the discussion we had previously, it would make a lot of sense and I hope the Minister can find his way to accepting it.

Public Services Pay and Pensions Bill 2017: Committee Stage (Resumed) and Remaining Stages (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: I believe the approach taken in the section is wrong and should be reconsidered. The Minister has experience of previous industrial relations disputes in which there was a threat of sustained strikes. I imagine he does not want to see a breakdown in public sector union relations in any area but especially the education sector. That would not be good for the country and it certainly would...

Topical Issue Debate: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: I am disappointed that the Minister announced the removal of the over-age exemption in the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme from September 2018 onwards in respect of children with special needs. I am pleased that, presumably when she got notice of this debate and after a strong campaign by parents that garnered more than 20,000 signatures, she last night announced that she...

Topical Issue Debate: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: Much of the Minister's answer deals with process. While she must address process, the critical issue is that many of the parents of children with special needs feel that they are being ignored, bypassed and not properly considered and included. The Government recently published a spending review from the Department of Finance on disability and expenditure related to special education....

Topical Issue Debate: Early Childhood Care and Education (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: I want to hear the Minister say that she is going to have a rethink. A child with special needs may not be ready to go to a mainstream primary school at or around five years of age, which is what many parents are worried about.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: National Planning Framework (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: 39. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans for the national planning framework; the way in which towns and regions will be selected for development; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47233/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Third Level Education (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: 72. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the report compiled by Dublin City University regarding the BA course run by a college (details supplied); the conclusions his officials have drawn from the report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52323/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: 73. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of persons who have applied to Caranua for support; the number of applications that have been granted for each year since its establishment to date; the number and value of awards given in each year, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [52324/17]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Data (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: 242. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of families receiving family income supplement by their numbers of children as at 31 December 2016 and 31 October 2017, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52326/17]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Expenditure (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: 243. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the estimated cost of increasing the family income supplement income limits by 5%, 10% and 15%, respectively; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52328/17]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to Tracker Mortgage Examination and Consumer Protection Framework: Discussion (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: As regards the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission statement, I note that the office is undertaking a study of the household waste collection market in Ireland. That is very necessary and I am glad to hear it will happen. Will it examine the wages and working conditions of employees in that industry? I do not have much experience of rural collections but in the greater Dublin...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to Tracker Mortgage Examination and Consumer Protection Framework: Discussion (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: In regard to PCP car finance, does Mr. O'Leary know the current total number of such contracts and the value of this market?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to Tracker Mortgage Examination and Consumer Protection Framework: Discussion (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: This type of finance is extremely attractive for understandable reasons, particularly to young male drivers. That is my experience. PCP appears to be a very attractive deal but that is not quite as true as the advertising would suggest. At a time when credit finance from the banks is extremely difficult to access it is an avenue which people can explore and use. I am concerned, however,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to Tracker Mortgage Examination and Consumer Protection Framework: Discussion (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: I am coming to that issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to Tracker Mortgage Examination and Consumer Protection Framework: Discussion (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: The third consumer credit issue was raised by Senator Paddy Burke. If one were to randomly ask young staff around this building for their view of car insurance universally that view would be that people are being fleeced and robbed. In terms of the cost of insurance in other jurisdictions close to us their outrage grows. Insurance costs here are extraordinarily high, although the companies...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Matters relating to Tracker Mortgage Examination and Consumer Protection Framework: Discussion (7 Dec 2017)

Joan Burton: I have noted the points made by the Ombudsman and Mr. O'Leary on the tracker mortgage issue. Does the CCPC have the power to question the banks collectively in regard to the alignment of much of their practices or does it have to deal with each of them directly?