Results 361-380 of 7,025 for speaker:John Brady

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Commission on Domestic Public Water Services (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: 6. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government the funding being made available by Government for the expert commission on water; and if he will provide a breakdown as to the way in which this funding is to be used. [35437/16]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Water Abstraction Regulation (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: 63. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if the Water Framework Directive places an obligation on the State to introduce a water abstraction licensing scheme; if so, when he plans to introduce it; the details of the scheme; and if large commercial businesses that extract large volumes of water will be included. [35436/16]

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: I broadly welcome the changes the Minister is proposing in section 4. They are long overdue, particularly for councillors who will finally be brought under the scheme. As a former councillor, like many other members, I know the long hours that are put and the work that goes into the job. The changes introduced a number of years ago for all local authorities resulted in increased demands on...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: The Minister is correct that there were three bereavement payments, but this section specifically refers to the bereavement grant. The bereavement payment is a benefit. The reference in the section is specific to a grant that was abolished in 2014. I accept that the Minister would like to reintroduce it, but if the terminology is retained in the Bill, I would like to see the grant restored...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: The amendment which has been ruled out of order was tabled by me and my colleague, Deputy Denise Mitchell. It relates to the timing of payments. A number of similar amendments have been tabled and all relate to the date on which payments are to be made. They seek to bring forward the date of payment of the relevant payments to 1 January. The rationale for changing budget day some years...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: I welcome the fact that the benefits are to be extended to self-employed people, including the dental and optical benefits. I urge the Minster to examine this area further, in particular, because there is a serious problem in regard to chiropodists. There is no scheme to cover people who might have difficulties, for example, people who might have diabetes. Some people might not have a...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: I am not sure about that.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: Only with artistic licence.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: The Minister speaks about our ideological positions-----

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: I certainly will stick to the Bill because otherwise it would be a lengthy debate. The Minister made an alarming statement but perhaps I misheard him. Did the Minister state that he does not have the opticians or the dental fraternity on board? Has he had discussions with these sectors in the context of the roll-out? Perhaps I misheard him, but certainly that is what came across. If that...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: We have seen this before, particularly with free GP care, where legislation was introduced and, to this day, it has not been rolled out. We are putting the cart before the horse again. We are introducing legislation before any discussion has taken place. No discussions have taken place, which is concerning. Is chiropody an area the Minister will commit to examining? Will he also commit...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: I got a little ahead of myself earlier. This is my first time to deal with social welfare legislation and I am trying to deal with all of the amendments. I jumped in a little bit early on this issue. We welcome this and what I said already stands. I am a former councillor, and many councillors throughout the State work seven days a week doing an awful lot of work. The changes made in...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: I move amendment No. 5:In page 7, between lines 26 and 27, to insert the following: “Report on One-Parent Family Payment changes 11. The Minister shall prepare and lay a report before the Houses of the Oireachtas on the One-Parent Family Payment changes. The report shall be conducted on the financial and social effects of the changes to the One-Parent Family Payment since 2015,...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: I welcome the last couple of lines spoken by the Minister, if he is going to support this amendment. It is critical that we have a report because we do not need to wait to see the impact on lone parents and their families of the measures introduced. The Minister is correct - and he acknowledged the fact - that the reality is children in lone-parent families are at a higher poverty level of...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: I will not withdraw the amendment. The report needs to be carried out. We need the provision in the legislation, not for the sake of it, because, as Deputy Kenny said, we do not want a report or document to be prepared only to be put on a shelf alongside many other reports that have not been acted on. It needs to be a factual report that ultimately will be acted on. I could have tabled a...

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: We propose targeted measures.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: We do not have an endless pot.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: Our measures are targeted.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: As the proposer of amendment No. 5, I welcome the Minister's decision to accept it. I look forward to seeing the amendment he intends to make in this regard on Report Stage. We will certainly have a look at that. This is one part of it.

Select Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Bill 2016: Committee Stage (17 Nov 2016)

John Brady: It is disingenuous of the Minister to cherry-pick which reports he sees fit to have carried out. We are supposed to be in a democracy here. The Minister and his Fine Gael colleagues are constantly speaking about the need to live up to the democratic principles in this State. It is up to us as Deputies to decide on the amendments we want to agree and the reports we want to see carried out....