Results 4,561-4,580 of 20,057 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: House Purchase Schemes (19 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: 592. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when persons who are legally divorced or separated and have legally discharged their interest in the family home are applying for the Rebuilding Ireland home loan scheme, the terms of the financial gain provisions that currently prevent applicants from applying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26601/18]

Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: I raise with the Taoiseach the commitment to protect the environment in the programme for Government. Perhaps he saw the recent "RTÉ Investigates" programme, "Ireland's Wild Waste". It is more like the Wild West. The side by side competition and privatisation model in Ireland is chaotic and has been shown to be failing in protecting the environment. Ireland has one of the best...

Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: I will conclude. We need to give powers to the Environmental Protection Agency and local councils to get on with controlling the waste industry.

Health Waiting Lists: Motion [Private Members] (20 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: The two-tier health system which puts private patients first and leaves public patients to wait must end. The system is not an accident and has been overseen by successive Governments over the years. A constituent of mine in Laois contacted the HSE this month and was given a shocking waiting time of four to five years for her child to see a psychologist. The same timeframe applies in...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Eligibility (20 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: 68. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the income thresholds for local authority housing will be reviewed in view of the fact that some families that are on a low income are being prevented from applying; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26812/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (20 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: 74. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the steps he is taking to accelerate the process of approval for new social housing projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26813/18]

Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (21 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: I also want to raise the issue of the capitation grant. The cut in this grant is having a severe impact on schools. The amount was €200 and if my memory serves me right and it was cut in 2008 and now stands at €170 per pupil. This has cost schools an estimated €105 million per annum and has left parents to engage in fundraising. Last year, the figure raised by parents...

Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (21 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Minister for his reply. I note that some progress has been made and we welcome the reduction of one in the average class size, although in our budget submission we proposed a reduction of two. We have the second highest class sizes in the European Union, at an average of 25, with the European Union as a whole having an average class size of 20; therefore, there is more work to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Future Exploration, Energy Supply and Energy Security: Discussion (26 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the witness for the presentation. It paints a good overall picture of what the situation is. It points out some stark realities about where we are going with energy use and demand, and how we meet our obligations. The witness mentioned that solar energy was one of the cheapest options. In warmer climates it will obviously be more efficient but it has been shown that in this...

Other Questions: Passport Applications (27 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: 67. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps being taken to address the increased demand for Irish passports and the long delays in having passports issued. [27895/18]

Other Questions: Passport Applications (27 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: My question also concerns the long delays in issuing passports. I take on board the Tánaiste's point that there has been a huge increase in the number of passport applications, which is a positive in a way as it reflects the popularity of the Irish passport. There are problems with new applicants, renewals and children's passports, and there is still a problem with online applications....

Other Questions: Passport Applications (27 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: I concur with what has been said about the importance of information flow. I appreciate that this is a huge challenge. I accept that thousands of applications are being dealt with each week. This fast-moving process puts huge demands on staff and generates revenue. Many other parts of government do not draw in revenue as part of the services they provide. We need to up our game. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: 71. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if the staffing levels dealing with passports has increased in the past two years to deal with the high demand. [27896/18]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017 and the Influence of Social Media: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the guests for their presentations. I will start with the NUJ. The need for an electoral commission was mentioned, and its possible role in overseeing the regulation of online media advertising for political purposes. I refer to what areas the Bill would cover. Section 2(2) says it would cover matters relating to the Houses of the Oireachtas, the Assembly in the Six Counties in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Online Advertising and Social Media (Transparency) Bill 2017 and the Influence of Social Media: Discussion (Resumed) (27 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: My question was whether it should be the Parliament or companies acting unilaterally. The intervention was maybe the best thing to do in the circumstances. From here on out, does Ms Dunn think these things would be better managed from here, the Houses of the Oireachtas - the Seanad and the Dáil - where law is enacted and not left to individual corporate companies?

Written Answers — Department of Health: Paediatric Services (28 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: 34. To ask the Minister for Health the steps being taken to address the chronic shortage of services for children such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy in counties Laois and Offaly. [27893/18]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff Recruitment (28 Jun 2018)

Brian Stanley: 66. To ask the Minister for Health if there is a recruitment and training programme in place to fill vacancies in services for children such as occupational therapy, physiotherapy and speech and language therapy in counties Laois and Offaly [27894/18]

Establishment of Special Joint Committee on Climate Action: Motion (3 Jul 2018)

Brian Stanley: I welcome the establishment of the committee and commend the Citizens' Assembly on its work. However, this House is also a citizens' assembly. It is directly elected and paid for by the people of this State and it is answerable to them. These issues should be tackled head on in the Oireachtas and we should make the decisions to put us on the right path to counter climate change. The...

Topical Issue Debate: Electricity Transmission Network (3 Jul 2018)

Brian Stanley: I welcome the opportunity to raise this issue. Like Deputy Fleming I attended a meeting in Ratheniska a week ago last Thursday. It is a small community but there was a large attendance at the meeting as people are very concerned. The approach taken by EirGrid provides a good template for how not to proceed successfully with an infrastructural project. It has lost the confidence and...

Topical Issue Debate: Electricity Transmission Network (3 Jul 2018)

Brian Stanley: At the meeting in Ratheniska two weeks ago, I proposed that the three Deputies meet the chief executive officer, CEO, of EirGrid and representatives of the RTS group. This is a substantial project but the €110 million cost is excessive. The local community is concerned about what else is proposed by EirGrid. There is an issue of trust, the community having previously been misled....