Results 5,061-5,080 of 7,975 for speaker:Joe Higgins

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Back to Education Allowance Eligibility (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: 97. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will revisit the criteria for the back to education allowance for students training to be secondary teachers in view of the fact that the qualification is now at masters level. [16871/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Child Abduction (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: 132. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 437 of 11 February 2014, if he is concerned that a German court did not accept a court order from this State relating to the child abduction case as should be done in line with the Luxembourg Agreement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16931/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Permanent TSB and AIB (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: I am not in a position to put comprehensive questions to the representatives of AIB for the simple reason that I was in the Dáil Chamber for the past hour and a half. I had the chief executive's opening statement in written form. It has been arranged for a very long time that the banks would come in this week. I ask the Chairman to protest to the Government Whip's office about the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Permanent TSB and AIB (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: I have two very short questions that have not been answered. Do the witnesses have an estimate of the total value of negative equity in respect of owner-occupiers or principal dwellings, not just the 24,990 accounts that are 90 days or more in arrears?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Permanent TSB and AIB (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: Does Mr. Murphy have absolute values as opposed to percentages?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Permanent TSB and AIB (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: I thank Mr. Murphy. May I ask Mr. Duffy the arrangement with the Irish Mortgager Holders Organisation, to which he referred? Will he explain in detail how it works? Can each one of the 24,990 account holders potentially contact the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation to make representations on their behalf, or how does it work?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Permanent TSB and AIB (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: In respect of the thousands of people with whom AIB has commenced a legal process, is the IMHO mediation available to them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Permanent TSB and AIB (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: Of the 24,990 people who are 90 days or more in arrears, what would happen if 15,000 contacted the IMHO to make representations on their behalf?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Mortgage Arrears Resolution Process: (Resumed) Permanent TSB and AIB (9 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: This is a torturous situation for those people who are trapped in negative equity and with unsustainable mortgages. I have just rehearsed in the Dáil Chamber the recklessness and the profit-seeking by banks, developers and various elements that brought that about, so I will not repeat it here. It is a huge constraint on our austerity-damaged economy that so much is going into banks to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: 2. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the State assets that have been privatised under the terms of the troika memorandum of understanding; the funds that were realised by the State from these privatisations; where these funds have gone; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16916/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: 4. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the assets the Government intends to privatise under the terms of the troika memorandum of understanding; the estimated amounts to be realised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16917/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: I would first like to put a general proposition to the Minister. Does he agree that the sale of publicly owned assets was and is an extremely short-sighted policy, one which was driven by the ruthless neoliberal outlook? Does he also agree that the troika's forcing of the people to sell their assets in order to pay bankers and bondholders debts, for which they had no responsibility, was a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: Does the Minister agree with me that it is a fallacy to sell crucial State assets to create competition when, in fact, the State, especially if it restructured the boards of assets such as electricity generation and gas companies in a democratic way, could determine the price and a fair price for ordinary people could be achieved? He did not answer my question on Bord Gáis and I call on...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: -----the Whitegate power plant which only came into commercial production four years ago, at a cost of €400 million? The calculation is that the Government realised €40 million for it in the sale.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: I appeal to the Minister to explain it in some detail.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: The rationale for putting Uisce Éireann under the umbrella of Bord Gáis was so-called synergies and that Bord Gáis had a database of consumers and customers, etc. Where does the Government's sale leave that rationale?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: Will the Minister give me a breakdown of the components?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: That is incredible.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Sale of State Assets (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: If a farmer brings his or her herd of cattle to the mart, he or she knows the price of each one.

Other Questions: Haddington Road Agreement Review (10 Apr 2014)

Joe Higgins: 5. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will report on the implementation of the Haddington Road agreement. [16812/14]