Results 5,301-5,320 of 7,975 for speaker:Joe Higgins

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: I want to sum up now briefly but importantly just the same. This is absolutely ridiculous. The Minister of State has just provided a menu in a potential situation that could arise. People in charge of public agencies who should be responsible to the Dáil could bring about a situation amounting to ducks and drakes up to and back from the High Court and so on. We have seen this with...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: I support the amendment. It is not good enough to confine this measure to people making declarations if they believe there are conflicts of interest. The Government voted down the idea that representatives of ordinary people should be considered for membership of the board. This has left all of these other categories of investment, treasury management, risk management and corporate...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: What this subsection is about is clear. Subsection (3) states that the agency shall provide project management services in relation to any acquisition or disposal of any interest or any asset of the designated body if the Minister who is the relevant Minister requires it to do so. Let us consider the designated bodies. The Electricity Supply Board, Bord na Móna, Coillte Teoranta,...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Bank Branch Closures (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: 207. To ask the Minister for Finance his views regarding the announcement by Ulster Bank of the closure of a further ten branches here; his plans to meet senior executives in Ulster Bank or Royal Bank of Scotland and if any such meetings are planned; his views on a possible merger with other institutions to form a third force in banking; his views on the call by the Irish Bank Officials...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health Professions Admission Test (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: 251. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on the number of private colleges offering tuition courses in the health professions admission test; and if his Department has made any assessment on the impact this private tuition may be having on the final student cohort entering medicine in universities. [29360/14]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Freedom of Information Remit (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: 333. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will consider extending the freedom of information legislation to cover records that are kept by religious institutions. [29774/14]

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Trade Agreements (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: 353. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will report on the talks related to the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership and the Trade in Services Agreement; if he will outline the Government's position; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [28241/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payments Administration (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: 517. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the duration of the pilot housing assistant payment schemes in the six chosen local authority areas; and when his Department will extend it to all local authority areas. [29409/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Disabilities Services Funding (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: 544. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will reverse the budget cut to the National Deaf Advocacy Service of the Irish Deaf Society; if his attention has been drawn to the levels of social exclusion and difficulties in accessing essential public services that the deaf community face; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29776/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Data Protection (8 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: 618. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will consider extending data protection legislation to cover records that are kept by religious institutions. [29774/14]

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: There is a huge difference of approach between our view of how the disastrous crisis of housing need is to be resolved. The Minister of State keeps repeating that his party and the Government are well aware of the extent of the crisis, which raises the question of why the Government has let it get to this extreme. I listened with some incredulity to the Tánaiste and Minister for Social...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: We asked a lot of questions.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: In that event, I will avail of the opportunity to make a two minute contribution.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: In such circumstances, I ask the Minister of State to take a precise note of the points we are making and respond to them in the language used by ordinary people. This is a very simple matter. There is €6.9 billion which is owned by the working people and pensioners of the State and which is currently invested in commercial enterprises and corporate entities across the globe. The...

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: Will the Minister of State read his notes for us? We want to hear the explanations.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: I am looking for specific answers to the questions the Minister of State was asked.

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: Will the Minister of State agree the amendment?

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: I move amendment No. 9:In page 27, line 33, after "employment" to insert "and provide urgently needed infrastructure".

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: I move amendment No. 10:In page 27, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following:"(e) social and affordable accommodation;".

National Treasury Management Agency (Amendment) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (9 Jul 2014)

Joe Higgins: Yes. I move amendment No. 11:In page 29, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “(f) to enter into any arrangement or contract with a Local Authority or a public housing agency to finance the construction of social and affordable accommodation projects and the provision of the necessary social infrastructure necessary for such projects.”.