Results 5,861-5,880 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen

Water Services (Amendment) Bill 2016: Fifth Stage (13 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: I second the proposal of the Minister to allow the Bill to pass and move to the Seanad for its approval. I acknowledge the contribution of the Minister and his staff in preparing the Bill. As he stated, it is reflective of an agreement reached after the election with a view to facilitating a Government to find a pathway in the process, as he rightly acknowledged, for experts in various...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (13 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: 193. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied) including when the person may expect an appointment. [21475/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (13 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: 213. To ask the Minister for Health the status of a hospital appointment for a person (details supplied). [21601/16]

Topical Issue Debate: Bord na Móna (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: I raise this issue because it is a concern of mine and of many workers within Bord na Móna that jobs are being put at risk in its transport rail and road divisions by the board's plans to outsource those services and impose unilateral pay cuts on existing workers. There was much consternation, deliberation and negotiation, and ultimately it went to the Labour Court. Other aspects of...

Topical Issue Debate: Bord na Móna (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for his response and acknowledge that he has sought a report from the board on this issue. I ask him to request that specific acknowledgement be made in the report of the submissions by workers or their representatives on their ability to achieve the same cost savings proposed in the outsourcing element of the cost-saving effort. I ask for that to be acknowledged,...

Topical Issue Debate: Bord na Móna (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: As I stated, we can talk about that another day. It is important that the Minister reflects on the two points I have made and ensures that any such report that emanates from the board takes note of and responds to those, and then we could have a solution.

Housing Strategy: Statements (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for his deliberations. As he has said, and as many of us have said in the Dáil since it reconvened, the housing crisis and homelessness crisis or emergency is the greatest issue facing Government, the country and society. It was high on Fianna Fáil's agenda when we sought to facilitate an arrangement to allow Fine Gael to lead Government based on the numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: 348. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the amount each local authority has recouped from his Department for capital funded social housing units including new builds and acquisitions in 2015 and in 2016. [22349/16]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Funding (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: 384. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the funding announced for capital funding housing units that has been recouped by each local authority in 2015 and 2016; to date the number of units this funding has provided; and to provide a breakdown by each local authority area, [22797/16]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation Provision (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: 385. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government to provide figures on the amount allocated to each local authority to provide emergency homeless assistance in 2016; to provide a breakdown on a local authority area basis. [22800/16]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: 386. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether the cap of €30,000 imposed on his Department for refurbishment of vacant local authority units, has been lifted; the number of applications for funding for vacant social housing refurbishment that were received by his Department in 2015 and in 2016; which local authorities these were from and the number...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Appointments Status (19 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: 681. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the case of a person (details supplied), including when the person can expect an appointment. [22839/16]

Housing (Sale of Local Authority Housing) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I wish to introduce this short Bill and my colleagues, with whom I will share time, will elaborate on its contents and the reasons behind it. They have suggestions which I hope the Minister will consider when initiating a review of the tenant purchase scheme which came into effect earlier this year under the previous Government. It was...

Housing (Sale of Local Authority Housing) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: Four thousand.

Housing (Sale of Local Authority Housing) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: He thought he had seen the end of us.

Housing (Sale of Local Authority Housing) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: I take this opportunity to thank all Members who contributed to the debate on the Bill. In particular, I thank those who sought to support the Bill. For those who do not support it, I make the following observations. The Minister stated he had sympathy for us as proposers of the Bill. However, he stated that he could not support it because he was constrained by a commitment in the...

Housing (Sale of Local Authority Housing) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: Then he went on to state that he supported the many reasons the Department or experts gave to him for the exclusion of Part V housing. He is pre-empting the work of any review group when he gives an opinion this far out from the review taking place at all, let alone giving it during this debate. That convinces me that in no way should we support the amendment, which commits to a review of...

Housing (Sale of Local Authority Housing) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: -----the only way to address this is for those in rented accommodation to swap with those who do not have accommodation. They are to have turns living in it. Is that the only way to address this crisis? It is not. We are dealing with people who have established themselves in communities and are entitled to seek to reside in those communities with their families for time ever after.

Housing (Sale of Local Authority Housing) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: That should not be taken away from anyone. There should be no discrimination against anyone, irrespective of colour, gender, class or mental or physical being.

Housing (Sale of Local Authority Housing) Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Jul 2016)

Barry Cowen: I am talking about what the Deputy and his colleagues said here earlier, which is that our stocks should not be sold off in this manner or that the opportunity should not be given to someone because there are people on waiting lists who might want those homes. The only way they will get them is if one moves out and the other moves in. The Deputy wants them to share the homes.