Results 641-660 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen
- Social Welfare Bill 2011: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: The cuts to the one-parent allowance impact particularly on mothers. They severely penalise those recipients who make the effort to upskill or join community employment schemes. The Government is sending the message to one-parent families that upskilling to try to get into the workplace is to be discouraged. More than 90% of the recipients of the one-parent family payment are women. These...
- Leaders' Questions (13 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: The Government asked for alternatives and we complied with its request.
- Order of Business (13 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: It is your budget.
- Order of Business (13 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: On Friday the Minister for Social Protection spoke of the review following the budget of the proposal for a 66% cut in materials grants to community employment schemes. Will this delay the legislation to give effect to the cut?
- Order of Business (13 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: It will not delay legislation to give effect to the 66% cut in grant aid.
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Code: Social Welfare Code (13 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 250: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of 16 to 25 year olds in receipt of disability allowance, broken down by age, in 2011; and the total amount spent per annum on this age group in 2011. [39838/11]
- Written Answers — Social Welfare Offices: Social Welfare Offices (13 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 237: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the position regarding the proposed social protection office accommodation in Edenderry, County Offaly; and if she will also provide information as to the intended purpose of this building. [39655/11]
- Written Answers — Alternative Energy Projects: Alternative Energy Projects (13 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 280: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the required documentation sought by the project promoters to allow the construction of the proposed plant (details supplied) in County Offaly to proceed. [39656/11]
- Written Answers — Ambulance Service: Ambulance Service (13 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 459: To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm if there are any plans to upgrade and improve facilities at Edenderry ambulance service station, County Offaly, in view of the fact that the facilities at the fire station are not adequate and are currently based at Ofalia House, Edenderry, County Offaly. [39657/11]
- Languages Programme (14 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: If it stops Kerry from winning all-Irelands, I am in favour of it.
- Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: Cutbacks totalling â¬41.5 million in the CE programme will impact on services throughout the country and act as an impediment to long-term unemployed people looking to upskill and re-enter the workforce. The budget contained measures that will reduce the training and materials grant from â¬1,500 to â¬500 per participant per annum. These schemes include prominent community programmes such...
- Community Employment Schemes (14 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: I am sorry to say the response does not make the situation any better than it was before we started. The review is a smokescreen. It appears the Minister has no authority from Cabinet to rescind the cut that is proposed by the Minister, Deputy Howlin, to reduce the budget by â¬41.5 million. The Minister, Deputy Burton, said she would be able to achieve savings of â¬27.5 million so, even...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 26: To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the amount of money he has spent on external public relations broken down by area such as photography, publications and so on since March 2011 to date. [39795/11]
- Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (15 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 30: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she is considering giving any statutory powers to the National Board for Safeguarding Children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40307/11]
- Order of Business (16 Dec 2011)
Barry Cowen: Bah, humbug.
- Tax Collection (11 Jan 2012)
Barry Cowen: The budget announced by the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, on 7 December provided for additional taxation receipts from the targeting of pensioners by the Revenue Commissioners, even though the initiative only emerged last week following demand letters being received by pensioners. Fine Gael and Labour promised the people they would be upfront and honest with them at all times....
- Tax Collection (11 Jan 2012)
Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister of State for his response, despite the fact that it does not deal with the substantive question put to him.
- Tax Collection (11 Jan 2012)
Barry Cowen: Yes. There has been an exchange of data between Departments for a number of years and the transfer of information was enhanced in the recent budget. That is what was said, but, unfortunately, it did not go much further and tell us what exactly had been enhanced and for what reason. The question to which I hoped the Minister of State would respond was related to the fact that 115,000...
- Tax Collection (11 Jan 2012)
Barry Cowen: The Taoiseach said yesterday that the approach to be taken by the Revenue Commissioners would have to be improved. What role did he and the Cabinet play? When was the issue discussed and agreed to by the Cabinet? Was it last November? When the budget was announced, the measure on the enhanced transfer of information was sneaked in.
- Tax Collection (11 Jan 2012)
Barry Cowen: The reality is that it came home to roost in January.