Results 6,781-6,800 of 7,777 for speaker:Joe Costello

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Insurance Community Rating (24 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: 655. To ask the Minister for Health if all periods of health insurance cover are included when determining lifetime community rating loadings and, in view of the high number of returning emigrants, if periods of health insurance in other jurisdictions can be counted towards lifetime community rating loadings; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11726/15]

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (25 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I also welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Ann Phelan, to the House and acknowledge the work of the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Kelly, in introducing this important legislation. The extreme weather events that have hit Ireland in recent years and which battered our coastline last year and the year...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: 107. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to commence talks with the public sector unions with a view to addressing the cutbacks imposed during the troika years; if these talks will also address the specific reductions in the salaries and allowances of new entrants into the public sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12403/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Maintenance (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: 234. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of housing voids in Dublin City Council; the number back into use by the council in 2014 and in 2015 to date; the average length of time for repairs to be carried out; the amount of money drawn down by the council from his Department to bring voids into use; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12373/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Private Residential Tenancies Board Remit (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: 235. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government his plans to introduce legislation to provide certainty and security in the residential rental market; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12379/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: 236. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will re-establish the inner city partnership; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12380/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme Funding (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: 237. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he is aware that the budget for community groups in Dublin’s inner city has fallen in 2015 by 38% for the period April to December 2014; the steps he will take to address this anomaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12381/15]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Provision (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: 238. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the reason he plans to spend €75,000 per unit to refurbish 70 temporary units of accommodation in O’Devaney Gardens in Dublin 7, when the O’Devaney Gardens site has been proposed over the past ten years for a major programme of regeneration; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12382/15]

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: Did the HSBC bank in London indicate that they had nothing to say here and that there was no connection with the HSBC bank in Dublin?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: What about the request to the London centre to see whether or not they would appear?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: It really is not good enough that such an important organisation should have operated in the manner it did for such a long period. It is only now being brought to the committee's attention that most of the money has not been paid back. The same seems to apply in a number of other State bodies. The committee has seen that there is no proper policy being pursued in the HSE on travel or...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: It appears that the number of vessel lifts at Howth shipyard was 43 in 2012, 39 in 2013 and 48 in 2014. On average, the return in 2014 from each would have been about €1,700. This is described as an operational shipyard in which full marine repair facilities are provided. If that is the average return from the 48 ships or boats that visited the yard in 2014, it seems that it did not...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: Can we compile further information about the actual situation? Some 48 boats is a lot of boats. What sort of work was conducted on those boats? Why did Howth have to bring in all that skilled work from outside? It was suggested that other boats were not being catered for in Howth and had to go to other areas to be repaired. I refer to the information in appendix B about the various sites...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: I support Deputy Deasy. There was not a clear indication of how the money is being spent or a full list of activities. It was a very general and limited presentation in this respect. It would be very valuable to have a more thorough and comprehensive account of what is being planned.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Dublin Docklands Development Authority: Annual Report and Financial Statements (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: I welcome the witnesses. We received a statement from a previous chair, Professor Niamh Brennan, on this matter. Mr. Clegg mentioned the special report by the Comptroller and Auditor General regarding No. 77. Professor Brennan, to quote one section in summary of what she had to say about her term as chair from 2009 to 2012, wrote:I think it is a shame that the Dublin Docklands...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Dublin Docklands Development Authority: Annual Report and Financial Statements (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: Could I follow on and refer to the final item in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report? He says there was non-compliance with public procurement guidelines, despite the fact that this had been brought to the attention of the authority in 2010 and 2012. Two consultants were engaged because of their previous knowledge in 2013 without any tender process. These contracts amounted to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Dublin Docklands Development Authority: Annual Report and Financial Statements (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: I agree it was complex. Clearly, over the years that complexity was not properly acknowledged through following good practice. However, in 2012, the Comptroller and Auditor General brought this issue to the authority's attention, but in 2013 there was the same lack of procedure in regard to the tender and no proper tender was sought. We are talking about over €100,000 in one case...

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Dublin Docklands Development Authority: Annual Report and Financial Statements (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: Does Mr. Clegg think that it was good enough to have a restricted competitive tender process for a contract worth €500,000 without doing what the Comptroller and Auditor General had asked the authority to do in 2012?

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Dublin Docklands Development Authority: Annual Report and Financial Statements (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: We understand the circumstances, but does Mr. Clegg acknowledge that the wrong practice was followed, despite the fact the Comptroller and Auditor General had brought the issue to the authority's attention? I realise Mr. Clegg was not in the job at the time.

Public Accounts Committee: 2013 Annual Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Dublin Docklands Development Authority: Annual Report and Financial Statements (26 Mar 2015)

Joe Costello: Has Mr. Crawley any views on the matter?