Results 7,201-7,220 of 26,897 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The public sector recruitment embargo started by the last Government and continued by the Minister's has led to an enormous reduction in staff numbers in key areas of public service, in particular in the health service and in local authorities. The Minister's slogan originally was, "We'll get more for less". I put it to him that when one looks at the chronic staff shortages in the health...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is the cruel, cold logic of cutbacks but the reality is that in December of last year 32,000 children were waiting for speech and language assessments, many of them for more than a year, and 16,000 children were waiting for therapy. The INMO says that in hospitals we need one staff member for four patients, whereas currently we have one per eight during the day and one per 12 during the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In local authorities, people with chronic disabilities, heart conditions and other vulnerable people are being told they have to wait a year or two to get a grab rail in order that they can get up the stairs to have a bath. That is absolutely unacceptable, yet the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform sanctioned three new spin doctors at the beginning of this year. It was considered...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----the nurses and local authority staff needed to help vulnerable people and children cannot be employed.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am fully in favour of cutting the pay of people at the top of the public service and politicians, and reducing the number of bureaucrats at the top of the system, but I am absolutely against having levels of staff shortages among nurses that endanger patient safety, that we do not have enough people to carry out assessments on vulnerable children with special needs or that we do not have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Public Sector Staff Recruitment (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: What is the Minister going to do about that?

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Sector Staff Remuneration (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 68. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform when the provisions of the financial emergency measures in the public interest, FEMPI, legislation will no longer apply; his plans for restoring pay; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23816/14]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 121. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if Crohn's disease, colitis and ulcerative colitis will be on the vulnerable customers list for water charges in view of the fact that these medical conditions require high water usage. [23908/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Naturalisation Applications (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 147. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will review the application fee for naturalisation and the subsequent fee for the issue of the certificate of naturalisation, which can add up to a cost of more than €1,000 per person; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23724/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 213. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address the concerns of stoma pouch users who are worried about continued access to a full range of high quality stoma pouches and stoma management products in view of the fact that the Health Service Executive is proposing a price decrease and companies may be forced to halt services the HSE does not offer, such as community nurses who provide...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Do local authorities need the approval of the Minister or the Minister of State in order to build council houses? From what I can see, local authorities have no freedom to make decisions about providing housing or taking money from elsewhere in the capital budget, allocating it to housing and deciding to build houses. Should we not give as much freedom and flexibility as possible to local...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: With the approval of the Department.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Section 22(3) states: (3) The purchase of a house under this Part does not apply to—(a) a separate and self-contained dwelling in a building that—(i) is divided into a dwelling and one or more dwellings or other properties or both, andThis refers to flats or maisonettes. I think it is unfair on the people in flats and maisonettes. Notwithstanding my agreement with Deputy...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Maybe I am reading the Bill wrong, but it seems clear. It is pretty clear and it seems it applies to any apartment complex or maisonette. This is specifically excluding apartments and flats from the provisions of the tenant purchase scheme. Does Minister of State think that is fair and reasonable? I do not think it is, and it should be removed.

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I must examine that section of the other Bill. Does this provision override the existing provision? Why is this particular tenant purchase scheme different?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I can come back to the issue on Report Stage now that I have flagged it. Is that correct?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have this point underlined. The Minister of State is planning to remove section 25(2)(f). Is that correct?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister of State is removing the line "the purchaser shall not, without the prior consent of the housing authority, make material improvements to the house". Is that the case?

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I believe income is one good criterion, but there should be a few criteria. We should have a textured position on it. Deputy Ellis makes a good point about relatives and family who might be willing to assist. If that can help people, it should be taken into account. The other matter that was taken into account in the past was how long one had been in the house. People will regularly say,...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (4 Jun 2014)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Perhaps the Minister will explain why the Residential Tenancies Act should not apply to housing assistance payment, HAP, tenancies. The section refers to the restriction on the application of the Residential Tenancies Act 2004.