Results 8,301-8,320 of 20,768 for speaker:Mattie McGrath

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 34 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I welcome the Minister and his officials and thank them for this detailed briefing. I am concerned about the overspend and meeting targets. Local authorities - the ones I deal with anyway - have not delivered on the housing numbers we expected for several years. Since the Celtic tiger, there has been a reliance on the private sector for housing provision. The local authorities have not...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 34 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I too am disappointed that the committee is losing scrutiny of the environment. Certainly something is going wrong with the situation on landfill if we can export our waste more cheaply than we can put it in landfill, although I am aware that we lack capacity in landfill. Also, on water metering, different opinions were given in the past, but how long do we estimate the batteries in the...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 34 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Mattie McGrath: The Minister will probably say it is not in the Estimates but on wastewater there is a huge anomaly where residents had a quasi-public sewer at the backs of their houses. The majority of them were built and installed by local authorities. In the memorandum of understanding on the hand-over from local authorities to Uisce Éireann, that seems to have been deleted or neglected or was not...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Estimates for Public Services 2016
Vote 34 - Environment, Community and Local Government (Revised) (30 Jun 2016)

Mattie McGrath: Having been a member of a local authority - I still work with local authority members - I am aware that there is no expertise or advice available other than that of the local authority management. If one does not accept the legal advice of the local authority, one has to get one's own. How can there be proper discourse or debate if there is not independent legal and or professional advice...

European Council Meeting: Statements (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I am delighted to speak about this very important issue. The meeting of the Heads of State last week was very important. Europe must take some of the blame. The European project was a noble one and I salute its leaders and architects. I remember the canvassing for entry back in the 1970s and the different referenda since then. However, it has become too bureaucratic, powerful and rigid....

Topical Issue Debate: Poverty Data (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: Ar an gcéad dul síos ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leat. I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing Deputy Smith and I to raise this Topical Issue. Deputy Smith has outlined the matter, which is serious. I am glad the Minister is here to deal with it. In spite of all the recovery, there are 750,000 people in poverty in Ireland today. There is much talk of boom...

Topical Issue Debate: Poverty Data (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: Saying that the figures are from 2014 is not a big help. Most people know that much poverty is not reported for various reasons. The figures could be much more telling. Without social welfare payments, more than half of Ireland's population would be living in poverty, which is a frightening statistic. Inequality is rife and we must deal with it, as Deputy Smith noted. For example, we...

Banded Hours Contract Bill 2016: Second Stage [Private Members] (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I also welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill. I thank Deputy Cullinane for introducing it, and other Deputies for their valuable contributions. Ireland has one of the highest levels of low-paid workers in the EU, as well as having the second highest level of wage inequality after Portugal. Those are frightening statistics. As a long-standing employer myself for over 30 years,...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Human Rights Issues (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 38. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the representations he has made to the Saudi Arabian embassy in Dublin regarding that state's restriction of religious freedoms, in particular the application of the death penalty for those found guilty of apostasy or conversion to Christianity; if he thinks it is appropriate for Ireland to have trade links with such states; and if he will...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Charities Regulation (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 112. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality why Part 4 of the Charities Act 2009, which gives the Charities Regulatory Authority statutory powers of investigation with respect to charitable organisations, has not commenced; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19737/16]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Credits (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 117. To ask the Minister for Finance why a person who has made an e-workers allowance claim for working from home has been requested to submit utility bills and so on in order to process the claim; the relevant legislation that specifically states that utility bills and so on must be provided to process the claim; how some claims have been processed without providing this information; and if...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Carer's Allowance Waiting Times (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 288. To ask the Minister for Social Protection the current waiting time for processing carer's allowance appeals in the social protection appeals office; the assistance available to persons who are providing full time care without any social protection payment during this time; the efforts he will make to reduce the waiting times in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter....

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance Data (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 321. To ask the Minister for Social Protection to provide the waiting times experienced by those applying for domiciliary care allowance in 2015 and in 2016 to date; the number of applicants for the allowance over the past three years by county in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19814/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Capital Programme (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 441. To ask the Minister for Health the proposals he is considering to include modular accommodation patient hotel for South Tipperary General Hospital as part of a revised capital plan for the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19095/16]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 442. To ask the Minister for Health to address concerns that have arisen regarding the Gardasil vaccine (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19096/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Hedge Cutting Season (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 589. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he has issued information to local authorities regarding hedge cutting regulations and exemptions for road safety reasons to ensure consistency in the application of procedures across all local authorities as promised in the programme for Government; if not, when he will issue such information; the information that will be...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Credit Availability (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 600. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is aware of the challenges facing the farming community with respect to accessing finance, particularly the variations in interest rates; the assistance his Department is providing to reduce these challenges; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19550/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 601. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the cost to the agriculture sector of the existing tariffs on fertilisers; if any attempts are being made to reduce these tariffs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19551/16]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Electronic Tagging (5 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: 602. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the detail of the proposed necessity for farmers to provide electronic tagging of cattle in order to access certain agricultural schemes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19552/16]

Election of Leas-Cheann Comhairle (Resumed) (6 Jul 2016)

Mattie McGrath: I will not delay the House long. I am delighted that we have reached the point today that we will elect someone to the office of Leas-Cheann Comhairle. It is a very important office in support of the Ceann Comhairle and in the functioning of this House. If privileged to be elected to that post, I will do my utmost to ensure parity of esteem for each and every Member, ensure Standing Orders...