Results 1,121-1,140 of 2,960 for speaker:Séamus Healy

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Exceptional Needs Payment Eligibility (26 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will withdraw S.W.A. Circular No 1/2013 Paragraph 4.1 which abolishes exceptional needs payments to needy families for communion and confirmation, particularly in view of the fact that child benefit payments have again been reduced in 2013; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10314/13]

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Tenant Purchase Scheme Eligibility (26 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm the details of the recently announced local authority tenant purchase scheme; the date of publication ; the date of commencement of the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10315/13]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Support Agency (26 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will review her decision to move psychology services out of the Health Service Executive and into the new Child and Family Support Agency and consider an alternative proposal where psychology services remain in primary care with contractual arrangements with the Child and Family Support Agency; and if she will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Information and Quality Authority Investigations (26 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: To ask the Minister for Health when he intends to introduce legislation to enable the Health Information and Quality Authority to inspect and investigate any problems, should they exist, in sheltered homes for the elderly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10318/13]

State Forestry: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (27 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: This proposal or any proposal to sell the Coillte harvesting rights is madness on a number of counts. It shows again that this Government has lost touch entirely with the people of Ireland because access to the forestry and woodlands, and to mountain areas through those woodlands, is part of what we are as Irish people; it is certainly part of what I am. I was born in a place called...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Income Statistics (28 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: To ask the Minister for Finance noting that in the course of a reply to Deputy Boyd-Barrett, Dáil Report of 3 October 2012, he provided data for year 2012 on the incomes of the top 10,000, top 1%, top 5%, top 10% of taxable units and their tax payments and effective tax rates (details supplied) and that the data was based on projections by the Revenue Commissioners of expected earnings...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Income Statistics (28 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: I thank the Minister for his reply. We know from previous replies that the 10,000 highest earners have astronomical incomes. The figure is approximately €595,000 per individual. Even after the effective tax rate and PRSI are taken into account, they have incomes of in excess of €300,000. These are astronomical figures compared to the average industrial wage or social welfare...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Income Statistics (28 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: The marginal rate is quite different from the effective rate, which is in the region of 39% for these individuals. I suggest that, at a time when we are abolishing mobility payments, taking €350 million per year from low paid public sector workers, abolishing exceptional needs payments for needy families and imposing a property tax on households in negative equity or mortgage arrears,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Child and Family Support Agency: Discussion (28 Feb 2013)

Séamus Healy: I will be brief, as most of the issues have been raised. I support the agency's establishment, there is widespread support for it and goodwill towards Mr. Jeyes and the entire concept. However, it is a significant undertaking. Although it cannot be compared with the change from the health boards to the HSE, that kind of change comes to mind. I am not satisfied that the change to the HSE...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will ensure that the number of heating units and the heating period be restored to their levels before she took office in view of the inclement weather and the impact of fuel poverty on the old and the poor and the fact that the top 1% of income recipients have a gross income of €8.742 billion per year and an average income of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: There is significant fuel poverty in this country and it particularly affects the elderly, infirm and those with disabilities. Studies have shown that more than half of elderly people have cut back on food to try to keep their homes warm. About 60% of elderly people are worried about whether they can heat their homes properly in the autumn and winter. There are significant cutbacks in the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: Today, every local authority in the country has been notified of savage cutbacks in the housing for older people grant scheme. That scheme was used to insulate homes, install windows and doors, and generally keep homes warm. Without borrowing another cent we could reverse these savage cuts to the heating and fuel schemes in recent budgets. The Government says it is saving €1 billion...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: Elderly people have been targeted with significant and savage cutbacks in recent budgets. These various schemes pertaining to heating units, free fuel, mobility allowance, respite care grant and so on are the little things that made life bearable for elderly people. They are the very things that Margaret Thatcher targeted when she came to power in England and, unfortunately, it now appears...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: As she has the money, I ask her to please restore these benefits to elderly people.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: I am sure they do.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: They also face the highest costs in Europe.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: It is being reduced today.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: The grant in south Tipperary is being reduced from €3.1 million to €1 million.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Household Benefits Scheme (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: South Tipperary's grant was reduced today from €3.1 million to €1 million. The scheme has been destroyed.

Health Insurance: Motion [Private Members] (5 Mar 2013)

Séamus Healy: The private health insurance industry is in crisis. As Members are aware, almost 70,000 people have left the sector in the past 12 months, having been simply unable to afford the premia, which have been pushed up year after year by huge levels of inflation. The latter have been far in advance of the normal rates of inflation and far above health sector inflation. Young people simply are...