Results 1,321-1,340 of 7,024 for speaker:Willie Penrose

Written Answers — Turbary Rights: Turbary Rights (22 Feb 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 221: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government when the moneys due to a person (details supplied) who has sold their turbary rights in respect of NHA lands in County Westmeath, will be awarded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7101/07]

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (22 Feb 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 222: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if his Department has received an application for a sewerage plant for the village of Ballinahown, Athlone, County Westmeath; the details in relation to same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7104/07]

Written Answers — Nuclear Safety: Nuclear Safety (27 Feb 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 100: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the procedures in place to monitor shipments of mox fuel from the Sellafield plant to ensure that they do not pass through Irish waters; and the plans in place with the British Government in the event of an emergency arising. [7346/07]

Written Answers — Tax Code: Tax Code (27 Feb 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 284: To ask the Minister for Finance if there are proposals to improve commercial tax rates on tractors which are hired for work on motorways; if these tractors are compelled to utilise white diesel, despite the fact that these vehicles are primarily utilised on agricultural holdings, and are only utilised on an occasional basis to carry out works on the motorways; and if he will...

Written Answers — Free Travel Scheme: Free Travel Scheme (27 Feb 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 414: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the reason in his proposal to extend the free travel to all qualifying people throughout the island of Ireland, he has excluded invalidity pensioners from the said extension such that invalidity pensioners cannot utilise the travel pass to travel throughout Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7636/07]

Written Answers — Community Development: Community Development (28 Feb 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 81: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the local community and voluntary groups in each constituency that are administering the community support for older people; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7698/07]

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (28 Feb 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 115: To ask the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs the progress that has been made since September 2000 in regard to the implementation of the White Paper on a Framework for Supporting Voluntary Activity and for Developing the Relationship Between the State and the Voluntary Sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7699/07]

Written Answers — Special Areas of Conservation: Special Areas of Conservation (28 Feb 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 263: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if special areas of conservation are being proposed for a geographical area (details supplied); if his attention has been drawn to the impact that such proposals will have on the turbary owners in these areas; the number of people that might be affected; if there has been consultation with the owner groups...

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 2: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs his views on abolishing the means test for the carer's allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7924/07]

Social Welfare Benefits. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: The Minister knows the Labour Party position. We are unequivocally committed to abolishing the means test for carers. There are thousands of people in the country with a job that has a mandatory 365 days a year contract, with no leave, holidays or bonus. Who are these people? They are carers who provide unpaid help for a family member or friend with a disability. Almost half of these...

Social Welfare Code. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: This was discussed in great detail at a big meeting in Farmleigh. Various organisations dealing with lone parents, as well as the Labour Party, put forward their proposals. Emanating from this, what steps are being taken to put in place adequate child care provision to enable the core of lone parents to return to work? It will only be pie in the sky unless child care provision, preferably...

Social Welfare Code. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: Yes, that is the question. We have 18 minutes and three questions are being taken together.

Social Welfare Code. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: The Ceann Comhairle always allows us to debate the question. This is an important topic. I will not be stifled by people telling me what to do. Is the Minister aware that his proposal would create new poverty traps? Is he happy with that? Unless the Minister deals with the question of poverty traps and child care, he can tear up the proposals. The cohabitation rule should be scrapped....

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: Is it not clear that the 1997 social inclusion programme failed? Is it not clear that we have failed to reduce the level of consistent poverty to 2% by 2007? The 7% figure means 300,000 people are considered as being in poverty. Is that not the position? Did I not argue here four years ago that the figures used by the ESRI were outdated, outmoded and in need of modernisation? Were they...

Anti-Poverty Strategy. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: They should not listen to the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, on inequality being a good thing.

Homemakers' Scheme. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: If the means test was abolished, is a carer's credit being considered for people who work a minimum number of hours per week along similar lines to the home-makers scheme? If so, it would give people an opportunity to have a credit so that when they reached pension age they would qualify for it based on their appropriate contribution rates.

Homemakers' Scheme. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: Yes, ultimately.

Pension Provisions. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: I thank the Minister for his reply. What was the nature of the discussions undertaken as part of the Towards 2016 programme? Were any particular targets set in that regard, or did the social partners address that issue? Was the Minister caught on the hop by the Tánaiste, Deputy McDowell's, solo-run intervention, or was it a naked pitch for the grey vote? It startled everybody across the...

Pension Provisions. (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: The Minister mentioned a figure of €2 billion. Will he expand upon that cost and indicate exactly what it relates to? I know it is election time but with the additional moneys last year, the Minister spent €1.3 billion or €1.4 billion. He thought that was a very good sum, so will this be €2 billion for one area of social welfare?

Written Answers — Services for People with Disabilities: Services for People with Disabilities (1 Mar 2007)

Willie Penrose: Question 70: To ask the Minister for Social and Family Affairs the position in regard to proposals that community welfare officers should be transferred from the Health Service Executive to his Department; if discussions have been initiated with the trade unions representing the CWOs; if a timetable has been set for implementation of the proposal; and if he will make a statement on the...