Results 1,481-1,500 of 5,269 for speaker:Joan Collins

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Pension Provisions (10 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: 299. To ask the Minister for Social Protection her plans to protect and improve the living standards of pensioners. [24277/14]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products Availability (11 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: 142. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a person (details supplied) in Dublin 12 cannot access a drug called Daxas, a very effective medication for their chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, on their medical card. [24848/14]

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: I do not know whether I have to but I will declare before the debate that I was a post office clerk and a member of the Communications Workers Union.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: I fully support the amendments put forward by Deputy Ó Snodaigh. The fact that An Post has been omitted from the 2005 Consolidation Act is the key thing. An Post should be allowed remain in the legislation in order to allow for the continuation of the Consolidation Act. An Post, as a potential service provider, should not be taken out of the legislation. I have said a lot on this...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: The Minister made a point about fraud. We have had this debate previously. I believe the Minister places an over-emphasis on fraud and that it is not as bad as she suggests. The vast majority of people are not trying to devise ways to defraud the system. While I have no problem with including mechanisms to reduce the possibilities for defrauding the State, a significant proportion of the...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: We are all clear on that. An Post won the contract but it won it under the terms of the current legislation. Why does the Minister need to change it now? On the question of the time allowed for the submission of amendments-----

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: We have raised issues about how that tendering process should support organisations such as An Post because it provides the service through its post office network throughout the country. I am not convinced by the Minister's argument. Perhaps the option of "payment service provider and/or An Post" could be examined again. There is also an issue with the time allowed. Larger parties have...

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: The payment was stopped for four weeks.

Committee on Education and Social Protection: Select Sub-Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Committee Stage (11 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: The issue has been well ventilated.

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: I was going to put the same question to the Minister of State. Why did the Government choose to pay down €7 billion of the debt? Why was some of that money not used to build social housing? Has the Government been in contact with the European Investment Bank about the €500 million that could be accessed there? Is it thinking about using money to buy properties, apartments or...

Other Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: We are talking about the €18.5 billion in cash.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: I support the amendment because the 18-month review is too long and it does not allow for an intervention from the State in a developing crisis of supply of rented accommodation now or over the next two to three years. As the Minister said, it is hoped this Government will be able to turn the situation around. I do not believe it is doing it fast enough and where there is a will, there is a...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: I asked the Minister of State a parliamentary question about the PRTB study which will be published at the end of this month. Like the Minister of State, I would prefer rent controls because the sector could be more adequately served. We need a housing policy that guarantees everyone access to a home and not a case of whether the markets can build so many houses or apartments over five...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: I support this amendment because we do not know the impact of HAP on housing provision and whether landlords will enter the scheme. We do not know how the inspection within eight months by an environmental officer will tally out. It is important to check the scheme. The Minister of State says it is a short-term initiative to give people a home, but so were RAS and rent allowance. They...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: Before the commencement of the debate on the Private Members' Bill, I stated that the rent allowance was supposed to be a short-term fix rather than a long-term solution. RAS was supposed to be short-term fix. The implementation of HAP, as regards what landlords will get it, is very much based on RAS where one can work when paying with rent allowance. The landlord will get the money...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: I want to check that I heard the Minister's comments correctly. Did she say somebody on the housing list - deemed to have a housing need and in receipt of rent allowance - who takes the HAP is allowed to go on another housing list?

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: I will ask again the question posed by Deputy Ó Feargháil. Is the Minister of State contradicting the officials from the Department of Social Protection who were before the committee today? They indicated that anybody in receipt of the HAP would be taken off the housing list.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: From comments last week, I understood that people will not be taken off the housing list.

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Report Stage (Resumed) (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: By saying that the Minister of State is playing with words. Are they on the housing list, with a need for housing? Short-term HAP gives them short-term housing but they could remain on the housing list. If what the Minister of State says is true it is a scandal.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Irish Water Remit (17 Jun 2014)

Joan Collins: 91. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if Irish Water will be compelled to go to a court to seek a court order to reduce a household's water supply if they do not or cannot pay the water charges. [25241/14]