Results 1,561-1,580 of 26,842 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (29 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Question 590: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount paid out annually from public funds for outsourcing to private contractors and the use of consultants and agencies for all Departments of the civil and public service and State agencies; a breakdown of these figures in tabular form on a Department/authority/agency basis; and if he will make a statement on the...

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That sounds a bit like gobbledegook to me.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister speaks about this body and the other body being responsible, this report and so on. On 24 October, there was serious flooding in 89 different locations in my area alone. Hundreds of families saw their houses flooded. For many of those families, it was a repeat episode of flooding. It happened again, again and again. The thrust of my question and the appeal of the residents...

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Of course the State has responsibility to put in place proper water and drainage infrastructure. I do not understand the Minister batting this off to the local authorities, as if he was disconnected from local authorities. Deputy Hogan is the Minister with overall responsibility for this.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Will the Minister make funds available to the local authorities to take urgent action to improve the infrastructure in flood black spots? I realise this is not directly the responsibility of the Minister's Department but perhaps he could raise this issue. For example, many people in Avondale Lawn in Blackrock are repeat flood victims. The backs of their homes look like disaster areas or...

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: They do not because they are repeat flood victims.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is a matter of resources.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Question 6: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government if he will provide funds to local authorities to update water infrastructure to deal with persistent flooding; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37693/11]

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No. They are on the Order Paper.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister could elaborate on it.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I welcome the fact the Minister stated he will examine the cases of people without insurance who have been refused assistance under the €10 million scheme. I would appreciate if the Minister follows through on this and I will send on to him the details. I appeal for some joined-up thinking rather than having the Office of Public Works here, a section of the Department of the Environment,...

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Will the Minister put heads together with the Office of Public Works, local authorities and his political allies? At a meeting on this issue on Monday his Fine Gael and Labour Party colleagues in Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council refused to support a motion calling for action.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Will the Minister put heads together from the various agencies and bodies to provide a comprehensive solution and the resources necessary to deal with the victims of repeat flooding? The State has a responsibility for it.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Some do not have access to it.

Water Services (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Fair enough. What about the insurance?

Local Authority Housing (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Question 16: To ask the Minister for the Environment; Community and Local Government the average rental revenue received by local authorities per council house and the amount that would be received by local authorities if all those currently in receipt of rent allowance, or in the rental accommodation scheme or long term leasing arrangements with private landlords were in council houses and...

Local Authority Housing (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I think the Minister understands the logic of my question. At a rough calculation, based on questions I asked in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, the average rent is estimated at approximately €600 a month, approximately €7,000 a year per tenant, and this is in differential rent schemes. Every year, we are spending approximately €500 million or more of public money in the form of rent...

Local Authority Housing (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That sounds good. However, I may stand to be corrected but that does not seem to be the situation. As I understand it, it is proposed to lease the NAMA properties from the developers. These are developers who are bankrupt and whom we are bankrolling. Why not just transfer the houses, once it has been ascertained that these are up to standard, directly into the hands of the local...

Local Authority Housing (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We are all on the same side now.

Local Authority Housing (30 Nov 2011)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister is speaking of socialism.