Results 17,161-17,180 of 27,080 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: State Pension (Contributory) Eligibility (19 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 630. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if pension entitlements in respect of a person (details supplied) will be reviewed. [47592/19]

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Did I miss the discussion on my amendments?

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is a conspiracy.

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not have a problem with standards being set down. In fact, I want standards to be set down. This is apropos of the general subject area of the amendment rather than the specific purpose of the amendment. Could the Minister explain to me how somebody who has a difficulty with the standards, maintenance or such of an approved housing body unit is not at a disadvantage to a council...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I take the point that there are different levels of regulation, such as for governance, how AHBs keep their finances and accounts, and so on. Bluntly, my point is that it is more complicated than dealing with a council, from a tenant's point of view. Even though having recourse to the RTB is better than nothing, it is not the same as having recourse to a councillor, who can table a motion...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 19: In page 35, line 6, after “AHB” to insert the following: “, including the number of such units providing social housing and specifically allocated to the local authority waiting list and the numbers of units provided in other categories”. This amendment speaks for itself. We want to know how many of the units of any AHB will be...

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2019: Committee Stage (19 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I will consider what the Minister said. I will flag the issue now and if it needs to be spelt out explicitly, I will resubmit the amendment on Report Stage.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seeker Employment (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 11. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will extend the right to work to all asylum seekers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47834/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seeker Employment (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 18. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of asylum seekers who would be eligible to work under the programme available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47833/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seeker Employment (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Until May 2017, the Government operated a complete ban on the right of asylum seekers to look for employment and contribute to our society. That ban was found to be unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in 2017. The limited right to work the Government introduced as a result of the Supreme Court case has left the vast majority of asylum seekers either without the right to employment or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seeker Employment (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: This does not make sense. We have labour shortages in a large number of areas, from the health service to special needs education, childcare and construction. I could go through a list. Despite this, thousands of people who are forced to live in fairly inhumane conditions in direct provision centres, many of them in isolated areas, want to work but cannot do so. This does not make sense...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Asylum Seeker Employment (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 12 o’clock It is inhumane to have children living in hostels or hotels, where their mothers or fathers cannot cook dinner for them, for years on end. It is inhumane for asylum seekers and people in family emergency homeless hubs. "Inhumane" is not an unreasonable word to use in this regard. A more important term again is "totally unnecessary". I hope the Minister of State will...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: As I informed the Business Committee a few days ago, grassroots housing activists are planning a housing demonstration on 5 December and have requested that Deputies, rather than attending the demonstration, have a debate in the House on solutions to the housing crisis. I hope that debate will be arranged. There are many reasons that people wish to protest, including the welfare of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Department's guidelines for the acquisition of dwellings suggest shocking upper limit figures of €400,000, €500,000 and €700,000 for social housing units.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Are those the prices the public will pay for housing from private developers on land that was given to those developers by the State?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am opposed to both of those developments.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: How much will people pay for social housing units?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: How much will people pay?

Finance Bill 2019: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Sometimes we are so focused on individual measures we do not take the time to step back and look at the big picture in terms of the economy, the amount of wealth that exists in the economy, who gets the benefit of that wealth, how it is distributed, and whether it is distributed fairly. The only opportunity to do that is during the Finance Bill, which is why I have tabled a series of...

Finance Bill 2019: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Nov 2019)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The vast majority of the increase in household wealth is in the value of property assets, as the Minister of State has acknowledged. Financial assets are significant at €374 billion but there is €534 billion in housing assets. The Minister of State argues that if we impose a wealth tax, these people might move out of the country and take their assets with them. They could not...