Results 1,781-1,800 of 2,940 for speaker:Séamus Healy

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: I thank the Minister for his reply. This is a vital area for job retention and creation especially in areas deemed to be non-commercial. These areas are generally small towns and villages and rural areas where job creation is all about small industries such as home industries or individuals working from home. This is vital. Will the Minister give some indication of the timescale for the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: Will the Minister indicate the nature of the consultation? It is vital that there is full an adequate consultation on this issue.

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: 12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the roll out of high speed broadband to rural areas of County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31290/14]

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: The question of the availability of quality, high speed broadband, particularly in areas outside the major urban centres, is crucial for job creation and job retention. I ask the Minister the position on the provision of those services in County Tipperary.

Other Questions: Broadband Services Provision (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: I welcome the statement from the Minister on the various initiatives he mentioned. These are vital for County Tipperary because we have significant levels of unemployment, with more than 1,500 people unemployed in the county. That figure has increased in the past two consecutive months. The IDA announced 100 investments in the past 18 months, not one of which was in County Tipperary. The...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Schemes Issues (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: 27. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the reason Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland are replacing the existing grant scheme operated with community not-for-profit organisations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31289/14]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Departmental Funding (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: 29. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will grant increased funding on a multi-year basis to TG4, in view of the fact that its funding is significantly below similar services in other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31291/14]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Wind Energy Generation (17 Jul 2014)

Séamus Healy: 34. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide details of the contribution by wind energy towards the overall energy and electricity bills for the country on an annual basis; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31293/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 3. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government the number of mortgage to rent transactions completed in each calendar year since the inception of the scheme; his plans to increase these numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34561/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I congratulate my now constituency colleague, Deputy Alan Kelly, on his appointment as Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, as well as the Minister of State, Deputy Paudie Coffey.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I wish both of them well into the future. The mortgage to rent scheme should be an important and invaluable tool in dealing with the issue of mortgage arrears. It is a very good concept which allows approved housing bodies to purchase houses and a mortgage holder to remain in the family home with the option of repurchasing should financial circumstances improve. However, because the scheme...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: While I thank the Minister of State for the information, the figures he provided show that the number of approvals under the scheme is unacceptably low. Anything that could be done to improve the number would be very welcome. The level of mortgage arrears continues to be very high, and unfortunately the insolvency legislation brought forward by the Government is now known to be seriously...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Application Numbers (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I agree and hope the Minister of State is right that mortgage holders in arrears can recover the situation and find employment. However, there are many thousands of mortgage holders out there in serious arrears with no prospect of being able to deal with them. This is an ideal scheme. Unfortunately, we have seen that the personal insolvency and bankruptcy processes are flawed. In many...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 5. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide the number of households on social housing waiting lists by county; his plans for the construction of social houses to provide for this waiting list; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34562/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: There is widespread agreement that we have a full-blown social housing crisis in this country. In my county of Tipperary there are 2,546 families on the local authority housing waiting list while the national figure is huge. This Government and the previous Fianna Fáil and Green Party Government have depended on privatisation and the market to deal with the issue and this policy has...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: The figures provided by the Minister are truly horrendous and confirm the views expressed by many advocacy groups such as the Irish Council for Social Housing, Focus Ireland, Threshold, Barnardos and Social Justice Ireland, as well as Uachtarán na hÉireann, Michael D. Higgins, to the effect that there is a social housing crisis. The President addressed this matter on two occasions...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: The most important action the Minister and the Government can take is to oversee the construction of social housing by local authorities and approved housing bodies. The President has stated there is a need for a "huge increase in public rental accommodation." The Irish Council for Social Housing is on record as stating, "The over-reliance on the private market to meet social housing demand...

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: 6. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government whether he is satisfied with the taking in charge process; if he intends to change the process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34317/14]

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: This question relates to the taking in charge process. Every Member will know of the difficulties that have arisen in respect of the process. There are situations involving families in estates that have not been taken in charge for long periods, periods of years, in fact. As a result they are not entitled to the services of the local authority. Is the Minister aware of these situations?...

Other Questions: Unfinished Housing Developments (17 Sep 2014)

Séamus Healy: I certainly welcome the fact that the Department and the Minister are reviewing the situation. Can the Minister give us any timeline in respect of the review? Has it started? When will it finish? What outcome does the Minister anticipate from it? There are situations whereby builders have become insolvent, where they are not on-site, cannot be contacted or perhaps are not in the country....