Results 2,001-2,020 of 3,645 for speaker:Michael Collins

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (Resumed) and Subsequent Stages (9 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The health insurance issue is scandalous to say the least. I speak to people who want to use health insurance and the greatest issue is that the cost prevents them from doing so. Recently, people have been contacting my office to say there have been several increases that are putting health insurance out of the reach of the ordinary person. This is an issue that needs to be addressed...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (9 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The fishing industry is hanging on the edge at this time due to the Brexit negotiations and British insistence that all EU trawlers vacate UK waters on 31 December. On top of this, we heard at the Select Committee on Agriculture and the Marine last week that there will be a 5% reduction in whitefish fleet fishing next year. This will mainly hit fishermen from Castletownbere and the south...

Mental Health Policy: Motion [Private Members] (9 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: Mental health is a huge issue in my constituency and throughout the country. I often say that we concentrated so much on Covid-19 that we took our eye off the ball for people with cancer or mental health stress. Some say there has been a huge increase in suicide. A proper register of people with mental health and death by suicide might show that those deaths might be at about the same...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The visiting restrictions on nursing homes and community hospitals during the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant negative effect on the psychological well-being of many residents. I fully understand the need for visiting restrictions to keep this elderly sector of our community safe during Covid but many residents have suffered psychologically. I welcome the new position where nursing...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: 106. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to pay for the excess electricity generated in the future by photovoltaic cells installed on the roof of a private house (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41459/20]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Help to Buy Scheme (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: 170. To ask the Minister for Finance the reason persons (details supplied) do not qualify for the first-time buyers help to buy scheme; if other grants are available to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41870/20]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: 606. To ask the Minister for Health the amount availed of from the NTPF by nursing homes for PPE spending in each month from February to June 2020; the amount spent each month by the HSE from July to date on PPE for nursing homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41320/20]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Impact of Brexit on the Agri-food Industry: Discussion (8 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: Quite a lot of the issues I was going to raise have been touched on. I welcome the organisations here today. With Brexit looming, in their estimation, which is the most exposed sector in terms of the risk in agriculture? A lot of discussions are going on at the moment and there is a savage focus on fisheries. Last week, Michel Barnier was offering 18% more of Irish fish stocks to the UK....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Abortion Services Provision (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The people of Ireland voted for abortion a couple of years ago but no one ever thought that there would be 6,666 abortions in 12 months. I met so many people who voted for it who are stunned by this. It is what it is. The discussion today is about late-term abortions. It is about what a new study tells us about late-term abortions and babies born alive after abortion in Ireland. A study,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Abortion Services Provision (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for allowing this Topical Issue debate. The Minister of State says the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, is aware. Is the Minister aware of what is happening, because if he is, the Minister of State has not got a proper response here? This is a very important issue. Babies are being born alive and there is no pain relief being administered to them. The...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: We will. This is related to the fuels, cars and extra costs which have occurred for the ordinary working person. These extra costs are severe for the fishermen, contractors, the hauliers and the farmers, as well as for the ordinary mother and father taking their children to school and going to work every day. The people of rural Ireland - no one else - will have to pay this extra tax. ...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The funding is coming from this pot and it is not coming back to the people. That is the argument I am trying to put. That is why this amendment has been tabled. It is to get the Minister to understand there is no point in putting a carbon tax in place when the moneys raised through the taxes from fuel are taken back to Dublin to spend on big projects there as well as in senior Ministers'...

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: I am delighted to have an opportunity to discuss this amendment, which relates to the carbon tax provision. That tax is nothing other than a direct attack on the people of rural Ireland.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: My contribution will be short. I did mention last night to the Minister, but our discussion was cut short, about pubs whose kitchens are not considered sufficient and they have been forced to close. They will not be entitled to the CRSS funding either because they did sell food previously. It would be fine if they were allowed to open but they are not. Because they sold food that they...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The Irish fishing industry is hanging at the edge at this time due to Brexit negotiations and the British insistence that all EU trawlers vacate UK waters on 21 December 2020. On top of this, we heard at the agriculture and the marine committee on Tuesday there will be a 5% decrease in white fish fleet fishing next year, which will mainly hit fishermen from Castletownbere in the south west....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The question was whose fish are being sold?

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The Government is handing over our fish.

Finance Bill 2020: Report Stage (2 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: Regarding wet and gastropubs, many publicans have contacted me in recent days. This issue, or something close to the mark regarding what I am explaining, has been brought up already and perhaps it is one the Department could look at. I refer to publicans who had kitchens as such, but these are not deemed kitchens now in respect of allowing them to reopen. They are not entitled to avail of...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: The publicans have served the people well throughout the length and breadth of rural Ireland. It is obvious to them that the Taoiseach is protecting the pubs in Dublin. He is afraid to open the pubs in Dublin but he is pointing the finger at every rural pub throughout Ireland. Their businesses are lying in ruin thanks to the Taoiseach. For four years, he was attacking them by backing up...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (2 Dec 2020)

Michael Collins: They are putting more work on the Garda.