Results 2,621-2,640 of 26,783 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (20 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 532. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the annual capital spend by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive in each year since 2005 of acquiring new emergency accommodation to increase the provision of emergency homeless accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40416/23]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Emergency Accommodation (20 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 533. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline the average current expenditure by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive in each year since 2005 of leasing or renting emergency accommodation to increase the provision of emergency homeless accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40417/23]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Schemes (20 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 634. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will address the delays regarding an appeal by a person (details supplied) for an invalidity pension, as well as the denial of supplementary welfare allowance, and who has had no social welfare supports since 17 August 2023, when their illness benefit was stopped; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40147/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 772. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in relation to the afforestation scheme 2023-2027 document, specifically section 6.8, the definition of a farmer as outlined in the section acts as a disincentive for persons commencing farming, particularly the previous four years’ applicant for BISS or BPS, from entering the afforestation scheme; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 773. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in relation to the afforestation scheme 2023-2027 document, specifically section 6.8, the definition of a farmer for farmer rate of forestry payments as defined was a decision made by his Department or one instructed by the European Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40189/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 770. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to provide, in tabular form, the total number of private felling licences issued by his Department in each year since 2014; the number of felling licences issued to Coillte for the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40186/23]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (20 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 771. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine to specify the length of time the director of forestry is in place; to list, in tabular form and date form, the associations, societies and semi-State bodies that the director has met since his appointment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40187/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Services (20 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 975. To ask the Minister for Health to investigate the reason that there is no board of management for the medical primary certificate application office, resulting in the refusal of all medical primary certificate grant applications and appeals; to advise when this will be rectified to facilitate people with disabilities and brain injuries to drive; and if he will make a statement on the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Business of Select Committee (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I propose Deputy Durkan.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: One of the big debates as we head into the budget is around the fact we have a large surplus but we must be careful not to spend it because it may feed inflation. Although it is rarely stated upfront, most economists acknowledge that it is okay to spend more if it is covered on the other side by increased revenues. If people think that is true, it should be said. In other words, if we...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I just think it is important to stress. It is not in the language and it should be emphasised a little more. The problem from the point of view of ordinary working people and those on lower incomes and so on is that when we have budget deficits, they have to get it in the neck and when we have record budget surpluses, they still get it in the neck. Meanwhile, super profits are being...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There are a couple of other points that are worth clarifying in this debate and I want to see what the officials think. Capacity constraints are being mentioned quite a lot. A major factor, possibly the major one, is labour and skills shortages. The officials might accept it is a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation. I met a group of teachers today who said there are loads of people out...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes. My last point, and it follows from the previous one, but again I feel it is worth spelling out, is that one of the big ongoing current expenditures that is ballooning is the amount of money the State is forking out every year in housing assistance payment, HAP, rental accommodation scheme, RAS, and leasing arrangements. The same could probably be said about the outsourcing to the...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not know if the witnesses have any comment on this but on the mortgages point, and it is a Government decision, is there any reason we cannot just fix mortgage interest rates at a level that is sustainable for people? This is particularly when the Peppers of this world are lashing them up to 5%, 6% or 7%, which is crippling people. The Government has the power and should cap interest...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It always seems to be in the first bulletin at the beginning of the year. I never see it in the others.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I always find that interesting because it can be seen year on year, basically since the recession, that net household wealth has dramatically increased. The most recent Central Bank bulletin I saw indicated such wealth was more than €1 trillion for the first time. That was net. That will come as a huge surprise to the bottom 50% or 60% who have a tiny proportion of that or, in some...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Pre-Budget Engagement: Central Bank of Ireland and ESRI (19 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Mortgage interest rates.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: RTÉ (Resumed) (13 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank the Chair and committee for allowing me in on this discussion. We are in a pretty grim and tragic situation. We are coming up to the budget, where I would like to argue – and will argue, despite all of this – that we are not putting enough public investment into arts and culture generally, including public service broadcasting. We are way below the European average...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Transparency of RTÉ Expenditure of Public Funds and Governance Issues: RTÉ (Resumed) (13 Sep 2023)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes.