Results 3,121-3,140 of 3,759 for speaker:Michael Collins

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (14 Jun 2018)

Michael Collins: I will definitely take that on board. I will speak to my brother, Councillor Danny Collins, to see if he could push Cork County Council to come on board and co-fund these projects going forward. Between the LIS and the community services scheme it is a fabulous opportunity for communities to make progress. I accept that, unfortunately, they will have to contribute a little but that is fine...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (14 Jun 2018)

Michael Collins: 4. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development his plans to allocate extra funding to the local involvement and community involvement schemes in 2018. [26019/18]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (14 Jun 2018)

Michael Collins: During the past 12 months or more the Minister has allocated funding for the local improvement scheme. I commend him greatly on that because the scheme had been stalled for several years, much to the detriment of rural communities. It is back now and it is really popular. Most local authorities will say that the funding given by the Minister is great but that they want triple or quadruple...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Local Improvement Scheme Funding (14 Jun 2018)

Michael Collins: I thank the Minister. I am in not here to criticise him in any way for what he is doing because he could do no better than he has done to date. It is simply a matter of encouraging a deeper look to determine whether there could be an extra allocation of funding at the end of this year. In south west Cork I know of €2 million or €3 million worth of projects seeking funding....

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Leader Programmes Funding (14 Jun 2018)

Michael Collins: 212. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the steps he will take to ensure that Leader funding is not politicised (details supplied). [26020/18]

Housing: Motion [Private Members] (13 Jun 2018)

Michael Collins: I am grateful to have the opportunity to speak on housing. I thank Solidarity-People Before Profit for bringing forward this motion. We need immediate action to tackle this problem. The majority of those becoming homeless are in the private rental sector. I refer to huge numbers of my constituents from Bandon, Kilbrittain, Ballinspittle, Ballinadee, Dunmanway, Skibbereen, Leap and Goleen....

Order of Business (12 Jun 2018)

Michael Collins: I wish to address the tourism commitments in the programme for Government. One of the finest tourism assets we have is the West Cork Secret activity centre in Kilbrittain. Its visitor numbers have increased year after year since opening. This all-year-round secret garden is a popular attraction that brings in visitors from all over Ireland and abroad. It is the brainchild of the O'Mahony...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: Multi-Annual Financial Framework after 2020: European Commission (12 Jun 2018)

Michael Collins: I thank Ms Brown for her presentation. Deputy Danny Healy-Rae has spoken about a lot of the issues that would be of serious concern to the people I represent. I would go back to the programme for Government negotiations about two and a half years ago. I remember being at the table with the then Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Coveney, who I always said was the best...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I did not interrupt the Deputy. I am speaking from experience.

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: It is very relevant.

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I had the decency not to interrupt somebody when they are speaking. There needs to be a bit of courtesy.

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: This is another layer of work for boards of management and it will be a huge difficulty for them. They are experiencing major difficulties and I am opposed to imposing another layer of work on them. Other Members will interrupt me because they probably do not have the experience of working on a board of management. I know the amount of time and effort that goes into people trying to keep...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I spoke earlier on other amendments.

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I always talk from experience. I have been on a board of management for a number of years. I worry about another layer. I work for people who are community voluntary people who give their time for free to their community. They go to long meetings at night for the betterment of their schools. We are continually putting layers of difficulties in front of them instead of trying to work with...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I listened to Deputy Paul Murphy who talked about the gentleman who was a Hindu and who had been asked to have his child baptised. There are such cases which are wrong, but the biggest issue is overcrowding which we are trying to address in the context of baptisms. Schools are in a dreadful position where there is overcrowding and are looking at the criteria. Feeder schools and non-feeder...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I will start by declaring a conflict of interest. I have been on the board of management of a Catholic school in west Cork for the past number of years and I was chairperson of the same board. I cannot understand why people come into this House and point fingers at the religious orders in regard to schools. I have been ten years involved in the same school in Schull in west Cork, but not...

Education (Admission to School) Bill 2016: Report Stage (Resumed) (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I am delighted to be able to thank God. The child came first, and I have first-hand experience of that. That has been the case during the time I have been a chairperson and a member of the board. The child always came first. I would like to calculate the amount of time we spent talking about religion on that board in ten years but I can safely say it did not take up too many hours because...

Residential Tenancies (Greater Security of Tenure and Rent Certainty) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I would like to share time with Deputy Michael Healy-Rae.

Residential Tenancies (Greater Security of Tenure and Rent Certainty) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: I support this important Bill, which seeks to provide for greater security of tenure and rent certainty for tenants. It has been confirmed that a majority of those who are becoming homeless are from the private rented sector. Many of my constituents in places like Bantry, Baltimore, Skibbereen, Kealkil, Clonakilty, Rosscarbery, Bandon and Kinsale, to name just a few, are unable to get on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rural Bus Services: Discussion (30 May 2018)

Michael Collins: There are two types of services. One is the day to day Local Links rural transport services. It is second to none in most cases. I have no qualm with those services. The daytime service in west Cork is well laid out, excellently managed and delivered to many people suffering from rural isolation. However, the proposed new service being piloted is doomed to failure before it starts. It...