Results 5,001-5,020 of 6,307 for speaker:Gerald Nash

Topical Issue Debate: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (2 Jul 2014)

Gerald Nash: Before I address the issue at hand I wish to pay tribute my friend, mentor and colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn. I would not be in this Chamber today if it were not for the constant support, guidance and example of the Minister who announced today that he will shortly exit the Government benches and leave the political stage. He is a Titan of the...

Topical Issue Debate: Further Education and Training Programmes Provision (2 Jul 2014)

Gerald Nash: I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. I have great faith in the service providers and State agencies working in this area. They have stepped up to the mark in recent years and have shown significant determination and imagination and a personal commitment to getting people back to work. They include SOLAS, local employment service, and Intreo staff in the offices in...

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Water Charges Exemptions (1 Jul 2014)

Gerald Nash: 309. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if Irish Water and the CER are considering introducing any mitigating measures in terms of the water charges tariff structures for consumers who have expended large sums of money on systems to deal with the impact of hard water on household appliances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27913/14]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (1 Jul 2014)

Gerald Nash: 419. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current position in the recent Garda recruitment drive; if a panel has been formed from which candidates will be drawn for consideration to be Garda recruits; the number of gardaí that will be recruited; when the first batch will be in training in Templemore; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28153/14]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (1 Jul 2014)

Gerald Nash: 647. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the provision of high-support services for young persons aged 12 to 17, specifically the Crannóg Nua facility, Portrane, County Dublin; the planned redesignation of the service to special care; if funding has been agreed for this project; if a construction team has been appointed to complete the project; when...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: I have a related point. I am keen to know the level of pay for polling clerks and staff. This is something the Department should be in a position to answer. What is the cost to a local authority of losing those staff? Generally speaking, there would be counts or elections on days when local authorities are open and supposed to be fully functioning. Inevitably there will be costs...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: What are they?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: Is the Secretary General prepared to give any metrics on that, in terms of the savings that may have been achieved?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: How much was that in real terms - in terms of how much the Department anticipated spending on third party legal costs and what was actually spent?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: Now that the SCA has established the legal costs unit, has the Department detected situations in which lawyers are being more realistic in terms of the bill of costs they submit? Are they less greedy?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: I have two further questions, one of which relates to the plastic bag levy. I am very interested to know - if Mr. McCarthy has the information - how much has been raised through the plastic bag levy year on year over the past couple of years. Has there been a decline and a change of culture in regard to the purchase of plastic bags? The reason for the introduction of the levy was to try to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: I have one final question relating to expenditure on elections, although this may not be within Mr. McCarthy's ambit in general. Something brought to my attention on a regular basis, particularly in the lead-up to elections, is that one of the significant costs is the employment and engagement of polling staff. We are told consistently by returning officers that the filling of positions is...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: I accept that this is a requirement, and those people generally do a good job.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: Thank you.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: I ask Mr. McCarthy to elaborate slightly on the circumstances of local authorities that have been shut out of the scheme, or might not have got into the scheme. He mentioned that the Housing Finance Agency is engaging in bilateral discussions with them. It is clear that the financial positions of many local authorities will not enable them to deal effectively with the capital costs of the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: How many local authorities would be outside the scheme because they did not enter it before it was closed down? Do we have any figures for the total liability in this regard?

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: If I understand Mr. McCarthy correctly, those loans have been repackaged into 25-year annuities.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: Okay. I understand. Could I move on to the issue of social and voluntary housing? Mr. McCarthy mentioned earlier that approximately 1,800 refurbished units have been turned over in recent times. What is the breakdown between direct build or local authority build and building by the voluntary sector? I would appreciate it if Mr. McCarthy could furnish us with those figures.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: I am asking about new-build units.

Public Accounts Committee: 2012 Annual Report and Appropriation Accounts of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4 - Vote Accounting
Chapter 10 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Costs of Land Remediation
Vote 25 - Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government (26 Jun 2014)

Gerald Nash: How many new units would there have been?