Results 41-60 of 471 for speaker:Cathy Bennett

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: Trade and services?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: That is okay. I thank the Minister for answering those questions. On passports, I want to commend the Passport Office. The processing of passports has really sped up in recent years. I have some questions on this. An issue I have encountered is where people have made three attempts to get witnesses to authorise the photographs. If there is no garda on duty on a day, the applicant...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: Three times and then it goes back.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: The budget for reconciliation and North-South co-operation has decreased by one third. What was the reason for that? Why did it decrease?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: I have spoken to a few people from the diaspora with American or Australian driving licences who are moving home to Ireland. When they get to Ireland, if they never sat a driving test here previously, they have to sit a completely new test, where they start from scratch and do their driving lessons. With the backlog in driving licences, will the Tánaiste consider the diaspora being...

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: I thank the Tánaiste for that. I have one more question. The support for the diaspora is static this year. It is not going up or down. Is that wise in respect of the year of invitation that is now upon us?

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: Not forgetting Belfast.

Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade: Estimates for Public Services 2025
Vote 27 - International Co-operation (Revised)
Vote 28 - Foreign Affairs (Revised) (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: There is the recommendation from the ICJ.

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Network (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: 153. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will report on his engagements with his Cabinet colleagues regarding the inclusion of a bypass for Monaghan town in the National Development Plan; the steps that Monaghan County Council must take to secure its inclusion; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24846/25]

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Departmental Data (24 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: 199. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the amount of funding raised through the work of honorary consuls; the amount expended in support of their work, by country and by year, for the years 2019 to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33708/25]

Copyright and Related Rights (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: I welcome that the Government is introducing legislation to address issues relating to the incorrect transposition of the EU copyright directive identified by the High Court and the CJEU. Legislation is necessary. We understand that. A more equitable distribution of royalties is absolutely welcome, but the Bill the Government has brought before the House is poorly thought out, regressive...

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: I agree with everybody who has spoken that it is totally unacceptable that the Peter McVerry Trust did not come before us today. There is an onus on the Department, the Government and the Minister to ensure that governance is carried out for all charitable organisations that receive money from their Departments. The 2023 accounts have to come before us. The Peter McVerry Trust will have to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for coming. I am not sure if they are aware, but there was a protest outside Leinster House this week by the Raise the Roof campaign. They were protesting because people in this country cannot get houses as a result of the cost of housing. At the protest, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions stated housing is "the greatest political failure of our time"....

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: Who has the ultimate responsibility? Is it the Secretary General or the Minister?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: Who is at the top of the ladder?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: It is not working. A total of 15,400 people are homeless. Is it working? No. It is not working for me. I will move on from that. Mr. Doyle did not give me a straight answer and say whether he, the Department or the Minister is responsible. Will Mr. Doyle give me a "Yes" or "No" on that? Is it him or is it the Minister who has the ultimate responsibility?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: There has to be somebody at the top of the ladder who has responsibility and complete oversight and is supposed to look at where the money is being spent. There are still 15,400 people who are homeless. Who has that ultimate responsibility?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: Mr. Doyle is over everybody.

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: Okay. I will move on to the Peter McVerry Trust. At the end of September 2024, the Department estimated that €1.56 million was spent in professional fees. How much more has been paid out in professional fees to date?

Public Accounts Committee: 2023 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2023
Chapter 2 - Central Government Funding of Local Authorities
Chapter 11 - Exceptional State Funding of the Peter McVerry Trust
Chapter 12 - Local Infrastructure Housing Activation Fund
Local Government Fund - Account 2023 (19 Jun 2025)

Cathy Bennett: That is on top of the €5.8 million that was overspent.