Results 6,401-6,420 of 9,894 for speaker:Thomas Byrne
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: This money was not drawn down.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Does Ms McGrath know what that was in respect of?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Are there applications in from Meath County Council in relation to recent flood events? An OPW official very kindly visited Ashbourne some time ago. There were quite a number of flood events in County Meath approximately four weeks ago.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I would be grateful for that.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Is that on the small works scheme?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I am familiar with some of them.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Who maintains the projects?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: A small works scheme was granted in Drumconrath at the River Neagh and some people have suggested that other problems have been caused upstream or downstream as a result. The local authority in the first instance would look at that and come to the OPW if it needed more money to do more work.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I refer briefly to Oldbridge House. I congratulate the OPW and its staff there who do tremendous work. It is a major tourism attraction and benefit to the community of east Meath and south Louth, being located on the county border. Aisling and her team there do tremendous work. I brought my children there at Hallowe'en and there were things in terms of children's entertainment one would...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Presumably, the OPW wants the playground given that it sought planning permission.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Operations and Functions: Office of Public Works (10 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Unfortunately, what has happened in the meantime is that a welcome expectation was created by applying for planning permission. For various reasons, Meath County Council did not want to go for it. It says it has no money whereas the OPW has a certain amount. It is getting caught now and families are losing out. The OPW and the site itself are losing out by not having it. The OPW was able...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report - November 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (4 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: It is an old chestnut that is still hanging around, unfortunately.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report - November 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (4 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I apologise for being late for the presentations but I was voting against the Finance Bill, partially on the recommendation of the Fiscal Advisory Council. It was not the recommendation of the Fiscal Advisory Council to vote against any measure but my decision was based on some of the reasons outlined by the council. I would like to follow up on some of the points raised by Deputy Pearse...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report - November 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (4 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I suggest that is the statutory function of IFAC.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report - November 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (4 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I am not criticising the members of the council.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report - November 2014: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (4 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Although most of us here know the answer, I still see the letter of endorsement as being misused. On some websites I have seen reference to “the attached letter of endorsement” as if the letter of endorsement relates to the budget itself. Could that be explained briefly?
- Seanad: Homelessness: Statements (3 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I thank Minister of State for coming to the House. A cross-party and a cross-sectoral approach should be adopted but that is not to say the Government cannot do more and that we should not point out to the Government where we think policies are failing and must be changed. We have a number of ideas and pictures of homelessness. There is the poor unfortunate person who has got into...
- Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2014: Statements (3 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: Is a jobs announcement expected this week?
- Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2014: Statements (3 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I have a one-minute question.
- Seanad: Action Plan for Jobs 2014: Statements (3 Dec 2014)
Thomas Byrne: I was struck by Senator Naughton's speech when she referred to the fall in unemployment. She is correct, but she should look at the figures from 1997 onwards when there were 1 million people employed in the country. It went up to 2 million and then went down temporarily. We are working constructively with the Government, in so far as we can, to get that employment figure back up to 2.1...