Results 861-880 of 9,393 for speaker:Alex White
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: The Government and the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, have made enormous progress in this area, particularly at a time of constrained resources.
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: It is difficult for the Members opposite to accept the facts I have set out.
- Order of Business (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: It is proposed to take No. 37, Industrial Relations (Amendment) Bill 2015 - Report Stage (resumed) and Final Stage; and No. 6, National Cultural Institutions (National Concert Hall) Bill 2015 - Order for Second Stage and Second Stage. Friday's fortnightly business shall be No. 71, Electoral (Amendment) Bill 2015; and No. 72, Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2014.
- Order of Business (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: I thank the Deputy for his concluding remarks about yesterday's service. I join him in commending and thanking everybody who was involved in arranging that service, particularly the protocol staff in the Department of the Taoiseach. I think it demonstrated the unity of the whole House and all the people of Ireland in the face of what has been a most profound tragedy. The Deputy raised two...
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: We have expanded the child care system. We subsidised 25,000 child care places for low-income parents. However, I accept that child care services and facilities should improve as soon as possible. This is why the Minister, Deputy Reilly, has an interdepartmental group examining how best to do that. Our child care system is nothing like what we want it to be or what it should be. I accept...
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: Clearly, a resource issue is involved. We must find resources in order to expand child care. As the economy continues to recover and as more people work or are available to work, which is a good thing, access to child care will put pressure on them. This is something that the current Government, for the remainder of its life, and the next Government, whichever parties comprise it, will...
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: On the Deputy's question regarding the legacy of poverty for lone parents, she is right about the position. While there have been significant levels of State spending on lone parents and improvements have been made to the one-parent family payment down the years, it is still the case that lone parents are considerably more at risk of consistent poverty than the population as a whole. It is...
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: -----that these reforms are being introduced. What has been done to date has not been successful. The Deputy agrees that a job is the best route out of poverty. We must not only ensure that we do not maintain a dependency on welfare, as I assume that no one, including the Deputy, wants that, but we must help to motivate and facilitate people in accessing the workplace-----
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: -----and getting more hours where they already work and ensure that the system supports them-----
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: -----they are listened to when they attend at Intreo offices and so on-----
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: -----and their individual situations are addressed. This is the humane way to do it-----
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: -----and the best policy approach to a difficult situation that people are facing.
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: In line with the programme for Government commitment, the priority demonstrated by the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, and the Government has been to modernise our mental health services, notwithstanding the severe resource constraints of the past four years in particular. What we are seeking to do, and have done to a great extent, is to prioritise new resources to underpin the...
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: Please acknowledge the fact that the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, in particular has made this a central priority and ensured that real progress has been made.
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: Discussions are taking place between the Department of Health and the HSE on the final allocation of an additional €35 million that was provided for mental health services in budget 2015. I expect that the allocation will be finalised in the near future. The sustained investment in mental health services by the Government since 2012 has enabled the HSE to recruit staff who are...
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: The Deputy is correct. It has not been possible to secure a locum but real efforts are being made.
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: There is nobody more concerned and more engaged with this issue than the Minister himself and the HSE directors and managers involved in this issue.
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: We accept that there is a difficulty but significant progress is being made. Deputy Calleary makes no reference to the legacy of the policies, including health policies, of the previous Government. He makes no reference, of course, because it would not suit his case-----
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: -----to the economic collapse which has such an impact on all public services, including the health service.
- Leaders' Questions (25 Jun 2015)
Alex White: As one of the more reasonable Deputies on the opposite side-----