Results 861-880 of 4,672 for speaker:Dessie Ellis

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: The issue of a directly elected mayor has been discussed for many years as part of local government reform. When will the Government bring forward legislation to hold a plebiscite on the idea of a directly elected mayor? A plebiscite does not compel the Government to follow its result but would provide a good indication as to whether the public approves a measure. If the public supports...

Services for People with Disabilities: Motion [Private Members] (27 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: Tá áthas orm deis a bheith agam labhairt ar an mholadh tábhachtach seo. People with disabilities have to struggle more than most people to have a decent quality of life. Most of what able-bodied people take for granted can be a challenge for people with physical disabilities. In the brief time available to me I will mention some of the challenges people with disabilities...

Topical Issue Debate: Fire Safety (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister mentioned the task force and its tenth meeting. I refer to not having anything back by April. There is an urgency because he said many buildings were identified where work needed to be done and much of that has not been done. That needs to be addressed and they need to be forced to deal with this. People have lost their homes. How will the Minister help with this? There are...

Topical Issue Debate: Fire Safety (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: Last night I witnessed first-hand the devastating effects of a fire in a high-rise building in Ballymun. I also witnessed the courage of the emergency services, the Dublin Fire Brigade, gardaí and Dublin City Council in responding to the fire. We owe them our deepest gratitude for the courage and fortitude they demonstrated last night. The staff in the building should be thanked for...

Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: As the Tánaiste will be aware, last night there was a major fire in the tower attached to the former Days Hotel, Ballymun. The response from the emergency services, the fire brigade and the gardaí was swift and undoubtedly prevented a major loss of life and serious injury. The response from the staff at the hotel and in the tower in evacuating the building was, equally, truly...

Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister tasked the national directorate for fire and emergency management with co-ordinating a high-level task force to carry out the reappraisal.

Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: In light of the devastating fire in Ballymun, this is now matter of urgency.

Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: There are more homeless persons.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: 96. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the supports available for those with refugee status and that have been approved for family reunification by his Department; the supports assisting those in emergency reception and orientation centres to move to permanent accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13426/18]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Refugee Resettlement Programme (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: 97. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the statutory and voluntary agencies which are responsible to him for the resettlement of refugees; the practices and procedures in place to resettle such persons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13428/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Assistance Payment Eligibility (22 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: 294. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if homeless housing assistance payments are available for those with refugee status and that have been approved for family reunification by his Department; the supports available to assist such persons to acquire permanent accommodation under HAP; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13427/18]

Strategic Communications Unit: Motion [Private Members] (20 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: It seems that the Taoiseach and his Government want to believe their own propaganda, spun through the strategic communications unit. It may come as a surprise to the Tánaiste and the Taoiseach to learn that people view the new unit as nothing more than a vanity project for the Government and its Ministers. We now know that the unit comes at a substantial cost to the taxpayer. Whereas...

Questions on Promised Legislation (8 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: I wish to raise the Government's drugs policy as outlined in the programme for Government. My concern is a development I am increasingly hearing about, namely, the grooming of children to sell or carry drugs for drug dealers. I have a real concern that this is the next child exploitation scandal. Children can be attracted by the false glamour and material wealth of drug dealers and...

Topical Issue Debate: Water Supply Leakages (7 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: I thank the Minister for his response. I get very frustrated over this because, for many years as a councillor, long before I became a Deputy, I heard constant talk about the water shortage in the greater Dublin area. I have been at meeting after meeting over the years. This is going back well over ten years but we are still no closer to having the problem resolved. There are shortages...

Topical Issue Debate: Water Supply Leakages (7 Mar 2018)

Dessie Ellis: We have had unprecedented weather conditions over the past week. Alerts that were sent out in the media by the National Emergency Co-ordination Group have certainly saved lives. Services, including the Garda Síochána, ambulance crews, the fire brigade, local authority staff, hospital staff, the Army and so many more, all did their best and deserve great praise in dealing with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Haddington Road Agreement Implementation (28 Feb 2018)

Dessie Ellis: 207. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the fact that funding allocated to community youth projects, such as projects (details supplied), does not enable them to implement the pay restoration as outlined under the Haddington Road agreement without having a serious effect on the provision of youth services by such groups; and if she will make...

Other Questions: Homeless Persons Data (27 Feb 2018)

Dessie Ellis: 5 o’clock In spite of measures such as the rent supplement and rental accommodation schemes, the system is still haemorrhaging people into homelessness. I have been dealing with such persons all week in my constituency, as have most Deputies in their constituencies. Although the Minister has stated we are making progress, the figures for homelessness remain high, which is very...

Other Questions: Homeless Persons Data (27 Feb 2018)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister still has not given us a target date for when we will get people out of hotels. This has been going on. The Minister has mentioned many times that he will have everyone out of hotels in a certain period. That period is well past. If one takes the peak period, which was March last year, there were 815 families in hotel accommodation. There were 758 families in November. The...

Other Questions: Homeless Persons Data (27 Feb 2018)

Dessie Ellis: 73. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of homeless families accommodated in hotels; the number of families to date in 2018 that have been taken out of such accommodation; the target date by which all families will be removed from such accommodation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9702/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Social and Affordable Housing Provision (27 Feb 2018)

Dessie Ellis: 75. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the status of the housing PPPs in view of the fact that five schemes were to be rolled out nationally and to date none have commenced; the commencement date of these PPPs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9701/18]