Results 10,161-10,180 of 12,040 for speaker:Mary Butler

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: I understand the witnesses cannot comment on the money message and I should not have asked them to but I was just trying to tease out exactly where the costs were. Mr. Cox and Mr. Grace stated there would be awareness and enforcement costs. I do not think those costs would be such that it could prevent a Bill going forward. Some Bills would be way more costly to the State. I went over...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: That was my next question. Is there any regulation of those fees?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: I thank Mr. Cox for his informative explanation. I have heard people complaining that they thought they had €30 or €40 on a voucher and, when they go to spend it, they discover that is not the case. If the value of the voucher is falling by €1.45 every month, it reduces very quickly. We are all familiar with One4All voucher, especially when different companies and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: One will not notice it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: Can I ask a couple of other questions in response to the recent public consultation? Did many people engage in the public consultation? It was noteworthy that the likes of Retail Ireland, who represent more than 3,000 outlets, and Chambers Ireland, supported the expiry date of five years and Retail Excellence supported three years. That was cohesive and all of those organisations were...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: That is a low enough number.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: Forty-four submissions in public consultation is quite low. Some of those were multiples that were representing different organisations. How do public consultations work? Does the Department advertise in newspapers and online? Is that the gist of it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: I understand that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: That was more out of interest than anything else. Has Deputy Rock anything to add?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: Last year or the year before, we heard much about people who bought gift vouchers for flights for different airlines. That did the rounds on some radio programmes. If a consumer had a voucher for €250 and the flight cost €212, they would never see that €38, or it is unlikely they would see it. It got a lot of traction.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Consumer Protection (Amendment) Bill 2017: Discussion (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: That was one issue that was drawn to my attention. I thank Mr. Grace, Mr. Cox and Ms Hanrahan for coming here today. It is much appreciated and I thank them for their presentations and for answering all the questions the committee has asked of them. We will now go into private session. Is that agreed?

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation Provision (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: 225. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of an application by a school (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39696/18]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disability Support Services Provision (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: 339. To ask the Minister for Health when a wheelchair will be made available to a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39445/18]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Regional Airports (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: 533. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when a decision will be taken on the application submitted on behalf of Waterford Airport, Waterford City and County Council and other interested investors to extend the runway at Waterford Airport; if the necessary extra capital will be provided to facilitate this extension; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39673/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: 631. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of second-hand houses and dwellings purchased by each local authority in 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39756/18]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Local Authority Housing (2 Oct 2018)

Mary Butler: 632. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to allow local authorities to add additional rooms to local authority houses under their remit on the grounds of overcrowding only and in circumstances where no alternative accommodation is available or suitable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39759/18]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Pharmacy Regulations (27 Sep 2018)

Mary Butler: The PSI recently approved rules that will restrict the work practices of pharmaceutical assistants. Under existing codes of practice, pharmaceutical assistants are entitled to cover short absences such as lunch hours. They can cover two half-days or one full day per week, as well as any unscheduled short absences. In the case of a temporary absence resulting from the holiday entitlements...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Pharmacy Regulations (27 Sep 2018)

Mary Butler: I would like to reiterate what my colleague has just said. It is strange that the Minister has not received the draft rules, given that this matter has received quite an amount of traction. Like Deputy Cahill, I would like representatives of the PSI to come before the Joint Committee on Health to explain where they are coming from with this idea. Many pharmacists are already struggling to...

Local Government (Restoration of Town Councils) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (26 Sep 2018)

Mary Butler: This Bill reverses the Fine Gael-Labour Party decision to abolish town councils. It is ironic and paradoxical that the Labour Party, which was part of the Government that abolished town councils at that time, is now advocating their restoration.

Local Government (Restoration of Town Councils) Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (26 Sep 2018)

Mary Butler: The Local Government Reform Act 2014 of the then Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Phil Hogan, and the previous Administration created a democratic deficit at the heart of Irish politics, placing more power in the hands of unelected officials. It utterly failed to transform how we do politics in this country. However, this policy shift must be welcomed. The main...