Results 10,181-10,200 of 10,577 for speaker:Barry Cowen
- Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: He should stop waffling.
- Order of Business (19 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: We have to wait for the votes to be counted.
- Order of Business (19 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: That is new Labour. The Labour Party is gone.
- Order of Business (19 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: A good deflection from Deputy Durkan.
- Leaders' Questions (19 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: The branch office in Rathmines.
- Written Answers — Community Welfare Service: Community Welfare Service (18 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 258: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm the legal status of any circulars issued from her to the community welfare service; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29933/11]
- Written Answers — Private Rented Accommodation: Private Rented Accommodation (18 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 351: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that the Private Residential Tenancies Board has sufficient legal jurisdiction to deal with residential tenancy contracts, or if such contracts should be considered as civil matters; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29934/11]
- Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: It is the Government's levy.
- Leaders' Questions (18 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: Make the pensioners pay.
- Arts Funding (18 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 45: To ask the Minister for Arts; Heritage and the Gaeltacht if he has confidence in the Arts Council's willingness and capacity to support opera here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29824/11]
- Social Welfare Fraud (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 1: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of welfare cases reviewed by her in 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; the amount saved by anti-fraud measures in 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011; and the number of staff overall who have been investigating fraud in her Department in 2009, 2010 and to date in 2011. [29194/11]
- Social Welfare Fraud (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for her response. Am I correct in saying there has been no major dividend in savings this year? Was the target inherited by the Minister not â¬540 million for this year? Last year's target was â¬550 million and â¬483 million was recorded as achieved, up to the time industrial action curtailed the activities. Has that industrial action continued this year and is...
- Social Welfare Fraud (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: Despite the apparent effort by the Department to beef-up the sector and to tackle this issue, the numbers do not seem to support this effort. The number of staff, 620, is little different from the 600 in 2009 and the number of inspectors remains the same as it was in March. The yield in savings is very similar to last year and we wonder if we will meet the target. The Minister said that...
- Rent Allowance (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: Question 4: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the number of persons in receipt of rent allowance; her plans to expand this scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29195/11]
- Rent Allowance (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: I agree that the concept of transferring responsibility to the local authorities is to be welcomed, and I agree that the emphasis should be on the RAS, as has been the case in recent years. There are 100,000 people on our housing waiting lists, which means there are almost 100,000 people on rent allowance. The number on the housing list has risen to 56,000 since 2008. The Minister...
- Rent Allowance (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: That is precisely why this issue should be pursued more vigorously than heretofore. The Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government today produced figures indicating that 19,000 houses are vacant and a further 17,000 are at various stages of construction. That oversupply must be tackled vigorously and immediately in order to seek the dividend which could be demanded of...
- Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for her detailed answer. We know these cuts will start impinging greatly on the elderly. The cuts in the benefits package for fuel allowance will reduce payments to pensioners and other social welfare recipients by â¬20 a month and up to â¬35 in the winter months. I welcome the Minister's comment that the price increase in electricity is to be absorbed by the...
- Social Welfare Benefits (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: The Minister said that the Competition Authority had problems with the issue of discounting. She repeated that there were legal difficulties in pursuing it. What had the Competition Authority to say about Eircom's acquiescence to the State's request? As Deputy à Snodaigh said, and I said it earlier, we asked the Minister to pursue this line some months ago and we want to see results in...
- Departmental Expenditure (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: I thank the Minister for her reply. I am glad to see that she remains consistent in this regard, in spite of repeated questions from myself and others throughout the course of the year. The problem is that the Tánaiste is also consistent. One hears members of the Government refer to the Memorandum of Understanding. Some are set in stone and some are not. The agreement was made against...
- Departmental Expenditure (13 Oct 2011)
Barry Cowen: The Department of Social Protection offers every alternative option and support system to people to get them back to work, the area which is relevant. There were outlandish predictions made by the Minister's partners in government allied to the NewERA project and the number of jobs it was going to create. It has become more realistic in recent months. Funding for it is up in the air. If...