Results 11,381-11,400 of 32,583 for speaker:Richard Bruton

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am not aware that it is in the programme for Government but I will refer it to the Minister.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I agree with the Deputy. It is vital, as we come to debate an issue that has been extremely divisive in our community over many years, that people are treated with respect on all sides. I know there are very strongly held views on all sides about this. I know it is an issue in respect of which people find it hard at times to be restrained. However, if we are to make mature decisions on...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I am not in a position to give a date. I know the Taoiseach has also answered a question on this in the past. It has been a difficult issue. I think he signalled during the week that he would ask the Ministers involved to get together to see whether a resolution might be found. It is a matter of working out a workable and affordable scheme. I believe that is the position on the matter...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I do not have that information to hand but I think the procedure as to how such a registered employment agreement becomes registered is set out in legislation. As the Deputy knows, it was struck down by the courts in the past and new legislation had to be introduced to ensure it was robust from a constitutional perspective. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Breen, to respond to...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I presume this legislation, which is on the priority list, will proceed in the normal way to have pre-legislative scrutiny. That is the norm, unless the committee were of the view that it did not require it. Subject to confirmation for the Deputy, I presume it will proceed through the normal pre-legislative scrutiny.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Before the summer recess, the Government made a decision to proceed with the drafting of amendments that were required following discussions here with trade unions and others. Those amendments are now in the course of drafting and work on those amendments is ongoing between my Department, the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Mitchell O'Connor and the Office of the Attorney General.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy must realise that every year we are increasing the number of patients treated. As I said, in the past four years 250,000 extra people have been treated, which represents an increase of about 15% in the number of patients treated. That is a significant number. Almost 7,000 patients leave our hospitals every day with their quality of life improved by medical intervention. It is...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I will ask the Minister for Health to look at that. My understanding is that in any such case of a drug being presented there is research undertaken, I believe by the Health Research Board, HRB, to establish the health efficacy of the drug and the price for which it should be procured if it is effective. That results in negotiations, where it is proven effective, between the company and the...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I understand that Bill is on the priority list so it is being treated with great priority.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I understand the work on that Bill is under way but there is not a date yet as to when it will be presented.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: Obviously, there is a maternity strategy as part of the Holles Street move and the construction of a new national maternity hospital. The Government and the HSE strongly support the principle that mothers should breast-feed their children. We have strategies to support that. I do not know of every individual programme that might be involved, but I know each of them is scrutinised every...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: I believe the Citizens' Assembly has made a very valuable contribution. This has been a very divisive issue in Irish society. It has been very helpful for the Citizens' Assembly to have had an opportunity go through evidence and provide a report to the Oireachtas. The Oireachtas will have to make a decision on whether a proposal should be put to the people and, if so, what that proposal...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy is raising two different issues. The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016, which is before the House, provides for rules governing what can and cannot be included in admissions policies. It bans waiting lists, certain restrictions and selectivity.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: It provides that children with special needs must be accepted and it gives the National Council for Special Education the power to require that. That is the admissions policy that is before the House. We have indicated that there are amendments to be made, having been agreed in principle on Committee Stage. They have to be drafted and go through the Office of the Attorney General. That is...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: On the industrial dispute, I urge all parties to use the facilities of the Workplace Relations Commission and the Labour Court to try to re-engage. I have had experience as the Minister responsible for this area and even the most intractable disputes can be resolved by their services. They are very experienced and expert. The Government has a huge commitment to public transport. We...

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: As the Deputy has rightly pointed out, the programme for Government committed to a pilot scheme to reopen six Garda stations. The Garda was asked to undertake an analysis to identify locations for the pilot scheme. An interim report has been given to the Government. It recommends the opening of Stepaside and indicates that the process could be extended to other locations and that its final...

Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: One has to bear in mind what was done in 2012. The system that prevailed before that meant that someone who perhaps had made 1,000 contributions over his or her entire life could get a 98% pension and someone who had made double those contributions over his or her life would get the same pension. There was an effort to relate more fairly the amount of pension provided to the contribution...

Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy raises a very important issue. There is widespread under-provision in pensions and, as she rightly said, the under-provision is much more acute among women workers than among male workers. While I do not have the figures to hand today, from memory less than half of workers had access to any pension support other than the State contributory scheme. This has been a feature of our...

Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: We have 2,000 people per annum presenting with a submission for asylum. These centres are an offer by the State to provide full bed and board, access to utilities, welfare payments and medical facilities. People are not obliged to accept offers and many do not take them up. They represent the State attempting to provide for such people, instead of the 2,000 who come in going onto the...

Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2017)

Richard Bruton: The Deputy has to reflect on what the Government has provided in the past two years. In that time, an additional €1.3 billion has been invested in the health service. It has been the greatest recipient of any resource at a time when we are now able to reinvest. Priority has been given to health by the Government. The Deputy must also recognise that we had a lost decade. I will not...