Results 1,201-1,220 of 4,672 for speaker:Dessie Ellis

Planning and Development (Amendment) Bill 2016: Second Stage (Resumed) (19 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: As we all know, planning issues have been a huge area of contention and concern for many years. In the eyes of most people, the planning process represented one of the most corrupt areas where politicians and planners had a huge influence over zoning and development. To remind the House and to put in context what the Mahon tribunal meant to people living in my constituency, many working...

Other Questions: National Treatment Purchase Fund (18 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: 25. To ask the Minister for Health the funding allocated to the National Treatment Purchase Fund, NTPF, in each of the years since its inception; the way the money was spent; the number of surgeries and services that were purchased in each of the years since its inception; the way the funding allocated in budget 2017 to the NTPF will be administered; the surgeries to be prioritised under the...

Financial Resolutions 2017 - Financial Resolution No. 2: General (Resumed) (18 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: This budget is another missed opportunity to move towards a fairer society. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have colluded in forging this budget between them. It once again represents the failed politics of a failed class and a failed system and one with no vision. It is also a mean budget especially when we consider that politicians will be paid an increase in January which is totally...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services Provision (18 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: 86. To ask the Minister for Health the availability of detailed 20 week routine scans for pregnant women per CHO area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30509/16]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Mortgage Resolution Processes (18 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: 140. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will intervene and request receivers to agree to cease giving notice to those occupying repossessed properties until a sale is agreed, rather than once it goes on sale as is the common practice. [30550/16]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Review (18 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: 255. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the review of the school transport scheme; and if his Department will consider increasing funding to the scheme in line with the recommendation of a charity (details supplied) of €5 million resulting in an abolition of fees for parents. [30586/16]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Mortgage to Rent Scheme Eligibility (18 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: 291. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if his Department will provide a sensible solution to a housing issue for persons (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30548/16]

Mental Health Services: Motion [Private Members] (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: Issues of mental health and well-being are some of the greatest challenges facing us as a society. The suicide rate stemming from mental health issues has reached epidemic proportions and has well overtaken the road death rate. As a society, we must ask why this is happening, what remedies are needed and where the shortfalls in our system lie. It is very clear there has been a huge...

Other Questions: Library Services (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: What is the rationale for the proposed use of staffless libraries? These proposals have met with strong opposition from staff, library users and local communities. Will the Minister reconsider the introduction of this policy? There are many people with disabilities and visual impairment and this is a retrograde step in the use of libraries.

Other Questions: Library Services (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister of State says it provides increased services but we have seen in the past with other services that this can lead to privatisation and the big worry is that we are going down that road, which poses a threat to the staff and their jobs. People who are impaired or who have disabilities will not have the same access to staff members. They may need help and so on. Why not extend...

Other Questions: Library Services (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: No one is saying this is not working but there could be problems and it would have made more sense to provide staff. People and staff have said this, as have service users in the disability sector. I do not understand why it is such a big issue. It seems like cost-cutting instead of putting an extra few bob in place to provide more staff. Ultimately, it will probably lead to the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: 2 o’clock I disagree that it is too blunt a tool. There were signs that it was starting to work but the reality is that the numbers are still well up. The Minister is rolling out his programme tomorrow and I wish him all the best with it, but we had the same problem when the last Government was in office. It also rolled out a programme worth €3.3 billion but we are...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: Will the Minister review the decision to discontinue the ministerial directive instructing local authorities to allocate 50% of social housing to homelessness and other vulnerable groups on the grounds that the research by the Housing Agency on which this decision was formulated is fundamentally flawed?

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions: Local Authority Housing Provision (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: The Minister stated that last April the Housing Agency made the recommendation to discontinue this directive. I find that hard to believe when we are in the midst of an emergency. In one week in August this year, there were 6,611 people who were homeless. The issue has continued even in spite of the decision and people still report as homeless. The problem will get worse. There are more...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committee Meetings (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: That was the Government's plan for €3.8 billion.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Local Authority Housing Data (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: 45. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a detailed breakdown of the 11,000 acquired units in Pillar 2 of the rebuilding Ireland action plan for housing and homelessness, detailing the types of acquisitions involved. [28708/16]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Housing Provision (5 Oct 2016)

Dessie Ellis: 60. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government if he will provide a breakdown of the 10,000 long-term lease units which would be automatically owned by local authorities and approved housing bodies at the end of the lease term and those that will not automatically be owned by said bodies. [28709/16]

Road Traffic Bill 2016 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Sep 2016)

Dessie Ellis: I am sharing time with Deputy McDonald. This Bill is a welcome addition to the work of the House because it tidies up a number of issues that have long been outstanding. These issues have been raised by Sinn Féin and others for many years. I wish to speak primarily about the provision relating to driving under the influence of drugs but I would first like to address the mutual...

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Dessie Ellis: Taxation.

Water Charges: Motion [Private Members] (28 Sep 2016)

Dessie Ellis: Just when Deputy English was in full flow.