Results 1,261-1,280 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2019
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Revised) (12 Feb 2019)

Joan Burton: I will write to the Minister of State about the matter.

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Spending Code (7 Feb 2019)

Joan Burton: 13. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to enhance the oversight of major construction contracts in order to prevent costs escalating and to safeguard taxpayer funds in view of cost overruns to date in respect of major public construction contracts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5802/19]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Brexit Staff (7 Feb 2019)

Joan Burton: 23. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the Brexit preparations under way in his Department in the event of a hard Brexit; the number and grade of staff assigned to Brexit issues; the qualifications held by the staff; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5801/19]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Private Partnerships (7 Feb 2019)

Joan Burton: 29. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he has carried out a review of the cause of the recent collapse of public private partnership contracts; if he has reconsidered the approach to such contracts to ensure the appropriate protection of subcontractors; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5804/19]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Public Procurement Contracts (7 Feb 2019)

Joan Burton: 35. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to ensure detailed oversight of public contracts for building works in view of the recent closure of publicly built schools; if he has had contact with the Departments affected including the Department of Education and Skills; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5803/19]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Outdoor Events Licensing (7 Feb 2019)

Joan Burton: 36. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the plans of the Office of Public Works to host large scale concerts and events in the Phoenix Park during 2019; his plans to ensure that local residents have adequate access during such events to and from their homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5805/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: It is good to see all of the witnesses. From the presentation, I get the sense that the position is improving but not terribly quickly. I have been interested in this issue for a long time. I will put questions to Mr. Johnson first. He might recall the recent discussion about how mortgage loans could be provided to people who would traditionally be family customers of the credit unions....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: Will Mr. Farrell first indicate what the position is in this regard for the Irish League of Credit Unions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: To follow up on that, as the witnesses know - and this relates to the second type of lending - there is a loan scheme in place for individuals on incomes of up to €50,000 and couples on incomes of up to €75,000. The limits are low enough. People are applying to county councils under the scheme and the approval process is very slow. The first approvals have trickled through...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: To assist the committee, will Mr. Johnson identify steps that would make that easier. Furthermore, regarding groups that have come together in a modern approved housing body, for example, the Ó Cualann Cohousing Alliance, are there steps the committee could help to facilitate that would make that easier and perhaps persuade the Departments of Housing, Planning and Local Government and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: In Mr. Corr's view, which is the relevant Department to progress this legislation? Is it the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government because it appears to be indicating that it already has this on the books or is it the Department of Finance, or amendments to the powers of the Central Bank?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: On the housing issue, what proportion of the €14 billion in savings within the credit union movement could be invested in mortgages of ten, 15 or 20 years or loaned to approved housing bodies? Is there a target set by the group as to what it might like to realise, if the legislative structure was right, that could be done within the next, say, three years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: I have one other question which Mr. Corr has in part already commented on, which is helpful. As Minister, I was involved in the development of the It Makes Sense loan, which is very popular. It was piloted in Finglas Credit Union. The demand for it has been good but relatively few credit unions are providing it. I accept that as credit unions are small scale structures administrative...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: They would not take up the scheme without that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Credit Union Advisory Committee: Discussion (31 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: I appreciate that this is a small area in terms of the totality of the credit unions' operations but socially it is important in terms of helping people move out of, very often, debt ridden situations, the alternative being the commercial moneylenders. If the association wants to come back to us with a summary of some of the possibilities and recommendations, I would be very open to some...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Operations (30 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: John Hume would never have made any progress if he had not reached out and talked to people with whom he had very serious difficulties. Ultimately, he and others were able to resolve, through the Belfast Agreement, an all-Ireland framework for progress to be made. It is not that we are in agreement with the DUP's position but it has a position, which is not a majority one. The majority of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Operations (30 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: We need to know the Taoiseach's approach to the DUP.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Operations (30 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: The Taoiseach and the Minister could travel together.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Departmental Operations (30 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: What is the Government's position on the recently agreed German-Franco treaty which has many implications for Europe? Does the Taoiseach foresee that treaty impacting on the future of the European Union, including Ireland's role in the European Union? How many people in the Department of the Taoiseach are working on the bid for our membership of the UN Security Council? Given the weekend...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Committee Meetings (30 Jan 2019)

Joan Burton: I understood the Taoiseach to say Cabinet committee C on the European Union has not met since June. Cabinet subcommittees have a purpose. The Taoiseach indicated to us before that he is not too fond of them. They allow very senior civil servants to brief in detail on the detail of papers and, for example, to set out how they imagine the backstop would work in detail and what considerations...