Results 1,361-1,380 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The issue I wish to raise is library services across the country and the strategy paper that was produced, entitled Opportunities for All. It is a very worthwhile strategy but, unfortunately, there has been a negative outcome from it with regard to the shared procurement. The changing balance means that the 65% that was always deemed a service has now been changed to 65% relating to lower...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Can I move Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin's amendment?

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: They were grouped. There were two amendments.

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Then I will wait for amendment No. 2.

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I will discuss it now and formally move it in due course. The Senator spoke with great passion and what he has proposed is a pragmatic approach that allows us to achieve exactly what the Minister seeks to achieve with the Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016 but helps us not to criminalise the poor unfortunate person who has the addiction. This does not propose a defence for drug pushers...

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I second the amendment.

Seanad: Misuse of Drugs (Amendment) Bill 2016: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I extend my best wishes to the Minister of State, with whom I had the honour to serve on Dublin City Council when she was Lord Mayor of the city. She will bring compassion to her position derived from her personal experience. I ask the Minister of State to be cautious about unintended consequences during her period in office. We may wish we had a crystal ball, but all legislation has...

Seanad: United Kingdom Referendum on European Union Membership: Statements (28 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister for coming to the House today. Like many Members, I was deeply disappointed with the result of the referendum in Britain. There are significant challenges for our small and medium sized business sector, our tourism and the agriculture sector. One thing I very much fear is that "Project Fear", run by the right wing Tories in Britain, was based on misinformation. So far,...

Seanad: Order of Business (21 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I take this opportunity ask the Leader to get some information for the House on the adoption (information and tracing) Bill? A lot of work has been carried out previously on this Bill and I would hate to see it slip off the radar at this stage. The former Deputy, Anne Ferris, did a huge amount on the legislation and it is a very important Bill. I also request information on the Criminal...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: National Maternity Hospital (15 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Given that information, I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this particular Commencement Matter. I congratulate the Minister, Deputy Harris, on becoming Minister for Health and thank him for attending to deal with this extremely important issue, which is the situation in respect of the co-location of the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street, with St. Vincent's University Hospital...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: National Maternity Hospital (15 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I do not believe that at any stage the Government or the HSE would have spent €5 million of taxpayers' money in preparing planning applications and doing the research that is needed to base the National Maternity Hospital at Elm Park. I am deeply disappointed and frustrated that this problem was raised at a very late stage. The plans should have been lodged at the end of the second...

Seanad: Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach (15 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I second the nomination of Senator Denis Landy to the position. I have known Denis for the past 20 years. He would bring great experience and fairness to the post. There is one thing that everyone who deals with Denis knows, which is how fair and honourable he is. His word is his bond. When he gives a commitment that he will chair meetings in this House fairly, he will do so and he will...

Seanad: Poverty and Homelessness: Motion (15 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I am happy to share two minutes of my time.

Seanad: Poverty and Homelessness: Motion (15 Jun 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: It might help if I am as brief as possible because in many ways this is groundhog day. I was elected to Dublin City Council in 1999. One of the very early arguments we had was about housing in the city and the provision of social housing in particular. At that stage the city management, to a great extent, had made the decision, along with many other local authorities, to move away from the...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Data (5 May 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 56,800 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. A monthly breakdown of rent supplement recipients from January 2015 to April 2016 is provided in the attached tabular statement. The number of rent supplement recipients has reduced...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Labour Activation Measures (5 May 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: The Government’s primary strategy to tackle both youth and long-term unemployment is through policies to create the environment for a strong economic recovery by promoting competitiveness and productivity. Reflecting the impact of Government policy, and the overall improvement in the labour market, youth unemployment continues to fall with a rate of 19% in March 2016 (as estimated by...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Eligibility (4 May 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Time spent on a VTOS course does count towards CE eligibility. The current eligibility criteria for Community Employment (CE) published on the welfare.iepublic website includes the following clause, "Time spent on recognised training programmes (such as a SOLAS/ETB training course or VTOS Course) or in prison can also be counted towards eligibility."

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Community Employment Schemes Administration (4 May 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: I propose to take Questions Nos. 13 to 17, inclusive, together. Community Employment (CE) is a labour market activation programme which helps long-term unemployed people (those 12-months or more in receipt of a jobseeker’s payment) and other disadvantaged groups to re-enter the active workforce by breaking their experience of unemployment through a return to work routine. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Work Placement Programmes (4 May 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Tús and Gateway are work placement initiatives which aim to provide work opportunities for those who are long-term unemployed and on the live register for a specific period. The eligibility criteria are in line with the Government’s policies to focus resources on maintaining the work readiness and employability of jobseekers on the live register. In order to maintain this focus,...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Rent Supplement Scheme Administration (28 Apr 2016)

Kevin Humphreys: Rent supplement plays a vital role in housing families and individuals, with the scheme supporting approximately 57,600 people for which the Government has provided approximately €267 million for 2016. There are currently over 1,600 rent supplement recipients in county Kerry. Properties are being secured under the scheme with over 20,100 rent supplement tenancies awarded during 2015,...