Results 13,901-13,920 of 27,251 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Disability Services Provision (10 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 735. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the body responsible for ensuring that disability access and facilities are maintained to suitable standards in retail buildings in which these facilities exist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42942/17]

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (5 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Political debate around the dinner table with another uncle who was involved in Fianna Fáil-----

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (5 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----and another uncle was involved in the Labour Party in Dalkey-----

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (5 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: These names were all familiar - the Cosgrave name, Jack Lynch and so on. There was intense political discussion and perhaps some of that rubbed off on me-----

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (5 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: -----although I am sure it was in a way that none of them would have particularly approved of. Anybody who lives in Dún Laoghaire has a passionate love for the area, which I believe Liam Cosgrave shared. Notwithstanding our very strong political differences on other things, anybody who has had the privilege to represent Dún Laoghaire would share that. I would not adhere to...

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (5 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I also extend my sympathies and condolences to Liam Cosgrave's children, to all his extended family and to the Fine Gael Party. Obviously, I did not know Liam Cosgrave personally and his period of political activity predates my own but as somebody who has lived all my life in Dún Laoghaire, one could not but be familiar with his name and indeed the Cosgrave family name, which, for as...

Vacant Housing Refurbishment Bill 2017: Second Stage [Private Members] (4 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The fact that, through the CSO, we have identified 180,000 empty residential units as well as perhaps over 25,000 above shop units, which could potentially be available for residential property, indicates the chronic failure of public policy in the face of an enormous housing and homelessness emergency. In so far as this Bill attempts to address one aspect of that, I welcome it and commend...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Climate Change Negotiations (4 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister has not answered the question in so far as it applies to Ireland and this State's ability to meet its targets, to take climate change seriously and do something about it. Does the Minister accept that we are failing disastrously? Carbon emissions are increasing. They have increased from 56 million tonnes of carbon during the 1990s to almost 60 million tonnes of carbon dioxide...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Climate Change Negotiations (4 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister mentioned a number of things. Take the area of forestry. We are all aware of the carbon sink but I am not aware of any attempt to ramp that up. There has been talk about it but nothing has been done. There will be no increase in the current levels of investment or changes in policy. Why is it that we do not slash public transport fares? If we want to get people out of cars,...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Other Questions (Resumed): Climate Change Negotiations (4 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Speaking of Ardnacrusha, that was a moment when the State made a radical decision which worked to build a hydro-electric energy station. Will the Minister be attending the Bonn climate conference and will he have to admit there that on the critical question of climate change, the Government is failing to take the kind of radical action necessary to avoid massive fines for the State's failure...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (4 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 5. To ask the Taoiseach if he has spoken with Chancellor Merkel recently. [41674/17]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (4 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The situation in Catalonia, about which the Taoiseach was asked yesterday, continues to escalate. What conversations has he had, and what does he intend to have, with other European leaders about the escalating crisis? There was a narrative yesterday, partly echoed by the Taoiseach, involving the condemnation of violence in general and the need for dialogue. Judging from the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Projects (4 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 61. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which the current RESS plan announced by him will encourage or facilitate disadvantaged or rural communities to participate in renewable energy projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41842/17]

Topical Issue Debate: Referendum in Catalonia (3 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Condemning the violence, as the Taoiseach has done, is a start, but it is not acceptable for European Union leaders, including the Taoiseach, to refuse to condemn the violent suppression of the exercise of self-determination. They are condemning violence but not the decision to suppress a democratic vote. In fact, to some extent, there is a justification for talking about it being an...

Topical Issue Debate: Referendum in Catalonia (3 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am also concerned by the response. The Minister of State said, "We trust our Spanish friends to decide for themselves how to shape their future." That is the problem. I do not trust Mariano Rajoy or the Spanish state that has a brutal history of suppressing the desire for self-determination of the people of Catalonia. We do not and should not trust them. What we saw on Saturday was a...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 37. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he is satisfied that current afforestation rates are sufficient in view of the requirement to significantly expand climate change mitigation measures as part of commitments under the Paris climate accords; if current rates of felling are negating the already low level of afforestation; and if he will make a statement on the...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There is a lot of lipservice paid to the commitment to deal with climate change but often not the radical action that is required to actually do something about it. Nowhere is that more true than in the area of forestry. What practical plans have we got to significantly ramp up the afforestation programme from its current pitifully low level? We are planting only approximately 6,000 ha a...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: These are the actual figures.

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We used to have a target of 17% of forest cover from the current position of 11%, which is one of the lowest in Europe. The average forest cover in Europe is 30% but we are at a pathetic 11%. Previously, the target was to reach 17% by 2030. Now that has been pushed out to 18% by 2045 because the Council for Forest Research and Development, COFORD, said that in order to reach those targets...

Other Questions: Afforestation Programme (3 Oct 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I welcome the fact the Minister of State has acknowledged that point and the need to address this but our approach to this issue needs to be more robust or aggressive. We are still falling way short. We are completely underutilising public land that could be developed and that would not be useful for other purposes. The McCarthy report suggested that Coillte has 0.5 million acres that...