Results 121-140 of 1,369 for at speaker:Joan Collins

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Joan Collins: I thank Mr. Harris for coming before the committee again. I have a few questions. Mr. Harris made a point about legislation along the lines of Malta’s Autism Empowerment Act 2016. Then, he proceeded to say that the "legislation would simply require the State to publish an autism strategy at regular intervals, to involve autistic people in the process of drafting". Is that exactly...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Greyhound Industry (4 May 2023)

Joan Collins: 203. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of greyhounds injured in races and trials to-date in 2023; the nature and date of the injuries at the tracks at which they occurred; the number killed or euthanised by track vets; the number and causes of additional racing fatalities; and the results of any post-mortems carried out. [20912/23]

Support for Household Energy Bills: Motion [Private Members] (3 May 2023)

Joan Collins: I welcome this motion from Sinn Féin. We are debating the matter ad nauseam, but the Dáil has to keep coming back to it. I recognise that the Government has spent €1.2 billion and assisted some people with their energy bills. However, it is trying to play down the cost-of-living crisis. For example, the Taoiseach stated this afternoon that inflation was decreasing and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 May 2023)

Joan Collins: In December, I submitted a question on the lack of development assessments for newborn babies at three and ten months of age at the Old County Road Health Centre. The reply I received explained there was a deficit of public health nurses and that a plan was in place to see children on the waiting list in January 2023. I put the question again in the Dáil at the end of January, after...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Society of Saint Vincent de Paul (3 May 2023)

Joan Collins: I thank the witnesses for engaging with the committee on these issues. As noted, the disconnection moratorium has come to an end. All members of the committee should be raising that with the Minister, particularly with reference to people who have registered as vulnerable energy users. As the witnesses pointed out, householders may have built up cumulative bills over the winter. They...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: International Agreements (27 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: We need to lead on these issues and we are not leading by remaining in those negotiations. We are supporting the closed-door arbitration court which allows companies to sue for lost profits. We are supporting the protection of €344.6 billion in European fossil fuel assets. Total claims are estimated to cost governments €1.3 trillion worldwide by 2050. There is an ongoing...

Rent Reduction Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (26 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: I thank People Before Profit-Solidarity for putting forward this legislation, which I support. The OECD released its report, Taxing Wages 2022, confirming that Irish workers saw a sharp decrease in living standards last year. It called the combination of a 3.3% decrease in real wages and a 0.8% increase in average income tax paid a double blow for workers. This is not just a double blow...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Draft Regulations on the Operation of the Social Welfare Appeals Office: Discussion (26 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I thank the Secretary General and Mr. Molloy for attending the meeting. I have some questions. I do not know whether the new general agreement has come into play. A letter was sent in from Fórsa and the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants, AHCPS, in regard to the last meeting we had in November and the issues they had with some of the statements...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Draft Regulations on the Operation of the Social Welfare Appeals Office: Discussion (26 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: I also welcome the fact that Mr. McKeon will take it on board the need to update the leaflet, so that there is a hard copy information leaflet. That is important, because while a lot of people are savvy on computers and so on, there are people who are not, and who depend on the word, as such, in leaflet form. I would appeal to the Department to do that. It was said the rise in appeals has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Draft Regulations on the Operation of the Social Welfare Appeals Office: Discussion (26 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: ...the case their training gave them the ability to be able to make independent decisions. I hope those kind of decisions will remain the same and there is a clear message in the Department in that regard. I agree with what the Minister and Department said about the trade union movement. Unless we get feedback from both sides so that we can come to a decision ourselves, there will be...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Tourism Industry (25 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: 486. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of the lack of wheelchair accessibility at Spike Island tours; what steps his Department is taking to ensure that tourist sites are accessible to all; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19479/23]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Tourism Industry (25 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: 487. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he is aware of the case of a proposed exhibition (details supplied) at Spike Island being put in jeopardy due to the lack of a wheelchair-accessible bus on the island; if he will take steps to ensure that issues of accessibility are appropriately addressed by a company; and if he will make a statement on the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (20 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: I hope the Tánaiste will be a bit more progressive in answering me. The Danish Government decided last week to leave the Energy Charter Treaty. It joined a growing list of European countries that have left the treaty. Eight European countries have declared intentions to leave and 15 EU member states, at least 60% of the EU population, are needed for the EU to withdraw from the treaty....

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Missing Children (20 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: 308. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will ensure that 116000, the EU missing children hotline number, will be on public display at airports and ports. [18754/23]

Vacant Homes Tax: Motion [Private Members] (19 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: I thank the Deputy Healy-Rae for that rendition. I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Member's motion from the Social Democrats. The National Economic and Social Council made a recommendation in its Private Rental in Ireland report last February to consider Danish-style reforms to our laws on vacant properties. In Denmark, property owners must report to municipal...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Pay-related Jobseeker's Benefit Scheme: Discussion (19 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: I generally agree with the notion of 60%, or whatever, of a person's income because it protects people from a cliff edge, especially if he or she has expenditure responsibilities. However, there are issues with it and I wish to raise some of them. Maybe some of them will dovetail with what has been said. The main problems are it is a two-tier system, the duration of the payment, the...

Department Underspend and Reduced Delivery of Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (18 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: When this Government decided to lift the eviction ban at the end of last month, it made a decision to allow a level of homelessness that would have been thought unconscionable before. We have had so many people in our office in the past month with notices to quit, people from all walks of life facing eviction with nowhere to go. They face eviction because it is Government policy now. They...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: We are being told all the time there is no problem with resources or money, yet, in an area where there is a demand, we are not getting the resources. We should try to highlight that. I would like to hear what the representatives think about today's meeting. Task forces were set up in respect of the drugs strategy 25 years ago. All statutory bodies and all the people who had a stake in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Apr 2023)

Joan Collins: No, I agree with the Cathaoirleach. We did the same thing at the Joint Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community. We agreed we would have a follow-up but that was difficult because it had to be statutory and it has taken almost two years to set that up. At the end of this committee, the follow-up on implementation is starting on 1 June. It is big wheels and cogs.