Results 14,021-14,040 of 26,901 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: European Investment Bank (29 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: On the housing front, I am very worried about the PPPs. Mr. McDowell sounds quite enthusiastic about them. Can Mr. McDowell elaborate on the nature of the PPPs? Apart from anything else, they seem to be opaque and because they involve the private sector, we get all this stuff about commercial secrecy. We never quite know the details of a PPP. There are a variety of PPPs but my concern is...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: European Investment Bank (29 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Indeed.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: European Investment Bank (29 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Can I press Mr. McDowell on housing? I take the point that PPPs are diverse and so on. Setting aside other types of housing, which we can debate another day, I do not see the case from the State's point of view for using PPPs for social housing because under the old-fashioned model, it was a win-win for the State. While there was upfront capital investment, there was a constant revenue...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: European Investment Bank (29 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: If the State set up a semi-State body to construct social housing, the EIB could potentially lend to it. Would that be off-balance sheet?

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Capital Investment: European Investment Bank (29 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: If the semi-State body had an affordable housing element as well as a social housing element, there would be nothing to stop the State getting money from the EIB and doing it off-balance sheet.

Written Answers — Department of Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Employment Rights (29 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 19. To ask the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation her plans to make a sectoral employment order for teachers and employees in the English as a foreign language sector; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30476/17]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Railway Stations (29 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 248. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his views on a proposal to reopen the old Merrion railway station as a DART station; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30552/17]

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I move amendment No. 1:In page 3, to delete line 19 and substitute the following:"In this Act— "Act of 1998" means the Education Act 1998; "Act of 2000" means the Equal Status Act 2000; "The Council" means the National Council of Special Education.". This amendment provides that under this section, we would make reference to the Equal Status Act 2000 as well as the Education Act...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am afraid that is not good enough. Do not get me wrong: people have a right to their religion and if they wish to instruct their children on a particular religious view in their own time, privately or some other way, they are entitled to do so, but the idea that publicly funded schools could discriminate in any shape or form on the basis of religion, or any other basis, is just not...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is welcome.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I support this amendment. We should perhaps have philosophy classes instead. The idea there would be instruction in a particular religious denomination or viewpoint during school time inevitably creates a discriminatory atmosphere for, as well as isolation and segregation of those who might not share the school’s religious view or have no religious view. It is wrong. It is not...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Children are sensitive and vulnerable. Making them feel different by pulling them out of a class is tantamount to abuse. There is no other way to put it. If a child is taken out and treated differently from the rest, separated from his or her peers and put wherever else, without guidelines being provided as to how that should be done, it is a form of abuse. Without guidelines, it is left...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Are we dealing with amendment No. 11?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Just so I understand, this is to say that it is okay for a school to give preference to Traveller children? Is that the logic behind it?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I understand the logic behind the Government's amendment, but I also see the legitimacy of the concerns expressed about behavioural disorders and the failure to acknowledge or recognise them. I am curious to know why the Minister believes the amendment is necessary.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Perhaps the Minister might allow me to finish. I find it a bit odd that he has been prompted to do this. It suggests children with mainstream needs are clamouring to get into special units for children within specific categories of special need, which I find a little hard to comprehend. What prompted the Minister to introduce the amendment? Is there a major issue-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have not finished.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am curious to know what prompted the Minister to introduce the amendment. It is the case that all legislation is open to all sorts of interpretation. It is not possible to frame legislation that would address all possible bizarre interpretations, but the Minister must have concrete evidence of the experience of parents in trying to get children with mainstream needs into special units...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Where is that stated in the Bill?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016: Committee Stage (28 Jun 2017)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Where is it again? I cannot quite see it.