Results 15,361-15,380 of 15,805 for speaker:Michael Ring

Written Answers — Local Authority Housing: Local Authority Housing (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: Question 403: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the number of vacant houses which are in the possession of each of the local authorities in County Mayo; the locations of these houses; and the reason the houses are not being allocated. [6506/05]

Written Answers — Water and Sewerage Schemes: Water and Sewerage Schemes (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: Question 404: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if an area (details supplied) in County Mayo will be included in the extension to a sewerage scheme in the area. [6539/05]

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: Question 423: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government if, when works are carried out on a bridge (details supplied) in County Mayo, the road thereon will be widened also. [6904/05]

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: Question 424: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the funding which was allocated to Mayo County Council under the planned maintenance programme. [6905/05]

Written Answers — Local Authority Funding: Local Authority Funding (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: Question 425: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government the parts of County Mayo which will benefit from the allocation of funding from his Department under the planned maintenance programme. [6906/05]

Northern Ireland Issues: Motion. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: I am delighted to see the leader of Fine Gael putting this motion before the House. It puts the Fine Gael position very clearly to the people. A few months ago, although I was doubtful about the situation, I thought IRA-Sinn Féin criminality was finished. As recently as last December, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform told the House that was the case. I compliment the...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: A recent EU study of one-parent families showed that 50% of lone parents find life difficult. The research for the report was conducted in Ireland and throughout Europe. The report shows there is a difficulty in this sector. The Minister spoke about child poverty. Why was there no increase in the last ten years in the child dependant allowance? The person who wrote the article in The Irish...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: One-parent families are suffering most from this; they are feeling the pinch. I ask the Minister for a real debate on the issue of lone parents. We must consider this matter to find out how we can improve their lives and how the social welfare code can assist them rather than working against them.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: The Minister should tell his officials that.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: It is two, I think.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: There should be one rate. The Minister should go the whole way since all children are equal.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: The Minister will have the money spent on spin doctors, booklets and photographs. It will be a one-year wonder.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: That promise was broken in 1992. The only year it was honoured was the year before the election.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: I want to make three points to the Minister, and I will not hold up the debate. I was delighted to hear Deputy Penrose say he is one of a family of ten. I came from a family of 13. My father spent a lot of time in England but he spent a lot of time at home as well. We waited on the Thursday evening for the cheque to come — at that time it was wired.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: I want to raise three issues, particularly in regard to women. The Deputy is right, people often come into our clinics, particularly women when they reach pension age, whose husbands have worked all their lives and they get the qualifying allowance of 70%, but that is not the issue. I am aware they can apply for it in their own right but in any review of pensions the question of giving women...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: We have had much debate over the last two or three weeks on single parents. I read an article in The Irish Times in which criticisms of one-parent families were made by a journalist who should have known better than to make the comments he did. I have also listened to the last two speakers. If we are serious about helping people to escape the poverty trap, we must make it easier for them to...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: I am moving on to that matter.

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: I am making the point about nursing homes and the problem which has been created by the Government. I want to move on to a matter raised by Deputy Penrose, which I raised in my speech last week. I only know rough figures as I do not have them off the top of my head. A woman in her 90s was in hospital for over ten years and left behind €16,800 or so. The family then had to repay...

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2005: Report Stage. (1 Mar 2005)

Michael Ring: I am glad the Minister will do what I asked in regard to the FIS and get the Department to spend some money on advertising it. I accept the Department has the information on websites, social welfare books and other places. However people still do not understand how it works. A simple advertisement on RTE would do the job. I agree with Deputy Penrose that the social welfare system needs to be...

Written Answers — Gas Pipelines: Gas Pipelines (24 Feb 2005)

Michael Ring: Question 113: To ask the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources if it is considered satisfactory that the onshore pipeline design for the gas terminal (details supplied) in County Mayo is an upstream pipeline that will carry raw, untreated odourless gas when Bord Gáis Éireann does not operate upstream pipelines and only transports clean odorised gas where mercaptan has...