Results 17,021-17,040 of 27,080 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2015: Discussion (8 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: One thing concerns me. I have heard some criticism in England, where this sector is much bigger, that profit motives can potentially start to creep in. I have not read through the heads of the Bill yet, but is profit seeking excluded in this sector under the legislation?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2015: Discussion (8 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: What type of risky venture?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2015: Discussion (8 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In other words, these approved housing bodies could be set up on the basis of making money for shareholders in dividends.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2015: Discussion (8 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: They have to be not-for-profit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2015: Discussion (8 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: One of the things that even the approved housing bodies have said themselves is in the shift to source more social housing from that sector than has traditionally been the case, they are just not resourced to manage the problems that can come with a much bigger social housing stock, in terms of dealing with tenants' concerns, maintenance issues, anti-social issues and complaints, which are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: General Scheme of the Housing (Regulation of Approved Housing Bodies) Bill 2015: Discussion (8 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There is a very close connection between the housing list that local authorities have and people being housed from that list in approved housing bodies and a rent scheme which is similar. Will this relationship be fully maintained?

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Artists' Remuneration (8 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 53. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the action she will take to address the issues of very low incomes among arts practitioners; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43504/15]

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Arts Funding (8 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 74. To ask the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her views that arts funding as a proportion of gross domestic product is too low, given its social, cultural and economic importance; and if it should be increased to at least European Union levels; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43503/15]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Professor is saying it is much worse.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I thank the members of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. I do not always agree with their recommendations but I appreciate the work they do in these engagements. The witnesses identify two key vulnerabilities for us, one external and one domestic. My question is about the external one first. This is the one that is often mentioned but is not thought about much beyond that, namely, the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am sorry to interrupt but my time is short. I appreciate Mr. Barnes's response, which confirms what my fears are. He clearly echoes those.I note two things in passing. It is not Mr. Barnes's responsibility but we should all learn the folly of bailing out the banks, not just for us but internationally. We gave the moneys back to the banks to go off and speculate somewhere else and it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: May I cut across Dr. Conefrey? The cautious approach partly concerns identifying the revenue sources. However, is it not also a question of determining what the money should be spent on, considering the view that we need to increase capital investment in infrastructure and domestic industrial and enterprise capacity?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That is true here also.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Can we come back in again? Are you trying to get rid of us?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I think the public might be mixed on that one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The delegates seem to be saying it was what the Government was doing until it went on a splurge with the extra €2 billion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Our resentment in our initial engagements towards the IFAC was that the demand for balancing the books came against a background where they had become unbalanced by the activities of others in circumstances where the can in respect of getting revenue and expenditure back to balance was being carried by those who, by and large, had not put them out of balance or who had not made the decisions....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have two questions. The IFAC has said that it is imprudent to spend money the origins of which are uncertain. There is this unexplained jump in corporate tax revenue which was not in the initial budget projections and it would be unwise to merely go on a splurge and spend it. The IFAC has said that the Government is imprudent in this regard. Would it be less imprudent to spend it if one...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: That increases borrowing.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform: Fiscal Assessment Report: Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (3 Dec 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It is still spending money one does not have, if Mr. Tutty does not mind me saying so.