Results 17,121-17,140 of 26,924 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: No, I was told it was €70,000, but let us see the figures. The ESRI says in its report that the cost of universal health insurance systems, regardless of where they are, is more expensive than systems of universal health care such as a national health service of the type we are proposing. However, it would appear that in Britain, even with any extras there might be, consultants are...
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Apparently, Deputy Michael Fitzmaurice will not be coming in. I do not think I will need all the time allowed.
- Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2015: Second Stage (Resumed) (19 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not know about the Minister but I get a pain in my head when I begin to think about things such as risk equalisation, risk equalisation credits, lifetime community rating and all the other very technical and complex stuff contained in the Bill and which revolve around the private health insurance system. However, the pain I get in my head is minor compared to the pain and hardship felt...
- Housing and Homelessness: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: The time for spoof, big announcements that translate into nothing and chatter about this emergency in this House is over. The main thing I wish to say is that people need to get out on to the streets on 1 December 2015 for a national demonstration to address the housing and homelessness emergency. The demonstration will assemble on Grafton Street at 5 p.m. and will march to the Dáil....
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: A lot of the bases have been covered. If I understand correctly, it is up to the Government to make decisions on some of the more contentious issues such as the level of the direct provision payment and the right to work. I think I am right to say that Ms Harrington is not in a position to shed much more light on those matters. People who have been there for more than six months - many...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes, except such people have been in a situation often for a lot longer or simply have not had that opportunity. However, it is obviously a decision for the Government as to whether it will grant such people credits based on how long they had been in direct provision and denied the right to work. Is it possible for the witnesses to provide members with the guidelines the Department gives...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: If possible, I have a few more questions on this theme when we resume. Are members returning or not?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I wish to examine issue of flexibility a little further. Before we suspended for the vote, it was said that the direction given to community welfare officers was to take rents in the area into consideration in terms of deciding what constituted a reasonable rent before breaching the rent allowance cap. Is it possible to see a copy of the memo? Could it be sent to the committee? I am...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Could Ms Harrington also send the memos?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: If one takes my area, and I am sure it is true also of other areas, it is virtually impossible for somebody who lives in Dún Laoghaire to find somewhere to rent that takes rent supplement. I accept that most people want to stay in the area in which they are living and where their children go to school. One might get one or two places available and several hundred people in a month...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: I refer to people who are trying to get rent supplement elsewhere.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: To simplify my question, what will happen, if let us say one is in a direct provision centre in Dún Laoghaire and then one tries to get rent allowance in Bray? Will one be told by the community welfare officer in Bray that because the person is not on the Wicklow list, he or she cannot get rent allowance?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: That is the point.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: If one is not on the list, one cannot get rent allowance.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Sure. I understand that, except that the condition under which one gets the rent allowance is that one is on the list in that administrative area. Is that right?
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: This is an issue of joined-up thinking between the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government, the local authorities and the Department of Social Protection. Going by my experience, which is not specifically with direct provision, I would anticipate that this could become an issue for people who have got their status and are trying to exit direct provision and find rental...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Yes, I have made the point.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: In order to get the rent allowance.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: Just so I am absolutely clear on this, there is no legal requirement.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Direct Provision: Department of Social Protection (18 Nov 2015)
Richard Boyd Barrett: So as long as they are on a local authority list, they can apply.