Results 18,021-18,040 of 27,275 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

White Paper on Defence: Statements (Resumed) (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister for Defence began his opening contribution by expressing one sentiment with which I agree and another with which I thoroughly disagree. I agree wholeheartedly with the Minister that "[m]embers of the Defence Forces are called upon to undertake difficult missions and we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice in the service of the State, including on overseas peace...

White Paper on Defence: Statements (Resumed) (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It was through force but it was in opposition to empires and war mongers, including the biggest war mongers of all who started the First World War. This is why we have credibility. The Minister also stated: Security is the bedrock on which a society's cultural, social and economic achievements are built. In a modern state defence is conceived as the ultimate guarantor of freedom.That...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: My point follows on from Deputy Naughten's point. This amendment might make sense if the Government gave us a commitment and a cast-iron guarantee that the capital will be provided by the Government when the local authorities come up with plans to develop sites that are suitable for social housing where there is a social housing need. This pertains to something that I am very uncertain about...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In the absence of such a provision, this is a mechanism to force the privatisation of local authority land. The only way the local authority will be able to come up with plans that it can finance, if the Government does not guarantee the local authority the money, is by handing the land over to private developers, who will take it and lease it back to the council at a further cost to the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I have not tabled an amendment to the section, but I suggest the following for consideration given the possibility that I might put something in on Report Stage. I refer to section 5(2). When we are talking about the definitions of "site" and "home" on page 7, we are excluding what are described as "homes". Obviously, there is a very good reason to do that in most cases. One does not want...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Arguably, if there was a constitutional impediment, that could equally apply to the levy. If the levy can apply to land, I do not see why it cannot apply to vacant properties. It may be something we need to look at. I have not thought it out fully or put down an amendment, but it is something we should look at and consider. I am certainly going to do so. If there is any way to have a...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: This relates to the Government's plan to reduce the obligation on the developer from 20% of any development to 10%, which is a central aspect of the legislation. Undoubtedly, the Government will claim that a level of 20% is an inhibitor and discourages developers from developing and that reducing it to 10% could incentivise builders to start developments. It probably captures the...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: No, but I understand the Government's-----

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I do not. There is a link between this amendment and some of the others that I have tabled. My problem with it is that there is too much reliance on the private sector generally in the Government's approach to dealing with the housing crisis. This Bill is the working out of that logic, in that it asserts that the only way we will get the social and affordable housing that we need is by...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am genuinely tempted by the idea that 10% of something is better than 20% of nothing, given the dire situation we are in. I put this amendment forward out of genuine concern and desire to have a serious debate on the issue. I remain open to hearing the arguments but I wanted to put it down because this is a central component of the Bill and I will consider it as we go along. Essentially,...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I am open to the argument but I am worried because once things head back in that direction, we may not be getting what we should be getting. We are also sacrificing the sort of balance, in terms of social mix, we should get. I want to signal a point that we will come to later. A very substantial get out clause is the lease back alternative. Deputy Wallace mentioned the cost of the land...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: My series of amendments covers a number of areas, but my major concern is the get-out clause, that is, that instead of the 10% to the local authority, there is a leasing option, if I understand this correctly, so that the developer, instead of the local authority or, for that matter, a voluntary housing body, ending up with the 10%, the developers can just agree to lease this property on a...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The Minister is saying that, in general, where the capital is available local authorities will be encouraged to acquire rather than lease, but that creates a major slippery slope. I suspect this provision will mean that the bulk of the 10% will end up being leased, and the Minister has not convinced me so far that this will not be the case. On the profit issue, we know there has been a...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: This section adds to my anxiety, and that of other Deputies, about the consequences of the reduction in the requirement for social housing provision from 20% to 10%. I presume that, in order to accommodate that, the number of units will have to be reduced from nine to four. My fear is that it is a logical follow-on from the earlier state of affairs and it could become easier for...

Committee on Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht: Select Sub-Committee on the Environment, Community and Local Government: Urban Regeneration and Housing Bill 2015: Committee Stage (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I strongly agree with Deputy Murphy on this one. I believe Deputies sometimes put forward these review clauses just for the sake of tabling an amendment, so that they can say they said something about a Bill, but in this case there is a real argument for it because the housing market is completely fluid, volatile and subject to constant change. We have debated and disputed the arguments...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Taoiseach's Meetings and Engagements (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 8. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on his meeting with Atheist Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9978/15]

Other Questions: English Language Training Organisations (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 113. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 203 of 17 June 2015, if it is appropriate that students from recently closed colleges such as MEC who had already paid fees are being offered a solution that involves them paying even more money to schools they had not been able to afford; if she is satisfied that Ireland's reputation as a destination for...

Other Questions: English Language Training Organisations (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The closure of the Modern Educational Centre English language school in May was the latest in a long litany of private English language schools closing down and leaving international students high and dry after paying for courses, not to mention teachers being left equally high and dry. What does the Government intend to do about this not only in terms of the unfairness visited on students...

Other Questions: English Language Training Organisations (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: We bailed out the banks to the tune of billions, as well as foreign bondholders who, frankly, did nothing for the country and were here just to exploit us and profiteer from us. We bailed them out, although we should not have. However, we do have an obligation to bail out foreign students who come here and who in good faith pay money for courses and then, because of our failure to properly...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (30 Jun 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 138. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there is any possibility of fast-tracking the transfer of a school (details supplied) in County Dublin to its permanent location, as the school has been waiting 20 years and is completely unable to cope in its current temporary location; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25822/15]