Results 18,561-18,580 of 26,924 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: To be honest, the witnesses convinced me of their case even before they came in. I am curious about the rationale behind this because it is just bizarre, absurd and shocking as far as I can see. It is bad enough wanting to privatise water and housing let alone privatise community and voluntary services that provide services to approximately 2 million people a year, according to one of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Will the delegates speak about the experience in England where problems have emerged with this approach?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The 15 organisations represented by the co-operative receive €1.3 million between them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I ask the delegates to elaborate on what the organisations do. It is a tiny amount of money when divided between 15 organisations which probably act as the glue holding together some of the most disadvantaged communities in this city by providing an opportunity for people to re-engage with society. They appear to offer incredibly good value for money, but I imagine they are massively under...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: With how many people do they deal on an annual basis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Most of the organisations were established by people who had a particular concern for these communities and issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: They may now be taken over by commercial interests with absolutely no connection with the people or their community.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The official response from the Government is that this is a legal matter related to EU directives, but the delegates have presented evidence supporting their claim that such is not the case. At no point has anybody in the Government come forward to say there is a political rationale behind the proposal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Public Service Oversight and Petitions: Tendering of the Social Inclusion and Community Activation Programme: Discussion (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Our job is to smoke out the contradiction.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Property Tax Administration (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 34. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will provide an update on the Government's housing strategy; and if he will provide an indication when councils will receive notification on how to spend property tax ring-fenced for housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3629/15]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospitals Funding (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 97. To ask the Minister for Health if extra funding will be found for Cappagh National Orthopaedic Hospital in view of the fact that the orthopaedic surgeon has said that level of funding for the hospital has been nowhere near sufficient to look after persons in a timely way and this lack of funding is preventing a person (details supplied) in Dublin 10 from having an urgent hip replacement...

EU Association Agreement with Georgia: Motion (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The last thing the people of Ukraine need is this agreement. The initial discussions on it helped to prompt the conflict in Ukraine and split the Ukrainian people apart.

EU Association Agreement with Georgia: Motion (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I did not interrupt the Minister of State.

EU Association Agreement with Georgia: Motion (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In 1991, when there was a referendum on independence in Ukraine, 84% of people turned out. Even in the industrial regions in the east, where there are mostly Russian speakers, the vote for independence was never lower than 83%. Even in Crimea, a bastion of Russian influence, 54% were in favour of independence. As I mentioned earlier, the biggest linguistic category that has grown in recent...

European Council: Statements (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Did you go to Palestine? What about the fate of Gaza?

European Council: Statements (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I would like to repeat a question I asked the Taoiseach earlier. I did not get much of an answer. It has been asked again by other Deputies. Maybe the Minister of State, Deputy Dara Murphy, can enlighten us. Why on earth is the Government not joining Syriza and the people of Greece in supporting the idea of a debt conference? It is absolutely beyond belief. Frankly, it is economic...

European Council: Statements (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The principle exists.

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Implementation (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: In the section dealing with the economy, the programme for Government states that, "The parties to the Government recognise that there is a growing danger of the State's debt burden becoming unsustainable and [I want to underline this bit] measures to safeguard debt sustainability must be urgently explored". That is a clear injunction. Many of us are extremely disappointed and depressed...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Programme for Government Implementation (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 6. To ask the Taoiseach if he will report on the implementation of the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [47832/14]

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Cabinet Confidentiality (27 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There are very few of those.