Results 18,701-18,720 of 27,080 for speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: The fact that it is under one Department is almost by the by. In this area, more than most, we need joined-up thinking between a number of Departments. Underlying some of the concerns about the failure of the Bill to establish binding targets and concerns about the lack of independence of the advisory body is a belief that there may be a tension between certain interests, possibly within...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There is concern that the permanent members of this advisory body are all from State agencies - there are no permanent positions for particular environmental interests - but, to cut a long story short, and it has been a theme in many of the questions I have put to the Minister recently, there is also concern that there has been a sort of single focus in terms of producing renewable energy....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Can the Minister be more specific about when be believes this will happen? I was looking over the programme for Government, which was written in 2011. It states: "We will double funding for home energy efficiency and renewable energy programmes..." I have tabled a question on the rolling out of the pay-as-you-save retrofitting scheme. Again, the programme states: "We will work to promote...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: A total of €335 million per year comes from the public service obligation levy, which is supposed to be focused on developing renewable energy. It would be interesting to see a breakdown and to discover exactly where it is going and the extent to which it is going to local projects or smaller-scale community-based projects, co-operatives and so on. I welcome the fact that the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 3. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views that we must significantly expand the number of district energy schemes and co-ops generating renewable energy as a means to developing sustainable energy and creating employment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3959/15]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Projects (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: Following on from some of the Minister's earlier comments and the discussions we had during our previous session in this House, and given the concern about the focus on big industrial wind turbine projects, the Minister stated that we needed to explore alternatives and that the Government was keen to do this. What sort of focus is the Government intending to put on smaller-scale district...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Energy Conservation (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 12. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources his views that Ireland is significantly underperforming in the development of a substantial insulation and retrofit programme as a means to conserve energy and create employment. [3912/15]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Public Service Obligation Levy (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 20. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide details of the companies that are benefitting from public service obligation funding; the amounts each company received since 2001 broken down by year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3913/15]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Appointments to State Boards (29 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: 22. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he will provide details of the criteria used to select the new board members of Ervia; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3914/15]

Housing Affordability: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: What I find utterly depressing about this place, this Chamber and even media coverage is that one might, if one bangs one's head off the wall for a couple of years, raise issues relentlessly, as some of us have raised this issue for the past four years, and at one point there might be a few headlines and a grandiose statement from the Government of its intent to solve a problem. For example,...

Housing Affordability: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: There are approximately 40. Even if they sorted those 40 houses out, that would be 50 off a list of 5,200.

Housing Affordability: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: It would not even keep track with the number of applicants who will join the list in one month, never mind what is happening in the country. Will the Government take some of the €4 billion NAMA has and use it to start an emergency council house programme? Nothing else will even begin to touch this problem.

Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation: Motion (Resumed) (28 Jan 2015)

Richard Boyd Barrett: I commend the various organisations representing the survivors of the vast array of institutions that formed this architecture of oppression, abuse and persecution which ruined the lives of tens of thousands of women and children. It abused them, robbed them of their identities and histories and inflicted a crime on tens of thousands of vulnerable people and children. The damage that was done...

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: It will tell the witnesses honestly.

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: Is that for the entire co-operative?

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: It is 15 chapters done by 15 different groups.

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...