Results 1-20 of 149 for likes to work speaker:Michael Kitt

Did you mean: like to work speaker:161 speaker:161 speaker:161?

Social Housing Policy: Motion [Private Members] (29 Sep 2015)

Michael Kitt: I am sharing time with Deputy Barry Cowen. I am glad to have the opportunity to say a few brief words on this motion. Not only have we a serious housing crisis, it is the worst housing crisis since the 1930s based on what I have heard of the situation at that time. We have an increase of 383% in the number of homeless families since 2012, just three years ago. Families have been forced...

Midland Regional Hospital: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (27 May 2015)

Michael Kitt: I commend Deputy Billy Kelleher on tabling this motion. It is important and gives us an opportunity to discuss a very serious matter. I extend sympathy to the families who lost babies at Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise. I deplore the manner in which the families were treated by the HSE in the aftermath of their loss. There was certainly a lack of decency and compassion for the...

Order of Business (13 May 2015)

Michael Kitt: There are two Bills on the A list dealing with industrial relations. I understand that there is another Bill to come before the House dealing with a superannuation scheme for supervisors in community employment schemes. These schemes have already lost a number of members. The supervisors, through the trade union movement, have made a strong case for a superannuation scheme. Some of these...

Self-Employed and the SME Sector: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (22 Apr 2015)

Michael Kitt: I commend Deputy Dara Calleary on the motion. He has rightly pointed out the importance of small and medium enterprises and the fact that 350,000 self-employed people are involved in this sector. It is important to acknowledge the work of small and medium enterprises, which account for a great majority of all active business enterprises in the Republic, employing 68% of the workforce and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Stormont House Agreement: Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade (2 Apr 2015)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the Minister. I commend him and the two Governments on all the work they have done. I am particularly happy about his comments on the next meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council in the north west in May. Many of the issues the committee has discussed relate to infrastructure, particularly the road network, although we have visited the Narrow Water bridge project and so...

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

Michael Kitt: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the commission of investigation. I welcome the draft Commission of Investigation (Mother and Baby Homes and Certain Related Matters) Order 2015, and the statement of reasons for the establishment of a commission of investigation. The manner in which single women and their children were treated in mother and baby homes was appalling....

Housing Affordability: Motion [Private Members] (27 Jan 2015)

Michael Kitt: I commend my colleagues, Deputies Michael McGrath, Cowen and, in particular, Calleary, who represents a rural area like I do, on their contributions. The first issue that strikes me in this motion is that of the lack of housing supply. Some 90,000 persons are currently on social housing waiting lists around the country. While I welcome the announcements that have been made, we are still...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Theatre Projects: Smashing Times Theatre Company (15 Jan 2015)

Michael Kitt: ...might present in Galway some time, if it has not already done so. I was interested in the name of the theatre, Smashing Times. It is a great name and perhaps the witnesses might tell us the history of it. If one is smashing sectarianism or racism, which would be a good idea, it is very appropriate. Whether it is Galway, Sligo, Waterford or Dublin, theatre companies have very good names...

Health Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (3 Dec 2014)

Michael Kitt: I am glad to have the opportunity to speak on the motion, which I compliment Deputy Kelleher on tabling. Down through the years in my part of the west, we have been hearing about consultants and specialists being appointed and that they would be shared between hospitals. In my own area, this is usually between the hospitals at Ballinasloe, Galway and Roscommon. I am disappointed that the...

Topical Issue Debate: Post Office Network (11 Nov 2014)

Michael Kitt: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue for discussion and the Minister, Deputy Alex White, for coming to the House to deal with it. I recently tabled a parliamentary question to the Minister in relation to the business plan for An Post. In his reply, the Minister said that it was Government policy that An Post remain a strong and viable company in a position to provide a high...

Agriculture Industry: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Oct 2014)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the opportunity to speak and I congratulate Deputy Ó Cuív on this very comprehensive motion. He outlined very well the volatile marketplace for farmers and the growing pressure on farmers' incomes. We cannot allow farmers to be at the mercy of big processors and large supermarkets. That is not a situation over which anyone could stand. I would like the Minister and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Cross-Border Co-operation in Communications Technology: ERNACT (3 Jul 2014)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the witnesses. It is worth remembering the good and not-so-good things the ESB has done and is doing. It is great to have the ESB in terms of the social welfare schemes such as subsidised electricity and heating. There is another issue. The ESB has tried a pilot scheme for broadband but it has not really worked. I offer the example of the town of Tuam, County Galway, an area I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Developments in the North-South Co-operation: Discussion with Centre for Cross Border Studies (26 Jun 2014)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the delegation. I wish to apologise as I was not present to listen to the presentation as I was in the Dáil chairing Question Time. Having read the documentation, I note the reference to core funding from the Department of Education and Skills, as well as the reference to its primary source of income from the European Union. Do they have the figures for the sums of money...

Radiological Protection (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (12 Jun 2014)

Michael Kitt: I welcome the opportunity to discuss the Bill, which Fianna Fáil strongly supports. We need a strong and sound framework to deal with dangerously volatile nuclear material, which is of paramount importance to any state. The legislation also gives us a chance to discuss the broader Government approach to reshaping our public service. Prior to the 2011 election, the public was promised...

Local and Community Development Programmes: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (5 Jun 2014)

Michael Kitt: .... The Dáil must defend the core community partnership ethos of the local development companies. When Deputies raise with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government issues related to rural social schemes, the Tús scheme or community employment schemes, they receive a standard reply to the effect that the matter raised is one for the Minister for Social...

Housing Provision: Motion [Private Members] (30 Apr 2014)

Michael Kitt: I support the motion proposed by the Technical Group and I thank Deputy Catherine Murphy for the proposal she put to the House. We all know there is a need for radical action to tackle the housing crisis, in particular in Dublin, but as other speakers said there is also a need for more housing in the large urban centres throughout the country. The big issue is how we deal with this. There...

Ambulance Service: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (16 Apr 2014)

Michael Kitt: I commend Deputy Kelleher on the motion. I like the mention he made of providing an ambulance service of the highest international standard. It is a noble aspiration. He clearly pointed out the great work done by paramedics, but they need to be properly resourced. It would be very difficult to have a service which is of the highest international standards if the budget is cut. I will...

Social Housing and Homelessness Policy: Statements (Resumed) (3 Apr 2014)

Michael Kitt: I welcome this debate. I have been raising matters in regard to housing and homelessness for some time. I believe we would all agree there is an emergency in the area of housing when we are told there are 100,000 households on the social housing waiting lists. We will certainly have more families on the waiting lists if we do not have a house construction programme and if we continue to...

Recent Flooding: Statements (Resumed) (19 Feb 2014)

Michael Kitt: I am glad to have the opportunity to make brief comments on the flood damage and to sympathise with all those, including homeowners, commercial property owners, farmers and business people, who suffered because of the dreadful weather over a number of weeks. My first thoughts are with the people who suffered but we must then think about introducing new legislation to help people. With...

Topical Issue Matters (18 Feb 2014)

Michael Kitt: I wish to advise the House of the following matters in respect of which notice has been given under Standing Order 27A and the name of the Member in each case: (1) Deputy Peadar Tóibín - the need to include the proposed North-South 400 kV interconnector in the terms of reference of the recently announced commission; (2) Deputy Paudie Coffey - the position on the South East Economic...