Results 41-60 of 124 for 5 million speaker:Finian McGrath

Seanad: Health (Amendment) Bill 2017: Second Stage (28 Mar 2017)

Finian McGrath: ...item, with a monthly cap of €20 for an individual or family. This targeted measure will benefit nearly 390,000 over 70s and their dependants. It is expected to save this group in the region of €10 million in 2017 and €12 million in a full year. Senators will note that this reduction was implemented on an administrative basis from 1 March. The HSE issued a circular...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Certain Matters Relative to Disability Service in the South East and Related Matters): Motion (9 Mar 2017)

Finian McGrath: ..., including foster carers, in the care and protection of Grace; the role of public authorities, including foster carers, in the care and protection of other persons who, between 1989 and 2015, were in foster care or otherwise placed with a foster family; and the treatment by the HSE of the protected disclosures made in respect of Grace, as well as the HSE's treatment of those who made the...

Seanad: Commission of Investigation (Certain Matters Relative to Disability Service in the South East and Related Matters): Motion (9 Mar 2017)

Finian McGrath: .... Senator Colm Burke asked why we are again setting up another commission of investigation. It is very sad and frustrating. It is a case of "here we go again." I would rather have the €5 million to spend on respite services in Mayo, Galway, Cork or Dublin but we must get to the truth and find out what happened in the interests of Grace. The Senator also mentioned monitoring...

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Wage Subsidy Scheme (9 Mar 2017)

Finian McGrath: ...of people with disabilities in the open labour market. To participate on the scheme an employee must work a minimum of 21 hours per week up to a maximum of 39 hours per week. In the past 5 years the numbers on the scheme have increased from just above 1,000 to 2,349 participants in February 2017. The EmployAbility service is a national employment and recruitment service dedicated to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: ...with many of the arguments the Senator put forward. I am well aware of the issues in the disability sector, as the Senator well knows. I have been involved in disability rights for the past 25 years. I know about the poverty and the exclusion. I know the details. I have spent the past six months meeting all the families again. I have a strong record in that area. This is not pie in...

Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2014 [Seanad]: Second Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: ...about the Government constantly speaking about the €14.6 billion in the health budget that we secured this year. It is very important that the positive things are recognised too. We have €20 million for the National Treatment Purchase Fund to tackle waiting lists and 10,000 medical cards for children with disabilities are also coming on stream. We have also seen a...

Medical Practitioners (Amendment) Bill 2014 [Seanad]: Second Stage (6 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: ...be required by medical practitioners. This policy change required that a new function be given to the State Claims Agency under section 8 of the National Treasury Management Act 2000, as amended. On 5 June 2015, Government approved the drafting of amendments to the Bill. In the current Bill, the State Claims Agency will link with relevant bodies in order to assess and specify what the...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Accident and Emergency Departments (13 Oct 2016)

Finian McGrath: ...The increase in hospital activity can be seen across the board, particularly in our emergency departments.To date this year, the Health Service Executive, HSE, has reported an average increase of approximately 5% in patient attendance at our accident and emergency departments. This increased demand is being driven in part by demographics and an ageing population profile. In this context,...

Topical Issue Debate: Autism Support Services (21 Jul 2016)

Finian McGrath: ...with special needs. Since 2014, the roll-out of the HSE’s progressing disability services for children and young people from zero to 18 programme has entailed targeted investment of €14 million and the provision of 275 additional therapy staff to increase services for children with all disabilities, including children with autism. This national project is currently under...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: UN Conventions Ratification (22 Jun 2016)

Finian McGrath: ...hard to achieve. Much has been achieved already in terms of overcoming the obstacles to ratification outlined in the roadmap, with the enactment of the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 and the amendments to the Mental Health Act 2001, which removed the authority to administer electroconvulsive therapy or medicine, after a three-month period, to an involuntary patient with...

Housing and Homelessness: Statements (22 Mar 2016)

Finian McGrath: ...and propose five concrete proposals to deal with the issues of housing and homelessness. Before we do this, we need to identify the situation on the ground on this issue. At the moment, there are 5,715 adults and children in emergency accommodation nationally, including 4,248 in Dublin. Some 38% of these people have never used homeless accommodation before. The number of families and...

Finance (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2015: Second Stage (22 Oct 2015)

Finian McGrath: ...massive resources many countries have. It is equally important for countries that are not very well off. On the tax issue, not a word was mentioned anywhere in the Dáil or in broader society about the €44 million extra that was taken in by Revenue following a trawl of wealthy individuals in Ireland over the summer weeks, ahead of the June deadline. This involved only 137...

Central Bank (Mortgage Interest Rates) Bill 2015: Second Stage [Private Members] (10 Jun 2015)

Finian McGrath: The Central Bank (Mortgage Interest Rates) Bill 2015 provides the Central Bank with the power to direct covered institutions to lower mortgage interest rates in certain circumstances. I welcome this Bill as a positive, helpful and sensible proposal. It is also very relevant to what is happening in Ireland in 2015. All Members have had families coming to our clinics and offices with their...

Draft Commission of Investigation (Certain matters concerning transactions entered into by IBRC) Order 2015: Motion (Resumed) (10 Jun 2015)

Finian McGrath: ...they refused it again. At this point we felt we were doing all the running and requested that Shoreline make a counter offer so we could see where they were at and they totally refused and ignored 5/6 letters to them. We had let them into our home to value it and gave them our finance data and cooperated with all of their requests so we felt totally isolated.That is just one case. I am...

Sale of Siteserv: Motion [Private Members] (6 May 2015)

Finian McGrath: ...this matter is through a full independent commission of inquiry. The senior officials in the Department of Finance have raised concerns about the other IBRC sales. In 2012 Siteserv owed €150 million to IBRC. In March 2012 IBRC sold Siteserv for €45 million. External trade buyers were excluded. Some bidders were also excluded. Siteserv shareholders received €5...

Allegations Regarding Sexual Abuse by Members of the Provisional Republican Movement: Statements (12 Nov 2014)

Finian McGrath: ...Rape Crisis Centre are given assistance. They should not have to face more cutbacks like those they have endured over the last 12 months. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, for example, had its budget cut from €1.3 million to €1 million in 2014. It costs €1.8 million to run the service. The centre currently needs 12 psychotherapists to run its service. Even though its...

Workplace Relations Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Oct 2014)

Finian McGrath: .... We have seen the recent dispute with the Greyhound workers. They work in a very difficult job, collecting waste around the city. One morning, they were told their wages were being cut by 35% and there was then a long and bitter strike, which, thankfully, is over. While this was going on, many of us wondered why the resources were not used properly and efficiently to end the dispute....

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2014: Second Stage (23 Sep 2014)

Finian McGrath: ...them to people's lives. We have a long way to go with regard to standards, professionalism and resources. The number of people on trolleys in accident and emergency departments increased by 158 in August. This is appalling and not good enough. It is not acceptable. How can we talk about standards and professionalism when this type of activity takes place on the front line in our...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Care Services Funding (1 Jul 2014)

Finian McGrath: ...many at-risk children. The Minister knows the centre requires approximately €200,000 and an immediate injection of €100,000 or it will have to close. In 2012, the centre had a deficit of €65,000 and in 2013 it was €63,000. In 2014, the deficit is €200,000. The centre has been magnificent in its fund-raising and in 2013 it brought in €112,000....

Social Welfare and Pensions Bill 2014: Second Stage (Resumed) (5 Jun 2014)

Finian McGrath: ...of Directive 2010/41/EU. It also proposes amendments to the Pensions Act 1990 in respect of notifying members of defined benefit schemes where scheme benefits are being restructured under section 50 of the 1990 Act. That, essentially, is what the Bill is about. It is important that we get the detail of it right. Another issue in dealing with this Bill on social welfare is the silent...