Results 321-340 of 1,685 for speaker:Chris Andrews

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Development of Local Community Arts: Discussion (10 May 2023)

Chris Andrews: I thank the witnesses.

Food Costs and High Grocery Bills: Motion [Private Members] (9 May 2023)

Chris Andrews: I thank my Sinn Féin colleagues for their work in tabling this motion. Perhaps the most visible sign of the cost-of-living crisis is the continual rise in the cost of food and groceries. Everyone in a household, from children to parents, can see prices rising. The Government's approach of sitting on its hands as food prices soar shows clearly how utterly out of touch it is with...

Europe Day: Statements (9 May 2023)

Chris Andrews: Today marks the anniversary of the signing of the Schuman Declaration. It was signed when much of Europe was still rubble after the devastation of the Second World War. The aim behind it aim was simple: to prevent the horrors of war from ever unfolding in Europe again. The declaration fittingly states its aim to make war between the historic rivals "not merely unthinkable, but materially...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (4 May 2023)

Chris Andrews: The sports capital programme has over decades provided real support to sports clubs across the country. However, it needs reform. The sports capital programme requires clubs to pay up-front the cost of equipment or works, after which they can draw down the grant allocation. This is a deeply unfair method and has a disproportionately negative impact on clubs in less affluent communities...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (4 May 2023)

Chris Andrews: They cannot afford to draw down the money.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (4 May 2023)

Chris Andrews: It happens in other Departments.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Funding (3 May 2023)

Chris Andrews: 187. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the number of applicants for the previous two rounds of the sports capital programme who were granted funding but did not draw down the grants fully, setting out for each round of the sports capital programme the number of grants fully outstanding, the number of grants partially drawn down, the number of grants fully drawn down...

Re-introduction of Mortgage Interest Relief: Motion [Private Members] (25 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: I commend my Sinn Féin colleagues on the motion. We have seen from previous financial crashes, including those associated with the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the current cost-of-living crisis, that we live in a very volatile economic system. It is shifting and changing, not always for the better. Since July, the European Central Bank has increased its key lending rate...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Possible Enhancement of Child Protection Powers of Tusla: Discussion (25 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: I thank the officials for their presentation. In his report, Geoffrey Shannon said the board of St. John's Ambulance put the organisation ahead of young people. That is a pretty damning statement. Clearly, St. John's Ambulance has not learned, because while at the same it is apologising publicly, it is still fighting survivors in court and that is a huge thing-----

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Possible Enhancement of Child Protection Powers of Tusla: Discussion (25 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: Ms Duggan mentioned it was flagged in 2013 with Tusla that there were issues around abuse. What actions did Tusla take prompted by the flag raised with the agency then? I am not clear about what actions it took on foot of that, and how it came to 2018 and Geoffrey Shannon exposing everything. Does Tusla feel it could get a better idea of how organisations were implementing safeguarding...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Possible Enhancement of Child Protection Powers of Tusla: Discussion (25 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: When I asked about Tusla's view of the current child protection standards in St. John Ambulance earlier on, I was told that everything from the recommendations of the Shannon report would be enacted. Is Tusla saying that St. John Ambulance is a safe place to send children to work?

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Possible Enhancement of Child Protection Powers of Tusla: Discussion (25 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: I suppose that rules out my next question. With regard to the issue being flagged in 2013, it was mentioned earlier on that Tusla had power to intervene in cases where it has concerns and sees red flags. However, in 2013 a red flag was raised and nobody intervened.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: Possible Enhancement of Child Protection Powers of Tusla: Discussion (25 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: Notwithstanding that the individual was gone from the organisation, does that not raise concerns that there is serious concerns about the organisation? Surely that would initiate a review from the child protection agency or pretty intense scrutiny and investigation. That did not happen.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Provision (25 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: 296. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the number of affordable housing units delivered via the cost rental equity loan, the affordable housing fund and Project Tosaigh in the constituency of Dublin Bay south in each of the years 2016 to 2022; and the number planned to be delivered in 2023, the breakdown of units per scheme and average price of units by unit...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education and Training Provision (25 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: 652. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if an individual support worker will be made available to a person (details supplied) who is profoundly deaf, to allow them to complete their college course. [19552/23]

Organised Crime: Statements (20 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: The devastation imposed by organised crime on the communities my colleagues and I represent has been painfully clear for years. Too many communities feel anxious, unsafe and abandoned as they face the terror, devastation and heartbreak that crime brings to their neighbourhoods. Criminals do not represent these hard-working, decent communities, such as those in Pearse Street, City Quay,...

Department Underspend and Reduced Delivery of Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (18 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: We have an underspend of €1 billion and the list of work that could be done with this €1 billion is extensive, including regeneration of flat complexes and maintenance of the flat complexes. The Minister mentioned voids and said he was focused on voids. I could bring him to any number of flats around here and show him that the number of voids is extensive. There are two voids...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (18 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: When is enough enough? When will the Government say, "Enough is enough", to apartheid Israel? When will the Government say to our European partners that we can no longer stand over allowing apartheid Israel to practice apartheid? When are we going to tell the Israelis that enough is enough and that they cannot keep stealing Palestinian land? When are we going to tell them that they cannot...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (18 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: Sorry, the state of Palestine. At least someone was listening to me. We must recognise the state of Palestine. The previous Minister for Foreign Affairs, Deputy Coveney, said that he might have recognised the Palestinian state if progress towards a two-state solution had stalled. It cannot get any more stalled than it is now. We have an extreme, fascist Israeli Government. Members of the...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (18 Apr 2023)

Chris Andrews: We need to recognise the state of Palestine, we have to introduce the occupied territories Bill as a matter of urgency and we must tell the EU that we will not give in and let them walk all over us.