Results 101-120 of 4,004 for speaker:Martin Browne

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: I have just been made aware that Deputy Conway-Walsh needs to be in the Chamber. Does the Senator mind if I let her in before she goes?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: I call Senator Craughwell.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: I call Deputy Buckley.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: Mr. Carney, we cannot let you into this session. You can view it but you cannot take part in it. Thank you all for coming in and giving your side of what is going on. As was said earlier, to have a community without water in 2024 is not acceptable, as far as I am concerned. Throughout the whole duration of the predicament, what duty of care was shown to the community by the county...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: I ask you because the petitioner has shown us a string of emails to which they say they did not get responses from across the three bodies. I am just trying to figure out why the emails would not have got replies.

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: Uisce Éireann?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: In its submission, Mayo County Council stated that in July 2018, the application received from Cleragh community water connection was assessed and the scheme was deemed viable. It took until November 2023 for the connection application to be submitted to Irish Water. Why was there a five-year delay? I know we had Brexit, Covid-19 and all of that but there were two and a half or three years...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: Does Uisce Éireann have a policy that gives priority to communities that are in a situation such as this one? I will give credit to Uisce Éireann and Tipperary County Council for resolving an issue quickly once it came before the committee. Does Uisce Éireann have a policy whereby it prioritises communities such as the one we are talking about over individuals?

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Kiltimagh Water Scheme: Discussion (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: As others have said, I thank our guests for coming and for being so honest. We have, however, a community that is stuck without water. I say to the three bodies here that we will be keeping in regular contact with them and with the petitioners. Perhaps in six months, we will see how far this has progressed. I encourage our guests to communicate. It seems to be an awful problem across the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: I propose that the petitions considered by the committee at this meeting and at previous meetings may be published and the replies from the Department and other bodies may also be published. Is that agreed? Agreed. We have three petitions for consideration. The first of them is No. P00036/21, concerning reform of insurance for thatched heritage buildings, from Katie McNelis. A lot of...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: A lot of work has gone into it. It was suggested at the private meeting that we send the recommendations to the Department as well, to get its comments, because the petitioners have tried what the Minister, the Department and the insurance federation told us when they appeared before the committee. With the new recommendations from the Alliance for Insurance Reform, there might be some way...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: Petition No. P00049/23 seeks the introduction of extra time as a reasonable accommodation for dyslexic students in State examinations - junior cycle and leaving certificate. The petitioner is Ms Rosie Bissett on behalf of the Dyslexia Association of Ireland. A lot of work has gone into this as well, and we know we are working to a tight timeframe. The recommendations are that the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: The system at the moment has been there for 24 years. I do not think anybody would say that things have not moved on drastically in 24 years. The recommendations from the Dyslexia Association of Ireland should be taken into account. As Deputy Buckley has said, it is only a sticker on a table. That is agreed. That concludes our consideration of public petitions this afternoon. I invite...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (25 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: I add my thanks to the lads here - Martha Dowling, Barbara Hughes, Ciaran McConway, Alex Alino and everybody else involved - for the amount of work that goes in behind the scenes. I thank them on behalf of the committee.

Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (24 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: As other speakers have said, we all appreciate the importance of this Bill as regards gambling, especially the online part of it. There is not a TD in this Chamber who has not been approached by some charity, GAA club or school raising money. It is unbelievable that this is being brought in when there is so much uncertainty out there. We are asking for it to be referred back to the...

Weather-Related Supports for Farmers: Statements (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: One of the issues we generally come across when responding to the needs of farmers is the delay in appropriately addressing things as they happen. The particularly wet weather at the end of last year and to date in 2024 has extended the season in which farmers have had to keep their livestock housed and, as a result, has had a significant impact on feeding costs. Despite the signals that...

Road Safety: Statements (17 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: We need an all-round approach to road safety to reverse the worrying trend of road deaths we have seen recently. The last time I spoke about this, in February, I drew attention to the fact that the manned deterrent on the roads needs to be increased, yet the ability to provide that increased Garda presence is hamstrung by the shortage of available gardaí. This was pointedly outlined in...

National Cancer Strategy: Motion [Private Members] (16 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: I also want to thank Deputy Cullinane for tabling the motion. The Minister of State said in her contribution that she would give figures; I am also going to give figures. First, we have had 13 years with Deputies Harris, Varadkar and Stephen Donnelly as Minister for Health that have made the health service worse, with higher hospital overcrowding, hospital waiting times and wasteful...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (16 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: We are living in an ageing society, and it is important we get auto-enrolment right. It is important to provide a financial vehicle to help people to supplement the State pension to enable them greater financial security in retirement, so we must get it right. It is to reward workers and improve their lives post retirement. I refer to the mandatory nature of the automatic opt-in for six...

Committee on Public Petitions: Business of Joint Committee (11 Apr 2024)

Martin Browne: Good morning everyone and welcome to our public meeting. Apologies have been received from Deputies Devlin and Buckley and Senator Craughwell. Before we begin, I congratulate former committee member, Deputy Emer Higgins, on her appointment as Minister of State with responsibility for business, employment and retail at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment. She has now been...