Results 1-20 of 51 for going forward speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Nature Restoration Law: Statements (7 Mar 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: ...For us in Sinn Féin the question of whether we should do this has already been clearly answered. Rather than asking whether we should do it, instead we should be asking how we do this. We know that the Government's propensity to set targets without a dedicated, detailed and resourced roadmap for how to get there is no way to do business. It is certainly no way to ensure success....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Recycling Policy (7 Mar 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: .... They have been raised in a number of forums with myself and a number of colleagues, particularly the piece on accessibility for people with disabilities. I welcome the fact that there is going to be engagement on them. I look forward to seeing practical measures implemented that address those issues. More widely, there has been significant coverage of the teething problems with the...

Defective Dwellings Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (9 Nov 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome this legislation and commend Deputy Duffy on bringing it forward. It contains a number of important provisions. I refer to widening the parameters in this context where they are needed, particularly in terms of the area of responsibility and the statute and the existing limitations in this regard. Turning to the existing schemes, I represent the constituency of Meath East, and...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2023: Second Stage (25 Oct 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: ...an almost identical Bill to the ones we debated in both February and October of last year. In fact, the only difference between this year’s Bill and those that have passed through the Houses is that the Government has incorporated several proposals Sinn Féin tabled last year, which is to be welcomed. Ironically, however, they are proposals the Government had stubbornly...

Progress on the National Parks and Wildlife Service: Statements (6 Jul 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: ...to speak on the progress of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and on the interconnected issue of Ireland's biodiversity crisis. Until recently, successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-led Governments failed to take these issues seriously. Decades of their paralysis have landed us in the situation we are now in, which is way behind where we once had the potential to be. Data from...

Retained Fire Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (13 Jun 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Deputies Ó Broin and Brady for putting this motion forward. It is important and I ask the Government to withdraw its amendment. The fact that it includes the statement that "a high-risk environment" has been created for the public by this action by firefighters is shameful and that needs to be withdrawn. Firefighters have taken this action because of Government inaction. I...

Home Ownership: Motion [Private Members] (31 May 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the motion and I thank Deputy O'Callaghan and the Social Democrats for bringing it forward. The shortage of, and absolute need for, affordable homes to buy is a major issue throughout the State and in my own county of Meath. The motion calls on the Government to dramatically increase the delivery of genuinely affordable purchase homes in line with the...

Biodiversity Action: Statements (25 May 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: ...worse every day. What does this mean in practice? Natural habitats are being eroded. A total of 85% of Ireland's protected areas are in an unfavourable condition, with 46% demonstrating ongoing decline. Almost half our freshwater systems are in a poor and deteriorating condition. Our forest cover is being eradicated. At one time Ireland used to be dominated by a lush green...

Government Commitments on Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (Resumed) (24 May 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: ...transport and the residential sectors and those of large parts of Europe and have the potential to transform the Irish economy if we use our abundant natural resources to create national wealth and good jobs in every corner of Ireland supporting thriving communities. The risk, of course, and it is a real one with this Government, is that the opportunity will be missed because the...

Support for Household Energy Bills: Motion [Private Members] (3 May 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: ...providers, Electric Ireland and Bord Gáis Energy, have recently made blunders in their billing process, putting thousands of workers and families in even more financial hardship during a raging cost-of-living crisis; regrets that: — on 1st May, the Government have again chosen to increase the carbon tax, which has increased the cost of home heating oil, peat briquettes and...

Annual Emission Allocation Units Purchase Agreement: Motion (28 Mar 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this issue, but I note that it has been put forward on the deadline, echoing what seems to be the Government's usual style - rushing things through at the absolute last minute. There are a number of points that it is important to raise. The Government is going to purchase 4.15 million carbon credits from Slovakia for a total of €2.9 million....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: General Scheme of the Merchant Shipping (Investigation of Marine Accidents) Bill 2022: Minister for Transport (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister for attending the meeting on pre-legislative scrutiny today and for bringing things to this point. There is still some way for the legislation to go. The Minister made a personal commitment when we dealt with the last legislation to address the issue of the quorum of the MCIB and he was aware the committee had wider concerns that needed to be addressed. He committed to...

Climate Action Plan 2023: Statements (18 Jan 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: ...plan. It is based on documents published a couple of days before Christmas. We have not yet got the annex of actions. I ask the Minister to consider whether there is a better way to bring this forward or a better timeline in which this would not be discussed so close to Christmas and in which we would have the annexe of actions at the earliest opportunity. We have not received a hard...

Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Bill 2022: Second Stage (26 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...than we are used to, such is the nature of it. It is a dreadful approach. It is the wrong approach. I would imagine that it is, at least in part, related to the absolute chaos and frantic goings on within the Department and within the Ministry. The Bill seeks to set aside normal planning and environmental requirements to allow emergency electricity generators to be installed quickly...

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...time with colleagues. The Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg, has been operating with one hand tied behind its back, which has allowed poor standards and customer service problems to go unaddressed. As in the energy sector, the Government established an independent regulator but left it without the teeth needed to enforce standards of quality properly. At the time, we...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Prices: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...of time. The other issue we hear from industry is around work practices within the organisation that restrict the time of day or year when connections can happen. Is it to do with when the clocks go forward and back? Is it during that period? Can the witnesses speak to that charge? It seems very strange to me. For example, one cannot get work done before 9 o'clock in the morning or in...

Security of Electricity Supply: Motion [Private Members] (15 Sep 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Regional Group for bringing forward this comprehensive motion. It allows us an opportunity to talk about the crucial issue of energy security. It is important to get into the weeds on this issue and to pick apart the details. I say this because, in many respects, the Government has tried as much as possible to confuse the situation and to wrap it up in the context of events in...

Green Hydrogen Strategy Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members] (14 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Deputies Quinlivan, Cronin and Guirke for co-sponsoring the Bill. I thank all those who contributed to a good debate tonight. I thank the Minister for being here in person. There are a number of things to take forward. There are key areas where climate action is clearly in the social and economic interest of people and, of course, in the environmental interest of people and the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Strategies (12 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...Action and Environment when he will draft and publish a green hydrogen strategy; if the energy security review has examined the role that green hydrogen can play in Ireland's energy security going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37069/22]

EirGrid, Electricity and Turf (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (28 Jun 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I would like to register my concern at the rushed nature of this Bill. Deputies only got sight of the Bill last Tuesday and it has not undergone any pre-legislative scrutiny, although we had a briefing on it, which was welcome. We in Sinn Féin and others in opposition had other important questions we wanted answered and we wanted to hear from stakeholders. There are still very many...