Results 2,361-2,380 of 26,021 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Seanad: Local Government Matters: Statements (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: -----the margin was very narrow. Our margin was very positive in the other direction. I am conscious that, whatever we bring forward, we are in a new phase and need to ensure we bring people with us. There will be a review after three years of the role. That was built into the general-----

Seanad: Local Government Matters: Statements (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I did. I will mention it again.

Seanad: Local Government Matters: Statements (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: As the Senator is aware, as matters currently stand, councillors can claim for the installation of a security scheme under the local representation measures that are available to them. In addition, they can get a percentage of monitoring costs thereafter. The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission came forward with its own stand-alone scheme for which Deputies and Senators now qualify. That...

Seanad: Local Government Matters: Statements (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Members for their insightful contributions and look forward to continuing to work with them.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Pension Provisions (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I want to thank both Deputies Sherlock and Duncan Smith for raising this matter, which I will take on behalf of the Minister for Climate, Environment and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan. I want to outline the position on this matter, which deals with the current increases that are formally due. Under section 46 of the Postal and Telecommunications Services Act 1983, the Minister for...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Pension Provisions (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Deputies Sherlock and Duncan Smith for raising these matters on behalf of the An Post pensioners. They will appreciate that there is a process. New Era is part of that process, and the issue is currently with New Era. However, I do take their point that this process should be concluded as quickly as possible. I undertake to go back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, to make that...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Pension Provisions (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I was trying to be helpful to colleagues. I appreciate there is frustration on the part of the pensioners. However, there is a process there. The point that Deputy Duncan Smith raises about section 46 is a matter that I am not hugely familiar with. However, it is a matter I will take back to the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, as well.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, today. I join Deputy Gannon in condemning the despicable attack on Oleksandr Hrekov. The group was on a tour from Kyiv and had come over to do ten nights of Brian Friel's Translations. It was a very positive endeavour. Oleksandr has returned to Ukraine. I send our best wishes to him....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Deputy Gannon can read the rest of the reply. The points he makes are very consistent. I await further comments from him. I will respond to the points relating to local government in my next contribution.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I will feed back the points Deputy Gannon raises on policing to the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. I will make a couple of points on local government. All local authorities are responsible for the management of their areas. They are independent in terms of the area they look after. The reserved powers of councillors are hugely important as well. On the issue of dereliction,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Inspections (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Deputy can be in no doubt the Government considers dealing with the issues at UHL a top priority. The Minister will go to Limerick on Friday and visit Croom hospital and UHL, specifically because the priority is being directed very much towards the latter. Improvements have taken place. The medical assessment units are now open seven days a week and an additional six beds will go in....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Inspections (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I am on duty for all of the Topical Issue debates and it is nothing in particular.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Inspections (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I appreciate that.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Inspections (28 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank the Deputy for raising what is a significant issue for the people of Limerick and the mid-west and for all of us who represent them in the Oireachtas. I welcome the opportunity to address the issues in the HIQA report. As the Deputy is aware, in February, HIQA inspected University Hospital Limerick against the national standards for safer and better healthcare. The inspection...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: To add to that, the Chair had a specific question around accounting. As he is probably aware, the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage and the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications are looking to put together a business case to set up a specific unit within the SEAI to deal with that under the energy performance of buildings directive. That particular...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: A unit will be set up in SEAI under the new directive. That will deal with embodied carbon frameworks. The EU directive will apply to new builds from 1 January 2027 and will apply to all builds from three years later. The Minister is saying that it is moving. We want to bring it as low as possible. Going back to what the Chair said earlier, we need to do empirical work to measure that....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: The Deputy is missing my point which is that, to do work empirically and really refine it, we need a specialised unit.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: On the legacy estates, I have requested the local authorities to go through all the local authorities and survey all such estates. Funding was provided to local authorities a number of years ago to finish out legacy Celtic tiger estates with unfinished houses. The Deputy is talking about the broader issue. I have asked the Department to go to all the local authorities and get a full...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: If I may come in on the specific point the Senator asked about, under Housing for All our Department is doing work with the Department of Transport in aligning planning with transport. We have first started with Dublin - that work is currently being concluded - and we will move to the other cities. On the specific point she raised, our Department is specifically working with the Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2023)

Kieran O'Donnell: Briefly, if I can ask, each of the local authorities is required to do a climate action plan individually. It falls in under the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications, under the remit of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan. He has just written to one of the local authorities to now start preparing the climate action plans with climate mitigation measures. He issued...