Results 2,881-2,900 of 6,816 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (28 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: 673. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE clinical specialist and WTE senior podiatrist posts for HSE acute hospital diabetes that have physically taken up post. [10182/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (28 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: 674. To ask the Minister for Health the number of consultant paediatric neurologists working in the public health services; his plans to expand this number; and the international recommended best practice ratio for paediatric neurologist surgeons to population and current ratio. [10184/23]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Work Permits (23 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: 101. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures he is taking to improve the work permit process for sectors of identified shortage; if there is dedicated focus on the potential of those seeking asylum here to address some of that shortage; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8320/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Local Authorities (23 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: 180. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide in tabular form the number of NTA-funded active travel officer roles filled and vacant in each local authority; the number of these roles filled through internal transfers within the local authority system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9368/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (23 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: 269. To ask the Minister for Health the procedures that are in place to ensure that persons who worked in more than one qualifying employment during the relevant timeframe to receive the pandemic special recognition payment will receive the full payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9367/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I apologise for missing some of the earlier contributions. There were reports in the Business Postat the end of last year regarding some pilot assessments in the Department. A challenging feature of the Climate Action Plan 2023 concerns individual Departments coming to terms with the climate implications and their responsibilities in that regard, with new models for assessing the climate...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: Is the Minister hopeful that model will be live and in effect this year?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: Has an impact assessment been carried out? Are there concerns within the sector, either here or elsewhere, and has there been feedback on it from the IDA in particular? Have concerns been raised by candidate companies or is it in line with what they are seeing or experiencing elsewhere?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: What about planned data centres?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: Will those potential projects be assessed by the new environmental impact standards?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: Take, for example, the case of a new social media company that is entering the Irish market. As part of that, a data centre might be provided. I can think of some that are in the Irish market. Can I take it that is not something that would happen ordinarily or would be subject to this assessment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I will pick up on a couple of points. This is a fair conversation about data centres. I do not think all data centres are equal. The business models of individual companies are different. Not all of them are working in the space of remote working and cloud technology. It is important to recognise that we have an increasing number of islanded data centres that are seeking connection to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: That is fine. This committee has spent an age engaging with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities, CRU, in respect of the number of data centres that are on the grid, and that are expected to be on the grid, but are not covered by that policy statement. That is significant, even before we consider the policy framework that will impact future connections. It is a challenge for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I have a couple of quick follow-up questions in respect of a number of areas of responsibility within the Minister's Department. I have not heard mention of alumina, which is an enormous source of emissions within the industrial and commercial sectors. Is there a plan in the Department for emissions reductions in that respect? Fluorinated gases, F-gases, are also significant in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: It was F-gases.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: The Minister might look again at the issue of F-gases because while the EPA might be responsible for the accounting, the bodies generating it are industry and, as I understand it, semiconductor manufacturers. The Minister might revisit this matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: That is no problem. My final question is on advertising standards and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC. My colleague, Senator Boylan, has raised successfully the issue of greenwashing. We must be increasingly aware of this in the time ahead. There have been incidents. Members, particularly Senator Boylan, have raised issues through complaints. The Advertising...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: What about the CCPC?

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (22 Feb 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: 235. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to allowing parents and carers use the National Treatment Purchase Fund to access private assessments and services, given the ongoing challenges in children's disability services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9164/23]

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...