Results 4,101-4,120 of 6,816 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: New Retrofitting Plan and the Built Environment: Discussion (Resumed) (10 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Is that the case? We seem to use a lot of proxy indicators, such as who is living in social housing and who is in receipt of fuel allowance, as indications of income. Neither of those is a function of the quality of the house the person lives in. He or she could be in social housing that is A-rated. I think of this in the context of the working poor living in rural Ireland. Do we have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: New Retrofitting Plan and the Built Environment: Discussion (Resumed) (10 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: That is helpful. I thank Mr. Hoyne.

Regulations for the Sale and Distribution of Turf: Motion [Private Members] (5 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Independent Group for bringing this motion. It seeks to go some way towards filling a vacuum left by the Government when it jumped, so dreadfully ill-prepared, to announce a ban on the sale and distribution of turf. The motion seeks to clarify what is meant by "turbary rights"; those can come in different ways and forms and the motion seeks to exempt certain identified groups....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I want to raise the crisis in the taxi industry. Over 2,000 taxi licences have gone after Covid, and thousands of licenceholders have not returned to work. We have circumstances in which people cannot get a taxi or face an inordinate delay when they want one. At the same time, drivers are struggling to make a living. They may be busy for a short number of hours but their business is very...

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Climate Action Plan (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 157. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the amount of the €652,287,332 that was raised in carbon tax revenue in 2021 that was ring-fenced for expenditure on climate action measures; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21764/22]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Climate Action Plan (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 569. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the way he intends to meet the Climate Action Plan action number 343 to promote the role of afforestation as a climate solution; the number of hectares planted on public and private land in 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22265/22]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Forestry Sector (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 571. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the estimated cost of planting one hectare of public land with broadleaf trees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22280/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank Ms Graham for the update. I refer to her last point on submissions. Ms Graham said the NTA received 155 submissions in 2016 and it probably received in excess of that number on one issue in the current strategy that I will raise with her, namely fares along the east coast. This includes Balbriggan versus Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda. I have raised this issue with Ms Graham...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Did that result in some stations being included within the boundary?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: When does Ms Graham expect the review to be completed? I asked her about it six months ago and it was ongoing at that stage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I suppose it is six months closer to completion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Has there been an impact assessment? This absolutely flies in the face of a written Government policy. I have constituents who talk about their children having freedom because they have their driving licences. They use the car because they do not have a bus service. I am talking about a community of 3,000 people that was built by previous Governments and planned by local authorities....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: It is Stamullen in County Meath.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: A lot of cars will be bought between now and when Connecting Ireland is introduced. Is it not the case that a reduction in the fare price structure could be introduced tomorrow morning? That is what happened when the 20% reduction in fares, which I welcomed, was introduced, and the 50% reduction relating to the youth travel card. How are those decisions made?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: The Government could say in the morning that it wants-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will just come back on that point. Ms Graham is saying that they want, the Government or the Minister could say in the morning that the fares would be reduced at the stations in Stamullen, Gormanston, Laytown and Drogheda to bring them closer to the fares in Balbriggan. They could do that, but it does not look like they will. On behalf of my constituents and those of my colleague, Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: As I said at the outset, there are more submissions on this one issue than in the totality of 2016. In her initial response, Ms Graham acknowledged that these boundaries changed in the past up to approximately 30 km. There is a great opportunity not just to provide additional services but to increase the use of the existing service. Connecting Ireland is about the idea of promising...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Ms Graham acknowledges that the NTA is not assessing the impact of these decisions in terms of the alternative modes of transport, whether it is bypassing Laytown and Gormanston and going to Balbriggan, which is a weakness. There could be a scenario where, with some movement in relation to price reductions, Irish Rail could break even or in fact make more because there would be more people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Leap card and Leap card facilities need to be extended as well into these areas because that has a related and direct impact.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Strategy for the Greater Dublin Region: Discussion (4 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: My first questions are for Mr. Coyne. He stated he hopes Dublin Bus will soon be back more than 150 million customers per year. What sort of timeline does he expect for that and what kinds of numbers is he seeing in that context? On the 90-minute fare, I understand the reduced fares have not yet been introduced but will be soon. What is his sense of the impact they will have, if that is...