Results 4,241-4,260 of 5,157 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Regulation of Lobbying (Post-Term Employment as Lobbyist) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Ar an gcéad dul síos, tréaslaím leis an Teachta Nash as an mBille seo a chur os comhair na Dála. I commend him on bringing forward this Bill. I welcome any legislation that seeks to shut the revolving door between Government and vested interests. We need to keep in mind the scandals of the past year that brought this issue to the fore, including the appointment of...

Fisheries and Coastal Communities: Statements (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: Two weeks ago, I met with fishers from Inis Oírr who raised two key issues with me. First, they are deeply concerned at having to weigh the shellfish when they land it on Inis Oírr. There is no account taken of damage to, or incidental loss of, the catch before it travels back again by sea to the factories. The other key issue is the pier on Inis Oírr, which not only impacts...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: If the data centre is to be State-run, that is very good news. Deputy Lawless mentioned that the data centres based here which are owned by private companies can use significant amounts of energy. We know there has been a sharp rise in the number of such centres operating here. In fact, a report prepared by the data hosting industry confirmed that the number of operational data centres in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 112. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if the shared data services centre outlined in the recovery and resilience plan will be publicly run and not contracted out to a private provider. [31888/21]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Data Centres (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: There is much merit in creating a shared Government data services centre. I have been looking at the area of public procurement and data collection, analysis and review in this area needs to be improved. A shared data centre could help to improve the interoperability of public administrative databases and could help cut down on data entry and the collection of duplicate data. As part of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Construction Industry (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: We are in a situation at the moment where demand consistently outstrips supply. This puts upward pressure on house prices and rent. The Minister mentioned in the past number of questions high expenditure in terms of capital. We need to look at the reality on the ground as well. People cannot afford housing or rents. Again today the Central Bank has said that house prices will rise...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Construction Industry (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I hope the Government will start to play its part in the delivery of housing, especially affordable housing that people can actually live in. The reality is that we have seen for a long number of years with previous Governments and this Government a failure to do that. That is why we are in the situation we are in. We are where we are because of political decisions. It is simply not good...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Construction Industry (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 102. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform further to the increased capital expenditure set to take place in the coming years and the current delays in commencing capital projects, his views on and whether he favours investing in a State construction body or an expanded role for the Office of Public Works; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32592/21]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Construction Industry (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: One line in the ESRI report stuck in my mind which stated, "it is evident that the domestic construction sector is unable to meet the scale of production required". Given the current delays in commencing certain capital projects and the longer-term problem of market supply meeting demand, has the Minister considered investing in a State-owned construction body or an expanded role for the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 100. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the plans he is putting in place to increase capacity in relation to a recent report by the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, IFAC, which highlighted concerns that capacity issues were likely to stymie efforts to hit to the current capital expenditure targets. [31884/21]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: My next question follows on from the first. To address a point that the Minister made, if I asked a question about tax, it would have been transferred to the Minister for Finance. If we accept that capital expenditure should increase not just for housing but infrastructure more generally, then the question is about how we get there. A recent IFAC report highlighted concerns about capacity...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: We are all on the same page. We want these capital projects to happen. The Minister mentioned external expertise to try to deliver this. I am aware that he will hire additional external expertise for the Project Ireland 2040 delivery board. Those will be additional members if I am not mistaken. I am aware that he is establishing a framework of external specialists and infrastructure...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: A recommendation in my party's submission on the recovery and resilience plan was to allocate some of the money towards what I would call capital catch-up. These would be one-off spending measures to help us to get back on track to reach existing targets. That is before we look at potentially increased targets. I am aware, as the Minister mentioned, that the Government's housing...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 99. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform if he will commit to doubling capital expenditure in order to solve the housing crisis in view of the recent report by the Economic and Social Research Institute, ESRI, which calls for same. [31883/21]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: The ESRI recently issued a report stating that major public investment in housing finance through additional borrowing is needed to address the State's housing crisis. Ireland will be facing another decade of a housing crisis unless the Government doubles capital expenditure on housing to the tune of €4 billion per annum. Will the Government commit to the doubling of capital...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: As the Minister knows, I have been raising the need to increase capital expenditure over the past year, not just due to the fact that this State has historically lagged behind our EU peers when it comes to capital investment, and not just due to the fact we have a massive housing and infrastructural deficit which we badly need to close, but because capital investment is seen as the best...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Capital Expenditure Programme (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: In my brief time here, I have lived to see the likes of the IMF, the EU, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, Social Justice Ireland and now the ESRI all highlighting our chronic infrastructural deficit. I take on board what the Minister is saying in regard to increases in housing supply and so on but the reality is the ESRI is literally telling us that we need to double this in order to deal...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Projects (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: 97. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the A5 motorway project; and when the work is set to commence. [31887/21]

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: The Cost of Climate Action: Discussion (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I have a question for TASC and another for the OECD which I will try to get through before the time is up. I acknowledge what Mr. McCabe said about community wealth-building. I am on the same page as him. I was delighted to hear him mention the need for a green industrial strategy. I have tried to raise it as much as possible. As part of any green industrial strategy, the State will need...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: The Cost of Climate Action: Discussion (17 Jun 2021)

Mairéad Farrell: I wholeheartedly agree with Mr. McCabe. It shows what an exciting opportunity this is and how exciting the future will hopefully be. I will move on to the OECD for my last question. This State has been a laggard when it comes to green investment and a just transition. We have followed a market-based approach which seeks to unlock private investment and nudge households in a different...