Results 5,141-5,160 of 6,556 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Gabhaim buíochas leo. I thank Mr. Spratt and his team who have come in. A number of these issues have been dealt with to some degree and I apologise for any repetition. School transport needs to be dealt with. It is a farce every year in respect of who can access it. The Chairman mentioned students on concessionary tickets. A child is meant to get it. Initially, it was for the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Is that as opposed to one-off projects? That makes sense.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We had the whole discussion around the NDP. I do not want to misquote the Minister, but the general notion he sold was a Darwinian system of who could get through planning, in relation to what gets sorted. We obviously have a problem in planning. There is a planning review at this point in time. The Department is eventually going to come up with a strategic assessment regarding NIFTI, but...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I imagine some of that will be resourcing. We can just speed up those parts because it is the delay that creates some of these difficulties.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I accept that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Is there a general timeline on that? I thought it was to take about a year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: All right. On the climate action division, Mr. Spratt said, in fairness, that there is a learning process and the officials will be experts at the end of this rather than at the beginning. Much has been learned in the recent period but what will the remit of this be? The secondary question relates to Mr. Spratt saying he put in asks to Government and that he was reasonably but not fully...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: What of the general remit?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: If we take the specifics of electric vehicles, there are two issues at the moment. If we were able to deliver 960,000 by means of whatever set-up in the morning, we would not have the infrastructure to deal with them. We are in the middle of an energy crisis and there are difficulties with the grid. One can put whatever terminology one wants on it. I imagine that the job of the division...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is sound. I thank Mr. Spratt for the comprehensive answer. The only other point is to follow up on what the Chairman said about the work relating to e-scooters. That needs to happen. I am sure many of the Deputies here are like me in that they are starting to get people coming to them with complaints. More people are using e-scooters. It is good to see. I probably should not say...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is the thing. Providers are talking about solutions that will add to the active travel operations in towns and cities. It is a case of getting ahead of the game. We must deal with the people who are already starting to complain. It is very hard to keep everybody happy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Sustainable Mobility Policy: Department of Transport (13 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I do not know if Mr. Spratt would necessarily have information relating to taxi drivers and what buy-in there is for electric vehicles. A significant number have switched. I have heard complaints from others about the way the process is set up. People will always look for improved circumstances and situations to suit themselves. I am interested in seeing where the lie of the land is. In...

Recovery of Tourism and Aviation: Statements (7 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I agree with much of what has been said here today. We are talking about the tourism and aviation sectors - two sectors that were hammered by the pandemic we have been through. Some of that pain will continue to be felt into the future, so it will be necessary to keep everything under consistent and constant review. Business and individual supports will be necessary. I agree with points...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (7 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 12 o’clock I welcome the interaction the Minister has had. I believe there will have to be, as I said, a directive and clarity because, even for groups that have a service level agreement, SLA, with Tusla, there is still difficulty. In that regard, long-term, I think those early intervention pieces that fall within Tusla's remit may need to be nearly separated from the acute...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (7 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The Minister has spoken about the review of the expert panel on childcare and early education. I am quite hopeful, on the basis of what he said, that he is keeping up to date from the point of view of ensuring that a number of issues are dealt with in the budget. Pay and conditions are vital in terms of delivering a service in the long term and ensuring it is sustainable. We also have to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (7 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The logic of what the Minister has said is that in the long term this will morph into a public model and that will provide a greater element of control. Within that, pay and conditions can be dealt with, possibly to a greater degree than in the context of a JLC. Beyond that, a roadmap can be provided for people in terms of a career path. I will digress slightly because a number of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (7 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 11. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports that will be available for workers when the plan to transition PUP recipients to jobseeker’s payments is implemented in order to ensure that they will have supports for as long as they are needed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [48617/21]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (7 Oct 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: All present accept that we are in a different and better place at this point. I add my voice to the voices of those who have commended the people working in social protection and the necessity of making sure those payments were made. However, there are still certain sectors which, although they are reopening, will not do so to the degree necessary. It is about making sure we have all the...