Results 5,961-5,980 of 26,191 for speaker:Kieran O'Donnell

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I welcome Mr. Gary Owens, chairman designate of Bus Átha Cliath, and Ms Clíodhna Ní Fhatharta, media and communications manager. I am glad Mr. Owens made it. We took the scenic route to get here but we are here today, so I thank him.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: All witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity either by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable or otherwise engage in speech that might be regarded as damaging to the good name of the person or entity. Therefore, if their statements are potentially defamatory in respect...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I thank Mr. Owens.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: No, it is quality.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: It goes against the national trend politically so we are trying to rebalance matters in this committee.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: We are doing our bit for balanced regional development.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: What period was that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: It is consistent.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I duly note the remarks from Senator Craughwell, which are very consistent. It is a subject we have discussed more broadly as a committee. I get the train up from Limerick a lot so I sometimes use Dublin Bus, although not always, getting from Heuston Station to Kildare Street. It is a very good service, very punctual and very easy to use. Why would someone from Mr. Owens's background go...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: The greater Dublin transportation strategy is about to be published. We had a meeting about that recently.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Would it be too harsh to ask if Mr. Owens is anti-car?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Has Mr. Owens had a chance to look at the matter of Dublin Bus getting to its target of zero carbon emissions by 2050?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: At the end of Mr. Owens's five-year term, what would the landscape of Dublin Bus be, in terms of infrastructure in Dublin itself? Let us say ten years, because a lot of the policies Mr. Owens will be looking to implement at board level would probably not come to fruition until a couple of years later. What is Mr. Owens's vision for the landscape of the geographical area Dublin Bus covers?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Does Mr. Owens see Dublin city as being car-free? Is it moving in that direction?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Why do you say that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: Does Mr. Owens see us moving in the direction of park-and-ride facilities on the outskirts of the city and people within the city using public transport?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: How long will that take?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Átha Cliath: Chairman Designate (18 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I do not think any other members wish to come in. We will write to the Minister to say we have met Mr. Owens. We wish him well in his role. We have had meetings on the greater Dublin transport strategy and we will follow up that engagement, so we will probably be engaging again with Dublin Bus. I thank Mr. Owens and his colleague for attending today's meeting and engaging with the committee.

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (17 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: 148. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the number of persons who still remain on the pandemic unemployment payment; the measures that her Department has implemented that have been the most impactful to ensure those who were on the payment found new employment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24650/22]

Working Group of Committee Chairmen: Public Policy Matters: Engagement with the Taoiseach (12 May 2022)

Kieran O'Donnell: I welcome the Taoiseach. I am the chair of the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications. I agree with my colleagues on the resourcing of committees. The workload for the staff is very heavy. We need extra staff within the committees. The communications unit has to be resourced as well. I support the call for that. Our committee has done quite a bit of pre-legislative scrutiny....