Results 6,161-6,180 of 6,824 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: 36. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which it is planned in Ireland to meet the target of a society (details supplied) of all European households having access to 100 Mbps connections by 2025 given the fact that the national broadband plan is limited in its areas of intervention; the specific interventions that will be made in non-intervention...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the witness for the presentation. I want to get a sense of the scale of the problem. The figures from ComReg represent only a fraction of the real problem. I ask Ms Lennon to outline the scale of the problem from her perspective, including the number of calls, types of calls and complaints versus queries. We have heard about an avalanche of calls. What are the numbers at Eir's end?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Does Eir categorise queries?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Can Ms Lennon give us that breakdown? I am interested to know how much of the contact is within the control of Eir, how much is related to services it is expected to deliver, be that breakdown or interruption of service, and how much of it is standard-type queries from people working their way around Eir's service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Let us focus on the tech support. If I am a user and there is an interruption to my service that is a different challenge from straightening out my bill. In regard to tech support, has something in particular happened in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Looking at October 2020 versus October 2019, there were similar patterns at in or around 230,000.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: On that issue, Ms Lennon said that Eir needed to take on additional 70 staff, but that it actually lost 80 staff, which means it was minus 150 staff. It then recruited 130 staff, so it is now minus 30 staff in terms of where it needs to be.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: How quickly will Eir have those people in place?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I want to put on the record that I do not accept that Covid-19 is an excuse. I hear what Ms Lennon says in regard to the recruitment embargo but I do not understand it. I think it is self-imposed between March and July. I do not know why Eir could not and did not recruit during that period. Eir is deemed an essential service. Other industries have had to live with Covid, some of them far...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: In fairness, that is a promise of something in the future. I suggest to Ms Lennon that Eir, which is a hugely profitable company, needs to make a gesture of goodwill to its loyal customers. I ask the witnesses to consider these options. For example, it could offer a month's waiver for pensioners who are service-users of Eir. That is the type of initiative Eir should be taking to show the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Why not?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Broadband Connectivity and Telecommunications Issues: Eir (25 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I have never seen anything like the scale of frustration people have had with Eir. That is the truth of it. There are people in this room who have been in politics an awful longer than me but I have never seen frustration on this scale. Ms Lennon is underestimating the scale of people's frustration with her organisation by a power of ten. I believe this is needed. That is my opinion,...

Regulation of Lobbying (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (24 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I am sharing time with Deputies Gould, Mythen and Ó Murchú. I commend my colleagues, Teachtaí Mairéad Farrell and Doherty, on bringing forward this very important legislation. My party was forced to propose these amendments to the Regulation of Lobbying Act 2015 following recent behaviour by Fine Gael politicians, in particular, which has brought to the fore the flaws...

Covid-19: Statements (24 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: People are anxious to hear the advice the Government will give for those living abroad who are thinking of travelling home for Christmas. The approach for travel into and out of Ireland must be guided by the public health advice. The emphasis should be on adhering to the public health advice, advising against all non-essential travel, continuing the excellent work of keeping Covid-19...

Written Answers — Department of Trade, Enterprise and Employment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: 155. To ask the Minister for Trade, Enterprise and Employment the position regarding the SBCI Covid-19 working capital loan scheme; the total number of applications; the number of successful applications and the value of same; the number of unsuccessful applications and the value of same; the number of ineligible applications; and the breakdown of same by county and lending institution in...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (24 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: 192. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the most recent estimated cost for undergrounding the North-South Interconnector; the year in which the cost was estimated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38234/20]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (24 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: 193. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the way in which the North-South Interconnector will be constructed if Eirgrid or the construction contractors ESB do not have permission from land owners to access private land; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38235/20]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: North-South Interconnector (24 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: 194. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the discussions he has had with his counterpart in Northern Ireland, Minister Nichola Mallon on the North-South Interconnector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38236/20]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Greenways Provision (24 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: 205. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the projects in County Meath considered for inclusion in the recent allocation of €63.5 million for greenways; the reasons these projects were not successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37999/20]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (24 Nov 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: 230. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the terms of reference of the current review of the proposed Navan rail line; the threshold for approval and the variables and calculations used to decide this; the extent to which benefits to the environment and the well-being of citizens will be considered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38001/20]