Results 7,641-7,660 of 25,858 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Last year, my Department spent €3.5 billion on housing alone, which is more money than has ever been spent on it in the history of the State. As the Deputy knows, there were issues with supply chains, particularly following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, that led to some projects falling out of 2022 and into 2023. That is just the reality of what happened. Even though it...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I absolutely recognise the result of last night's vote. As the Deputy knows, a review of the 2018 Act is under way and we await its findings. The Bill that passed last night will go to the health committee. It will be a matter for the committee to schedule Committee Stage hearings.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I did not watch the meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts this morning but I will review it. I respect the committee greatly. I served four years on it as Vice Chairman. I will raise directly with the Minister for Health the situation regarding the 97 beds in Wexford and ask him to respond to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am glad the Deputy and others have raised this matter, which shows the importance of the retained fire services. I commissioned the review to which the Deputy referred and the Government has accepted its 13 recommendations. We have been working with all stakeholders to move the process forward. We are very close to achieving that. The best place for any of the outstanding issues to be...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Why would that be anathema to me?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Just to bring the Deputy back, it is important to state that I have great respect for the men and women in the retained fire services. I met many of them throughout the country. That is why I commissioned the report into the retained fire services in Ireland with an emphasis on issues the Deputy mentioned, namely, recruitment and retention. As I said to Deputy Duncan Smith earlier, we had...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: No party has a veto. I am not going to negotiate here in the Dáil. I have outlined very significant progress that we have made. There is a desire among all parties to get this resolved. It has been a difficult process right the way through. The first thing I did when appointed Minister was to remove any reference to the fact that there would be any compulsory transfer. There will...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I am asking people and unions to re-engage with a process that has worked very well. We are close to its finalisation. Sometimes things can get tricky towards the end. That can happen just before an agreement but I believe that an agreement can be made and I am open for that to happen.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I do not accept the Deputy's charge. It is important to note that last year, one in two new homes that were purchased were bought by first-time buyers supported by the schemes that this Government brought forward. I will remind the Deputy of those schemes, which include the help-to-buy grant, which is €30,000 of people's own tax back in their pockets to help with the deposit, which...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his question and his continuing engagement with regard to the development of Waterford and the south-east region. As he rightly said, the Government has invested very significantly in the region. I have been there many times myself. Indeed I met the Deputy there on a number of occasions. The urban regeneration and development Fund, URDF, funding for the North Quays,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for his recognition that there is more cohesive and strategic planning between the two local authorities and indeed in the region. It is important that can continue and that it improves into the future. The issue with the metropolitan boundary is something we can certainly have a look at. The Deputy has made that point to me before. It is within Waterford and within the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I have outlined what the facts are with regard to investment and what this Government is doing. I remind the Deputy and his Sinn Féin colleagues they have opposed every budget we have brought forward and every measure with regard to help. In relation to 2023, funding of €443 million is being allocated to tackle waiting lists-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----and 2022 was the first year the numbers on waiting lists fell since 2015. Our job is to support our hospital network and care in the community by providing additional resources. As I said, there are more now more people working in the HSE, including more doctors, more nurses-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: There are more doctors, nurses and healthcare staff than ever before. Record numbers are there. Is the situation perfect? Of course, it is not. All of us have cases raised with us where incidents have happened that are intolerable; there is no question about that. We could also talk about the health outcomes in Ireland. Look at the outcomes over the past 20 to 25 years-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----in cardiac care and oncology and survival rates as well. Ireland compares very well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: It compares very well.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The investment this Government is making is clear for people to see. What is also clear to see is the lack of an alternative-----

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----plan from Sinn Féin.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising these two important issues. I will comment on the water service workers first. I have been actively engaged in this not just over the past few weeks but over the past number of months and the past two years, in particular under the water transformation programme, which aims to create a publicly-owned single water utility. We have had lots of engagement with...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: On the last question , the Government has committed in the programme for Government to a referendum on water and one on housing, and I expect them to happen.