Results 1,061-1,080 of 9,823 for speaker:Thomas Byrne

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: In line with the national development plan, NDP, and Government policy, the Minister has allocated national roads funding for 2023 in a manner which seeks to achieve the following key outcomes - the protection and renewal of the existing national road network; progressing major projects in or near construction; progressing major projects which are pre-construction but well advanced in the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: As the Deputy noted, the Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in respect of the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII, under the Roads Acts and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design, improvement and upgrading of individual national roads is a matter for TII in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I am absolutely certain no deal that was done resulted in a loss for Tipperary town. In fairness to the Regional Group at the time, it came up with solutions that married with solutions that Government backbenchers were putting forward as well in respect of housing, rather than just giving out and objecting all the time.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: Gabhaim mo bhuíochas leis an Teachta os rud é gur ardaigh sé an t-ábhar seo sa Teach. Ar dtús ba mhaith liom cur síos a dhéanamh ar an scéim iompar scoile atá againn sa tír seo. The school transport scheme is a significant operation managed by Bus Éireann on behalf of the Department of Education. In the current school year, over...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I will bring those specific issues back to the Department. It has received correspondence in relation to school transport in the north Kildare area from families who have not received tickets for the current school year and who are not eligible for transport under the terms of the school transport scheme. If families have applied to attend their nearest school in regards to ethos and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Transport (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: -----and to come back to us if that does not succeed. The idea is that children who need to get to school who have been refused into other schools because of the growing population need transport.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Higher Education (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am pleased to have the opportunity to provide, on behalf of the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, an update on the Higher Education Authority Act 2022 which was only signed by the President on 10 October 2022. The majority of the sections of the Act were commenced on 10 November via SI 554 of 2022....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Higher Education (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I thank the Senator for raising this issue and for his contribution. I assure him that departmental officials are working, as I said, and the work has already started to develop the regulations and the process in regard to the designation by order provisions in the Higher Education Authority Act 2022. Once the designation by order regulations and the process are both approved, the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I am taking this matter on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, who is in the Dáil taking parliamentary questions on health. The Minister thanks the Senator for raising this issue and providing the opportunity to update the House on the position relating to St. Patrick’s Hospital in Cashel. In early 2016, a capital programme for older persons residential centres...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Healthcare Infrastructure Provision (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I will certainly communicate that to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler. I reiterate that the Department of Health, the HSE, the Minister for Health and the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, are all committed to the development of a new CNU for Cashel. Provision has been made in this year's capital programme to progress a 60-bed CNU for Cashel. A site in Cashel town is currently being...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: A robust general practice and GP out-of-hours service is essential to the delivery of our primary care health service. GP out-of-hours co-operatives are largely private organisations. However, since MIDOC out-of-hours ceased operations on 31 December last, the urgent out-of-hours GP service in the area, which was previously run by MIDOC, has been run by the HSE. The service provides...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I will take all of that back to the Minister, who is in the Dáil at present. I apologise for that. He is answering questions. A key sentence from what I have already said is that "the HSE has ensured and will continue to ensure the provision of out-of-hours services until such time as an alternative provider is in place". That is very important. It is reassurance for the Senator's...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defibrillators Provision (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: The Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, would like to thank Senator Gallagher for facilitating this chance to update the House on this important matter. The Minister is in the Dáil this morning answering health questions, so that is why he is not here. Enhanced community response is critical to improving cardiac arrest survival rates, and this is wholly recognised in the national...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defibrillators Provision (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I thank Senator Gallagher. The Government is committed to ensuring Ireland continues to improve out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survival rates through supporting the strategy and all the work towards achieving a target of greater than 10% survival, as the Senator just said. To do this, there is a commitment to work with the National Ambulance Service in pursuing and endorsing opportunities...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Funding (20 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: Work on the first National Swimming Strategy continues apace, with the working group tasked with its development holding its seventh meeting on 18April 2023. Whilst it is difficult to be precise about the exact timeframe for its completion, I hope to be in a position to publish the Strategy by the middle of 2023. My Department continues to provide capital support for swimming pool projects....

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (19 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: On the canoeing issue, we will get Sport Ireland to engage with the Irish Dragon Boat Association. It can do that. I compliment Deputy Murnane O'Connor and Carlow County Council for the work they are doing on the Barrow, boating there and the plans they have. On the sports capital grant, which is of considerable interest across the House, the Department of Public Expenditure, National...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Industry (18 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: I am due to meet representatives of this group later this week to hear at first hand its particular experiences regarding insurance. As I have previously indicated, in answer to a question on 21 March 2023, members of the organisation concerned have been in contact with me in relation to the impact on their sport of rising insurance prices. I fully recognise the pressure that rising...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Funding (18 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: While the Government has introduced a range of cost of living support measures, I am keenly aware that energy continues to drive costs right across the economy, impacting on almost all householders, businesses and organisations. As part of Budget 2023, a funding package of €35 million was made available to help alleviate the impact of increased energy costs for sports clubs and...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Funding (18 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: The Sports Capital and Equipment Programme (SCEP) is the primary vehicle for Government support for the development of sports and recreation facilities and the purchase of non-personal sports equipment throughout the country. Over 13,000 projects have now benefited from sports capital funding since 1998, bringing the total allocations in that time to over €1.15 billion. The Programme...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Funding (18 Apr 2023)

Thomas Byrne: The National Sports Policy was published in 2018 and provided for the establishment of a Large Scale Sport Infrastructure Fund (LSSIF). The first call for proposals under the LSSIF closed in 2019 with applications confined to local authorities and National Governing Bodies (NGBs) of Sport. All applications were assessed in accordance with the published Evaluation Procedures and Guidelines and...