Results 1,621-1,640 of 1,854 for speaker:Micheál Carrigy

Seanad: Horticultural Peat (Temporary Measures) Bill 2021: Second Stage (30 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I take exception to the comment that most of us who have put our names to this Bill are being cynical. I am not in any way cynical. I am here to represent the people of my area. That is the job of every public representative. I welcome the Bill and am delighted to have put my signature to it. I compliment Senators Gallagher and Doherty on their work on it. I am from Longford, which has...

Seanad: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Statements (30 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I will share time with Senators Lombard and Conway. I will be parochial and get straight to the point on the national development plan. I come from Longford and I have two major areas of concern with the NDP. It commits to a funding ratio of 2:1 for public transport versus road projects, which means there will be significantly less funding for roads projects over the next number of years....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I echo the comments of a number of colleagues on pay for our secretarial assistants. Michelle who works for me - she worked for me even prior to my being elected here - does the work of a parliamentary assistant. I second Senator Ruane's proposal that we look at bringing forward a cross-party motion and that we push it and make sure it happens, long before our term finishes. Given the week...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: Shop local and make sure we have a green Friday and a green Monday, not a Cyber Monday.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I support the comments of Senator Ahearn on childcare. It is important for it to be treated the same and given the same backup as our school sector. I welcome the Tánaiste's comments yesterday clarifying the position of the country and refuting all the social media lies and mistruths out there. Yesterday, I spoke about businesses not knowing whether to purchase goods ahead of the...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Key Priorities and Legislation of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media: Discussion (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister and the Minister of State. I thank both of them and their Department for the supports given across the various sectors it covers. They have been fed particularly through the arts and sports. I compliment them on the work that they have done. Is it possible to get a reply to the recommendations that the committee made in July for the hospitality and entertainment...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Key Priorities and Legislation of the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media: Discussion (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: We met with various industries, and hospitality and restaurants in particular. One recommendation was that there would be a representative on the board of Fáilte Ireland from the industry. I want to highlight that. It is extremely important that that happens. It is tourism and hospitality, not just tourism. We need to make sure that the hospitality industry is fully represented on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Irish Aviation Authority: Chairperson Designate (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: They could be anywhere.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: An Post: Chairperson Designate (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank the Chairman. I welcome Ms Bolger and I wish her well in her new role. It is important to first put on the record that I am a postmaster in Longford. I am well aware of the situation. As pointed out by Ms Bolger, the An Post network is a jewel in the nation's crown. Somebody else mentioned that it is our national company and that, as in the case of Aer Lingus, we should take...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: An Post: Chairperson Designate (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: What do we need to maintain the network throughout the country and to maintain communities and the footfall in our small towns and villages and urban areas?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: An Post: Chairperson Designate (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: As we migrate from the PUP to jobseekers these payments should, I believe, be brought back into the post office network. I accept that throughout Covid it was safer for them to be paid into bank accounts. The reality is banks are closing. I understand AIB is to close more of its branches. Where these payments are paid into the banks rather than through the post office network a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: An Post: Chairperson Designate (24 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: There is a very high level of fraud in the system where payments are paid into the banks. That needs to be looked at by the Department of Social Protection. I understand that in 2019-2020, unclaimed payments amounted to €60 million. If one takes out of that payments that were stopped, in the region of €30 million would have been refunded by An Post to the Department....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I want to raise the issue of the messaging through all sources of media on a lockdown in the middle of December. It is having a serious effect, particularly on many people in the tourism and hospitality industry, including pubs and restaurants. My party colleague, Councillor Colin Dalton, works for a local cash and carry that covers the midlands. I spoke to him this morning. Businesses...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: It has come to my attention in the past week or so that a number of college students with Covid symptoms who were feeling unwell have not had a PCR test and continue to attend class despite the guidelines. Colleges need to support us in tackling Covid this time around. I have been told of instances where professors and lecturers have refused to post notes online or have made it mandatory...

Seanad: Address to Seanad Éireann by An Taoiseach (18 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: The Taoiseach is welcome. It is an honour for me to stand here as a Member of the Oireachtas addressing him. I want to raise a couple of local issues. I concur with the comments of Senator Murphy on just transition. Not enough projects have got off the ground. More funding needs to be made available. The local contribution – 25% – is becoming increasingly difficult to make...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: My Commencement matter relates to the loss of commercial rates as a result of the closure of Lough Ree power station. On 8 November 2019, the ESB announced the closure of two peat-powered generating plants at Lanesborough and Shannonbridge, near the Minister of State's area. These plants stopped generating electricity in December 2020. This was a major blow to employment and local economic...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Commercial Rates (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: By way of figures, although not exact figures, our LPT base is more than €2 million, albeit we used to have a top-up from the equalisation fund. Based on the figures, more than 90% of our housing is in the lower end of the LPT market. We will not see a significant increase in our LPT uptake. I wish to highlight the fact that we were the first county to increase it by 15% and to use...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Challenges Facing the Broadcasting Sector as a Result of Covid-19: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank the witnesses for their involvement in local and community radio and for the service they have provided over the last 18 months. The figures were given by Mr. Purcell of the increase in listenership, and that is due to the fact that it is a trusted media source, and it is important that it is maintained. A couple of colleagues and I had numerous meetings with the local media - local...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Challenges Facing the Broadcasting Sector as a Result of Covid-19: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I second that.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Challenges Facing the Broadcasting Sector as a Result of Covid-19: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

Micheál Carrigy: I mentioned trusted content in the local media sector earlier, and I would like to pay tribute to my own local stations, Shannonside FM, Midlands Radio 3, and Athlone Community Radio, all three of which I deal with on a regular basis. I compliment them on their trusted content. We recently met with Google regarding the issue of online platforms paying for that trusted content. It is my...