Results 16,481-16,500 of 16,608 for speaker:Helen McEntee

Water Sector Reforms: Motion (Resumed) (20 Nov 2014)

Helen McEntee: I join other Deputies and Ministers in welcoming the announcements made by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The past several months have been extremely frustrating for the people I represent, irrespective of whether they agree with water charges, and for me as a representative. This Government lifted the country out of the ashes and brought it back to life....

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (13 Nov 2014)

Helen McEntee: 224. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government if he will confirm that existing wind farm project applications that have been submitted to An Bord Pleanála where no decision has been made will have to adhere to the new wind energy guidelines when they are published; and the date when the revised guidelines will be published. [43595/14]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Mobile Telephone Coverage and High Speed Broadband Availability: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Nov 2014)

Helen McEntee: On drive testing, members discussed with representatives of ComReg the issue of tests on national routes and I have learned that the tests are moving to the motorway network. I asked representatives of Vodafone what testing the company performs. Will the representatives of the other operators explain what testing their companies do? If ComReg were to contact one of the companies...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Mobile Telephone Coverage and High Speed Broadband Availability: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Nov 2014)

Helen McEntee: I thank our guests for joining us. This is something that annoys everybody, including me. I am sure it also annoys the delegates when they are driving around the country or trying to find coverage. As mentioned, representatives of ComReg and the Department for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources appeared before the committee a number of weeks ago. I explained to them that I had...

Topical Issue Debate: Wind Energy Guidelines (11 Nov 2014)

Helen McEntee: I thank Deputy Doherty for sharing the debate. Like Irish Water, this is an important issue, which we need to get right. Renewable energy is one of the major issues being debated currently. There are questions over whether such energy is needed and whether the infrastructure needed to generate this energy is required. Companies are trying to push through applications because this debate...

Topical Issue Debate: Wind Energy Guidelines (11 Nov 2014)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Minister for State for his response. I understand the pressure the Department and both Ministers are under to ensure the guidelines are published as soon as possible. A total of 7,500 submissions is a large number to process. We are running out of time in County Meath. A second project is in train which proposes six turbines of a similar height. There are, therefore, two...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Road Safety Authority: Chairperson Designate (11 Nov 2014)

Helen McEntee: I welcome Ms O'Donnell and apologise for being late. When farmers get talking, it is hard to stop them. I look forward to seeing Ms O'Donnell regularly in the coming months and hope she will enjoy a mutually beneficial relationship with the committee. We have discussed the issues that will be under her remit and some of the issues that are more appropriate for the National Roads Authority...

Mortgage Arrears: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (5 Nov 2014)

Helen McEntee: I welcome the opportunity to speak about this matter and thank the Opposition for raising it as it is extremely important. Buying a home, be it a house or an apartment, is the biggest investment most people will make in their lives; therefore, it is important that we, as legislators, discuss this issue and try to bring forward measures to assist thsoe in distress. It does not matter which...

Agriculture Industry: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (8 Oct 2014)

Helen McEntee: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Private Members' motion on our largest indigenous industry, agriculture. We do not need a Private Members' motion to tell us; the facts speak for themselves. We have secured €10.7 billion in CAP funding and have added an additional €1.9 billion ourselves. I do not think we could make it any clearer how important agriculture has been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Mobile Telephone Coverage and High Speed Broadband Availability: Discussion (8 Oct 2014)

Helen McEntee: If one has an issue such as Senator Coghlan has, does one go to ComReg first? I have had many requests from people who have been sent around in circles. Who is the first point of contact to whom a consumer should go? Is it ComReg?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Mobile Telephone Coverage and High Speed Broadband Availability: Discussion (8 Oct 2014)

Helen McEntee: I ask to send my list to the Department for cross-reference purposes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Mobile Telephone Coverage and High Speed Broadband Availability: Discussion (8 Oct 2014)

Helen McEntee: What about coverage of the population? When most people see 99% population coverage, they would equate it to coverage of 99% of the country. It is a misleading term as it does not relate to geography. Much of the population is in cities and I might make the same assumption about population coverage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Mobile Telephone Coverage and High Speed Broadband Availability: Discussion (8 Oct 2014)

Helen McEntee: I live in the countryside and I am not beside a national road. If I travel to Slane and on to Dublin, I might not get coverage for 20 minutes until I get to Slane. If I go the other way and through Navan, my call would also be dropped five or six times on that route. Will local and regional roads be included in the testing? There is no point in stating that overall coverage is being...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Mobile Telephone Coverage and High Speed Broadband Availability: Discussion (8 Oct 2014)

Helen McEntee: I thank the many witnesses for coming before the committee today. As some of them mentioned they have been before the committee previously. I am a relatively new member of the committee but I have looked over the proceedings of previous meetings, specifically a meeting which took place two or three years ago when ComReg came before the committee. A number of issues were raised,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Port of Waterford Company: Chairman Designate (17 Sep 2014)

Helen McEntee: I wish Mr. Whelan the best of luck. As Deputy Dooley stated, the committee will most likely invite him in again to the progress being made at the port. The biggest issue is to secure further services to the port, as Mr. Whelan pointed out, and to get as close to the 2008 figure of €12 million in turnover as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Environment, Community and Local Government: Wind Energy Guidelines (17 Sep 2014)

Helen McEntee: 39. To ask the Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government when he expects the revised wind energy guidelines to be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34300/14]

Topical Issue Debate: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Jul 2014)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Minister for her response. It is important that people know it is an independent process and I accept it is. This removes any illusion that people can interfere in the process and I welcome that. I find it illogical, however, that a school, which for the first time received its fourth teacher last year, is losing one this year. I find it hard to explain that to parents, and...

Topical Issue Debate: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (16 Jul 2014)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Minister for taking this issue. I congratulate her on her new position and wish her well in future. School staffing, pupil-teacher ratios and classroom size have always been particularly emotive issues, especially for smaller schools, as they relate to children's education and young children in the case of primary schools. The emotion is not just confined to parents, who want...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Concert Licensing: GAA and Aiken Promotions (16 Jul 2014)

Helen McEntee: Many of my questions have been answered. Regarding the conversation with Mr. Keegan, it has turned into a case of "he said, she said". I could not believe the amount of interest in the concert and the unprecedented amount of attention it has received. I cannot believe the number of e-mails I have received and people who have come to me, as a legislator, asking me to intervene. As Deputy...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport and Communications: Concert Licensing: Dublin City Council (15 Jul 2014)

Helen McEntee: Mr. Keegan believes that it was the duty of Aiken Promotions and Croke Park to ensure during the five-week consultation process that people were satisfied and completely aware of the situation and the fact that there was an issue.