Results 1,701-1,720 of 2,189 for speaker:Richard O'Donoghue

Lifting of Covid-19 Restrictions: Motion [Private Members] (14 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: I am not making a personal charge.

Lifting of Covid-19 Restrictions: Motion [Private Members] (14 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: The Acting Chairman is wasting my time and now he is doing the same thing. Is he being part of the Government thing as well?

Lifting of Covid-19 Restrictions: Motion [Private Members] (14 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: I want extra time on the clock because the Acting Chairman has allowed me to be interrupted two or three times during my contribution. When somebody else made a comment to the Minister of State when she was talking, she just smiled up and said "Through the Chair". Through the Chair, I am saying that I want an extra minute added to my time because I was interrupted. The Government comes...

Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Committee and Remaining Stages (14 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: I support the Sinn Féin amendment. I am a qualified blocklayer by trade and I have helped to build many houses. As previous speakers stated, the block is the main part of a house, along with a foundation and the roof. There are many people in County Limerick who have issues arising from pyrite. I have seen a couple of houses that have it and I will be calling to more next week....

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (14 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: 383. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the drug zolgensma; if the drug can be expedited here given the known case of a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31249/21]

Finance (Local Property Tax) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (13 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: The Government has rushed this legislation for consideration before the Dáil. The Oireachtas Library and Research Service was unable to provide a full Bill digest for it due to the short timeframe between publication of the Bill and Second Stage. The Bill was not publicly available on the Oireachtas website until Friday, 9 July 2021 but it is down for a debate today. It is a pity...

Long-Term Residential Care: Motion [Private Members] (13 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: I too sympathise with the families who have lost loved ones throughout the pandemic. What were the problems and what can we learn from the situation? I have seen nursing homes that lost 37 staff during the pandemic in a two-month timeframe because they were poached by the HSE. When the HSE offered positions, including through agencies, it almost crippled nursing homes that had been...

Ban on Rent Increases Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (6 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: We have heard people ask how to get rent to decrease and meet demand. How do you meet demand? The Minister of State's own party leader spoke about meeting demand. Deputy Michael Collins spoke of how Deputy Varadkar wants to build 40,000 houses a year. There is a lack of materials now, and it is a worldwide problem, but he will still build 40,000 houses a year. I think it may be out of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank the witnesses for attending. They mentioned a €100,000 band, which has now been increased to €200,000. Will they expand on the position regarding bands 2 and 3? With the supply and demand for houses in towns, cities and rural areas, you cannot get a proper valuation for a house at present. Since there are such supply-and-demand issues, the prices of houses can...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: From a rural point of view, we have looked at this recently. I know the officials are trying to give average prices. I have seen prices recently going from €200,000 to €350,000. The problem is there are people in our areas who will sell their houses and move on but if that reflects on an area and there are people there who want to stay where they are it has automatically...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Proposed Changes to Local Property Tax: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank the officials.

Covid-19 Vaccine Roll-out: Statements (2 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: On my second day in the Dáil, I told the Tánaiste that it was as if the Taoiseach was driving a bus but the Tánaiste was trying to push it off the road and the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications was asleep in the back. Everything seems to have been the same since then. Every time the Government makes a decision, it has to change it because it does not...

Traveller Culture and History in Education Bill 2018: Second Stage [Private Members] (1 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: First, I thank Deputy Pringle for bringing the Bill to the House. I also thank the Minister for stating that the Government will support the Bill. I was born and grew up in rural society in a place called Banogue in County Limerick. My father was 98 years of age when died. He was born in 1911 and grew up in the early 1900s. I recall my father telling me that members of the Travelling...

Future of Banking in Ireland: Statements (1 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: When the funding was being made available for Covid-19 supports, the Government announced the five pillar banks through which it would send out the funding. It never mentioned the credit unions. I mentioned this to Ministers when the five pillar banks were mentioned. Like other speakers, I am a credit union member. The credit union and the post office are the last two banking systems in...

Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: Deputy Connolly has sold herself short. I, personally, and many of my colleagues would sit and listen to her all day. I call on the Minister to conclude. Before he does, I thank the Ceann Comhairle for giving me the opportunity to speak earlier, despite all the confusion.

Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: While I welcome any funds that have been given to the hospitality sector to date, the support does not go far enough. I say that as a self-employed person and in light of the fiasco during the week relating to inside dining in restaurants and pubs. As I stated yesterday, we are the only European country that does not have indoor dining. Even fully vaccinated people cannot dine inside in a...

Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: I understand the predicament the Ceann Comhairle is in. When he called the Minister, I believe the Minister was baffled and was looking for his paperwork. He had got to his feet but had his head down looking at his paperwork because he was not expecting to be called. A representative from the Rural Independent Group was here and I was on my way up trying to get in to the building. I left...

Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (1 Jul 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: On a point of fairness, I am here on time for my slot. The Minister was not ready to react either.

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: I do not think there is one person in this House who does not want social and affordable houses to be built for people of different generations so they can begin their lives. What I have against the way the LDA is set up is it caters for population centres of 30,000 or more. I was elected in Limerick county and there is not one town in Limerick county with 30,000 people living there. While...

Industrial Relations (Provisions in Respect of Pension Entitlements of Retired Workers) Bill 2021: Second Stage [Private Members] (30 Jun 2021)

Richard O'Donoghue: In 2007, when Fianna Fáil and the Green Party were in government they wanted to raise the retirement age to 67 in 2021 and to 68 by 2028. The Fine Gael-Labour Party Government wanted to introduce this in 2011. There are people throughout this country of pensionable age who were not eligible for the €350 Covid-19 payment because they were self-employed. The Rural Independent...