Results 1,801-1,820 of 6,541 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Progress on the National Parks and Wildlife Service: Statements (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I appreciate the opportunity to speak on the National Parks and Wildlife Service. Deputy Farrell spoke at the end of his contribution about trees. We all know the huge body of work that needs to be done with afforestation and we know about the difficulties, which are in the public domain and have been over and back on investment funds right through to grant schemes that are fit for purpose....

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It probably does not come as any shock to an awful lot of people that there is an issue that the British Government is not willing, at this point in time, to sort out. We have to play our part in looking for a solution. This is an issue across every border. The OECD is looking at putting a deal together but I imagine we could be waiting a hell of a long time before that happens. At a...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 114. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will outline an engagement her Department has had with other Government agencies and Departments in relation to the problems faced by workers who live in the North, work for southern-based companies and wish to work from home, and if the issue will be included in the considerations for budget 2024; and if she will...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Will the Minister outline the engagement her Department has had with other Government agencies and Departments on the problems being faced by workers who live in the North but work in companies based in the South and who may wish to work from home or engage in remote working. The example I use is PayPal, which closed its premises. Its employees who live in the North had to be transferred to...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We need a solution that works across the board but the Department of Social Protection has a part to play.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Northern Ireland (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: In fairness to the Minister, she is not the only member of the Government I have put this question to. I raised it with the Taoiseach earlier this week, and not for the first time. This issue needs to be taken to Cabinet level and addressed. I accept it is beyond the Minister's remit but there is a need for HMRC and Revenue to have fully-fledged conversations on providing a solution. The...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I welcome what the Minister of State has said. We need this enacted as soon as possible. When I dealt earlier with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, it was particularly in relation to the foster carer allowance, which has not been increased since 2009. It related to the travel expenses, and there is obviously an onus on foster carers to maintain that...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I should allow the Minister of State to respond. That would be fair.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I welcome what the Minister of State has said. It is an acceptance that we do not have enough foster carers. We need a lot more, so we need to deal with all of these issues. I accept that the Minister of State's Department deals with a particular part of this, but the main play is with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. I assume all of the necessary...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 110. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if consideration will be given to extending the number of home-caring periods a foster carer can accrue throughout the years they foster in order for them to be able to claim a State pension (contributory); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33074/23]

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): State Pensions (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Has the Minister given any consideration to extending the number of home caring periods a foster carer can accrue throughout the year as he or she fosters in order to be able to claim a contributory State pension? We all know of the great contribution made by foster carers who take children, who sometimes are coming from incredibly difficult situations, into their homes. I had an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 42. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if his Department has given consideration to the use of 3D printing technology and its possible benefits to the current problems with housing construction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33036/23]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Housing Provision (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Has the Minister given consideration to the use of 3D concrete printing and its possible benefits in the context of the current problems with housing construction? Obviously, he has engaged with the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Coveney. Louth and Meath Education and Training Board, LMETB, had a printing operation in Drogheda. Are there plans in this regard? It is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Can we have a timeline for when we will see the guidelines for rural housing? We know about the issue. When somebody comes with a planning issue the worst element is that there is no consistency either in the local authority, among local authorities or from planner to planner. We are speaking about landowners who cannot understand why they cannot get planning permission on their land for a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Water Services (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I will keep this generalised. There are huge issues. We have very old housing estates with, in some cases, legacy sewerage systems, both the public line and the individual run of houses, too many houses on the one line, the wrong types of piping and so on. In my estate there is a huge number of issues and sometimes the responsibility lies literally with the person who owns the house....

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Schemes (6 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 83. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will outline what alternatives are open to people in County Louth who need a housing adaptation grant but who cannot apply to Louth County Council because the applications process is closed until January 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33037/23]

Ceisteanna - Questions: National Economic and Social Council (5 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We all accept that remote working is a real positive for many people. I have brought up the issue before with regard to cross-Border remote workers who are not facilitated at present. I use the example of PayPal in Dundalk, when it closed its premises and everyone was put on remote working, that those in the North needed to be transferred to PayPal UK. Obviously, a large international...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Departmental Programmes (5 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Necessary interventions have to be taken, whether we are talking about the north-east inner city or elsewhere. Similar interventions were laid out for Drogheda following the feud. We had the Guerin report and the Drogheda implementation plan and a board was put in place. I would bring up the issue again of the family addiction support network, which is an absolutely vital cog that provides...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 5. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on housing will next meet. [32455/23]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (5 Jul 2023)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I again raise the issue of Louth County Council and housing adaptation grants. Louth County Council has a request in for €570,000 but even if it gets that, it will need match funding of €114,000 and that will not even begin to cover the list, which currently stands at 580 people. I have spoken to the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donnell, about the fact the review needs...