Results 1-20 of 2,189 for speaker:Richard O'Donoghue

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank the Ceann Comhairle. I am here with many friends today. I have the Knocklong Men's Shed and I have Patrick O'Dea here from Dromin. I have Maurice and Elly above in the Gallery and they are both wheelchair users. Maurice is from Granagh. He plays Munster hurling and tag rugby and he works in the HSE. He is 25. Maurice told me he had lost out on so much with his friends because...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: -----to see what we can do to help people in that situation.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (16 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: For leisure.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (16 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: It is Maurice.

Dental Treatment Services: Motion [Private Members] (16 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I welcome Patrick. It is great to see a fellow Dromin man in the Gallery. The year 1968 is memorable to the Minister of State because his father was one of the members who set up St. Joseph's Foundation. It was set up to help vulnerable children and adults. It is still running and is a massive service that covers north Cork and south Limerick. Maybe it is time that history repeats...

Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I wish to remember and acknowledge the late Mark Ryan who with his brother, David, was instrumental in the establishment of the scoping inquiry. There are no words for what has happened here. What was going through my head when I was coming over here is that, in this country, we commemorated 100 years of the troubles that we had. We are looking at this from 1927 to 2013. When you look...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I ask everyone to please put their mobile phones and other devices on silent. Before we begin, I wish to explain some limitations to parliamentary privilege and the practices of the Houses as regards references witnesses may make to other persons in their evidence. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the presentation they make to the committee. This means that...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: We might come back to it because I have another speaker and we are over time on the last two contributors. I am trying to be fair to everyone. Deputy Devlin is next.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: You can have a little extra time, Deputy.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I will start with energy and solar power. Solar has taken off and we discussed the reasons for this. We also mentioned obstacles such as planning. From my perspective, the reason is the planning guidelines from 2006 and the draft guidelines of 2019. There are actually no proper guidelines for wind farms. There have been court cases in which three wind farms have been stopped and some 70...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I understand what Dr. O'Toole is saying but it is not happening. Wages are rising with inflation, but it is coming back full circle. If you are an employer, and the price of something has gone up, you still have a basic 6% margin on your business, regardless. When inflation goes up, you still have the 6% margin and you have to make sure your business can run. To break that cycle,...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: We have time and I have guests in as well so what I am going to do, and I am going to stick to it this time, is allow four minutes for questions and answers. I am going to pull members at four minutes to allow other people to get in. Deputy Timmins has four minutes.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: If the Deputy takes less time, that is fine.

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: We can allow another question in a minute. I have another question. I want quick answers, if possible. On wind turbines, there are so many legal challenges against wind turbines at the moment because of the knock-on effect of guidelines. Wind turbines that were put up 15 years ago were only 80 m or 100 m high. They are coming to the end of their shelf life now. A new wind turbine cannot...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: These energy companies have received funding from Government. There was €280 million given in subsidies for 28 wind turbines. When they did a business case to build those wind turbines, it did not make economic sense for them to be built unless they were given funding of €280 million to do that. Tomorrow morning, these companies could walk away after getting all these...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: Exactly. The turnover for businesses is up at the moment but when it comes to their profits that are being taxed, their profits are down. I refer to the trajectory of those taxes at the moment. I am in business and have seen the projections in recent years. My turnover is up but my profits are down because of different changes, year on year. You could be in a fixed price contract and...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I have a final question that might be for Dr. Keane. She spoke about lower income families. I am talking about the middle income families where both people in the household are working and in good jobs. They say to me that they are both working and paying their way. They have children to go to college. Their costs are going up and they now see people who are not as well off as they are...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: I have one last question related to rising inflation. The proposed 9% VAT rate that I hope will come in would allow businesses to not increase their costs, ensuring that a family break, for example, does not cost more for the consumer. It has been shown that holidays are at the back of the list. People are seeing they cannot afford to go on holidays or breaks or to dinner. Based on a...

Committee on Budgetary Oversight: Quarterly Economic Commentary: Economic and Social Research Institute (15 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: As there are no other questions, that concludes this session. I thank our witnesses, Dr. Claire Keane, associate research professor; Dr. Conor O'Toole , associate research professor; Dr. Paul Egan, research officer; and Dr. Muireann Lynch, senior research officer, for attending the meeting and answering all our questions. The meeting now stands adjourned.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Jul 2025)

Richard O'Donoghue: What will the Government put in place after the recent bomb find in Limerick near Aughanish Alumina? This was near a Russian-owned business. Five bombs were found in Ireland - three in the South, two in the North. What will be done about looking at Russian-owned buildings and properties in this country to protect the Irish people in case somebody targets them, especially in Limerick, where...