Results 201-220 of 227 for speaker:Nessa Cosgrove

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I thank the Minister of State for displaying a real interest in this. The non-demolition option is not working because, as I said earlier, if there is a defective block the deterioration can go into healthy blocks without people knowing. As such, demolition is the only option and this is what people want. Deputy Charles Ward got elected based on this, as did county councillors, because...

Committee on Children and Equality: Child Poverty and Deprivation: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I thank all the Deputies for letting me go ahead of them. An Taoiseach is coming into the Seanad. I thank the witnesses for coming in. I am sorry I missed their opening addresses but I thank them for all their briefing documents. I have only one short question. The child poverty and well-being programme was established in the Department of An Taoiseach. Is there any move to create...

Committee on Children and Equality: Child Poverty and Deprivation: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: It is wonderful that that knowledge has gone into Departments, but it did lose its independent, autonomous voice.

Committee on Children and Equality: Child Poverty and Deprivation: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Does that voice sometimes get lost? The independent nature of the Combat Poverty Agency involved dealing a lot with the public. There was a lot of engagement and there was one voice. Different people are talking, even here today, about different areas that affect children and their long-term impacts on living in poverty. I have no doubt about the expertise of those involved. I agree with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: The witnesses are very welcome back. They must be sick of seeing us at this stage. I want to ask about Local Link, so I guess it concerns the NTA. The issue of extending and connecting Local Link routes is raised with us all the time. I do not want to refer to specific routes. Mr. Creegan stated there has been a 33% increase in the number of people using the service, which is fantastic....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: What are the criteria to get a connecting link? Local people on the ground know better than anyone else. Is it a matter of getting a connecting route or creating a new link? What are the criteria for getting a new route?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: How do we do it, though, as representatives of local areas where there is a huge demand? I refer to the likes of the 563 and 981 services. People come to us to say they have no service and that if they had one, they would use it. How do we move it forward? I just do not know what to do as a representative.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Much of this is grassroots led or a matter of communities coming together. Public meetings are held about services. Should those concerned put together a business plan? Is there any checklist or form that would make it easier for communities to show evidence, such as the population in the area, that a bus is needed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Should I go back to groups and say it is a case of lobbying?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: We want to be able to do something.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Would it be helpful to have local transport representatives meeting people on the ground? I am aware that someone from TFI met a group recently in Sligo about a connecting route on the Leitrim–Sligo border. The more people involved, the better. Is it about the evidence base, accounting for the population of the area, projected population growth and so on?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: So, it is up to us, working with communities, to bring the information forward to the NTA.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: That is perfect. Can I ask about Local Link? A few people have contacted me to say they used to be able to flag down their bus. Has the policy on this changed?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I thank the witnesses.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I wish to ask Mr. Kent and Mr. Parker from Bus Éireann about the N17. It is a national primary route. It is about the Tubbercurry bus, that is, the Galway to Derry bus. I am sure Bus Éireann has received a lot of correspondence about this. At the moment, that bus leaves Galway and it is full by the time it gets to Tubbercurry. There is only one bus in the morning. Tubbercurry...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: That is a lot considering it is only a half-hour journey. That is one question. My other question is to Bus Éireann as well. It relates to a bus to Athlone. This has come up a few times. I use public transport all the time. Often, in my previous role, I had meetings in, say, Athlone, but we cannot get a train to Athlone and there is no direct bus. If I go on the Expressway...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Are there any plans to improve capacity on that route? People are saying that the bus is often full by the time it arrives in Tubbercurry.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: It is in the absence of the western rail corridor, I suppose. They are just being disadvantaged because they are not on a Local Link route as well.

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I will talk briefly about apprenticeships. The Minister said in his opening address that it is great to see much more investment in apprenticeships and further education and training, in particular. I worked for a time in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board, MSLETB, in a training centre so I can see the level of support that students are...

Seanad: Cost of Childcare: Motion (21 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: We will split the time.