Results 2,581-2,600 of 6,872 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Ceisteanna - Questions: Good Friday Agreement (18 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Once again, we are dealing with a British Government with Liz Truss and Boris Johnson and unilateral threats to undermine the Irish protocol. Our only hope is that the British Government is engaging in a farce it is not really too hopeful of seeing through, just to keep some of the Conservative Party happy. That is obviously not good enough, however. It gives succour to the DUP, which is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 37. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will detail his engagements in relation to the introduction of a TRIPS waiver on Covid-19 vaccines and technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25339/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Admissions (19 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 100. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the measures being considered in respect of the yearly increase in the number of applicants to the CAO system and the lack of places for the most in demand courses; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25342/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Admissions (19 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: What measures are being considered to the yearly increase in the number of applications to the CAO system and the lack of places for the most in-demand courses? I ask that the Minister take into account the issue of having to deal still with the issue of grade inflation, the date of results, which is an issue for a great number of students and parents, and the particular issue of necessary...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Admissions (19 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I welcome the Minister's answer. A major issue that needs to be taken into account, as Deputy Conway-Walsh mentioned, is that colleges, on the basis of the funding structure, may sometimes choose to offer particular courses because it makes more financial sense to do so. We need to deal with that aspect. In regard to the whole issue of workforce planning, lifelong learning and the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Third Level Admissions (19 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: This is an issue we certainly will be revisiting into the future. I welcome the Minister's commitment in this regard. I will do now what I generally do, which is to apologise and raise a related question. The question will not shock the Minister greatly. It is a specific question about technological university status for Dundalk Institute of Technology, DkIT, which he visited recently....

Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2020 Report: Motion (19 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I thank Deputy Ó Ríordáin for his work on this. He has dealt with what I am going to discuss, and a lot more eloquently than I will. What we are talking about is straightforward. It is education as the great leveller, to use Deputy Ó Ríordáin's words. We are talking about ensuring that there is an equal playing field in respect of access. I welcome the fact...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Employment Rights (19 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 71. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the steps he will take to address Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland being frozen out the the job market in the south with some remote working positions stipulating an address in the south as a requirement; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25340/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Technological Universities (19 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 170. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the technological university status bid of Dundalk Institute of Technology; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25341/22]

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I raise the issue of the loss of 307 PayPal jobs, 172 in Dundalk and 135 in Ballycoolin, which will kick in from 27 June. What was the Government's engagement before this shocking news was broken this morning to workers and their families? Promises have been made by PayPal of good packages. This needs to be ensured. We still do not have clarity as to whether these jobs are being...

Journalists in Conflicts across the World: Statements (24 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We are dealing at the moment with attacks on democracy and truth and the necessity for real journalism. Many have mentioned the issue of the social media giants, the working of their algorithms and how they, at times, facilitate the telling of mistruths. We have a duty of care and protection for the vital work, particularly in conflict situations, carried out by journalists. In our...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff (26 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We have spoken previously about this issue in home care. We all welcomed the work of the workforce advisory group. It has to look at the issues of visas and tax breaks. Pay rates have to be on the table, as well as expenses. There are anomalies among the various CHOs. However, we need a timeline. Beyond that, there is the wider issue of workforce planning to ensure we will have enough...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (26 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Deputy Boyd Barrett has spoken about the fact we need early interventions. I raised a Topical Issue matter on this and spoke about Louth and Dundalk and the lack of occupational therapists, OTs, and speech and language therapists in the area. There are people who have been assessed and who are being told they will not get services for a year or two years. Obviously, that is not on. I am...

Irish Apprenticeship System: Statements (26 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It goes without saying that students, and apprentices in particular, are impacted by the cost-of-living crisis. Before the recent hike in home heating oil and electricity, there was the issue of rents, which are a huge cost that are a bane to students and their families. As many have mentioned, we are still dealing with a backlog in apprenticeships. It is unfair that somebody could sign up...

Passport Services: Statements (26 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We have been in the position before of there being a problem with the issuing of passports. We were told on that occasion that the number of staff in the Passport Office would be increased, if not doubled. I accept that this work is being done at the moment, which is absolutely necessary. However, we need a very quick audit of how many staff will be needed to deliver the service we require...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Cards (26 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 78. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the dental treatment services scheme including the ongoing review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26552/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Strategies (26 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 114. To ask the Minister for Health the expected timeframe for the establishment of strategic implementation groups regarding the national drugs strategy; if he will provide an update on the expected meeting of chairpersons of each group before the end of May 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26553/22]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Schemes (26 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 189. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if the installation of a slatted shed on a farm for greater efficiency will be considered in the beef exceptional aid measure scheme in cases in which a repayment of the funding has been requested; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24739/22]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Schemes (26 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 192. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if a repayment request by his Department in relation to the beef exceptional aid measure scheme will be reconsidered given that a slatted shed was installed on the farm for greater efficiency and with the approval of Teagasc; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24738/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Vacant Properties (31 May 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I am also interested in the timeline for the national implementation office and, in particular, when regeneration officers will be appointed at local authority level. We have spoken previously about necessary works at the Creative Spark Downtown Hub in Dundalk, the remote working hub that is up and running now and is a real success in what was a vacant site. We have a lot more to do and it...