Results 27,441-27,460 of 28,255 for speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Senator Flynn will be with us shortly but she asked me to chair the meeting in the meantime. I remind members that they must be physically present within Leinster House in order to take part in public meetings of the committee. I will not allow members who are not in Leinster House to take part in the meeting. We will suspend while we await the arrival of the witnesses.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I welcome all our guests. I will read out some housekeeping rules we have here. The evidence of witnesses physically present in Leinster House is protected by absolute privilege. Witnesses should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable. They should not engage in speech that may be regarded as damaging to the...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I thank Ms Lucey for her submission. I welcome our witnesses from the Community Law and Mediation. Both organisations work closely with community services. I ask the witnesses from the Community Law and Mediation to make their submission.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Did Deputy Buckley want to come back in?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I now go to our Chair, Senator Flynn.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I have a few questions. Recourse to the courts should be a last resort, and in an ideal world, nobody would have to have recourse to the courts because the services would be provided. In the case of discrimination by private entities, there is little that can be done except through the courts. If the law were adequate, would we be able to resolve a lot of discrimination or the lack of...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: If all members have asked their questions, we will adjourn. Beimid ag tógáil saoire na Cásca, we will be adjourning for Easter. I know members will be out canvassing but I hope everyone else will have a good rest over the Easter period. Most members will be busier than ever with the local and European elections coming up.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Bus Services (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for choosing this matter and the Minister of State for coming in to deal with it. Under Connecting Ireland, two bus services were set up in Connemara. One goes from An Cheathrú Rua up through Screebe, Maam Cross, Cornamona, Clonbur, Ballinrobe to Claremorris. The other goes from An Cheathrú Rua to Screebe, but it then turns west and goes to Carna, An...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Bus Services (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: We need a service that services the people. It is a kind of Irish joke that you would have a bus service that is happier with no passengers than with passengers and is still running at a cost to the State.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Bus Services (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I thank the Minister of State for anticipating the second part of my question regarding Knock Airport. The proposal is quite simple. Let us start on a phased basis, say, for the months of June, July and August, that the bus would run down as far as Knock Airport. Telling me there is connecting buses is like telling me I can get a flight to a holiday destination and that I can get a cheaper...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Bus Services (21 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I would probably agree with that. It can save on the hot air in here.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (20 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: 1473. To ask the Minister for Health the new criteria used to assess applications for discretionary payments for items such as specialised spectacles for children in the CHO network; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12816/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Cards (20 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: 1503. To ask the Minister for Health what efforts are being made to ensure that adequate dentists participate in the scheme to provide dental services to medical card patients as the current dentists are at capacity and cannot meet the demand for the service thus leaving people on low incomes without a vital health service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13035/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Statutory Instruments: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: Can the witnesses give us an indication of how many people have availed of this since 2022? I would imagine the figures are small as most people are on a contributory State pension. My understanding is that the second issue applies to the widow's pension. Is that correct or not? So if you are on a widow's pension and you are over 66-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Statutory Instruments: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: There are 650 claims.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Statutory Instruments: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: That is very small.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Statutory Instruments: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: In practice it is probably not costing anything as nobody is going to take and pay the money over to social welfare anyway. Even if you take the gross cost what is it costing?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Social Welfare Statutory Instruments: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: It is 14,000 times €250, something like that. Which in the greater realms of the Department spending €27,000 million, it is a very small percentage.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Implications of Means Testing: Department of Social Protection (20 Mar 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: I thank the officials for the paper. I understand it is fairly general because they are still working on the report. It is very timely that we are having this meeting and I am glad to make an input to it, looking at the matter from a broad point of view. I will first address the means testing of capital. Normally thrift is encouraged in any state. I have found that because they worry...