Results 3,401-3,420 of 6,816 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Will it be spread evenly spread? The Minister has heard me make this point previously. Some local authorities are for a range of reasons more enthusiastic, but also better placed or better resourced initially, to take advantage of these opportunities. Will it be evenly spread or how will the funding be allocated?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I do not see where the large energy user rebalancing subvention is accounted for. It is a measure to reduce the cost of electricity bills on households. It is a measure the Minister brought in in 2010 and that has been in place up until a couple of weeks ago. According to reports, it involved €600 million on household bills over a decade. Where is that accounted for? When was it...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Will households will see the benefit of that tariff being lifted off?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thought the point was it was levied on household bills to the benefit of large energy users.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: It would be worth the committee following up. I have written parliamentary questions and they have been referred to the CRU. The CRU is accountable to the committee. The detail on this is not entirely clear. In fairness, Ms Caroline O'Doherty from the Irish Independenthas highlighted it. Nobody has contradicted the point about €600 million over ten years. It warrants further...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I did not put that question to them.

Public Transport: Motion [Private Members] (25 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes: — that the transport sector accounts for 17.7 per cent of our total greenhouse gas emissions, and investment in public transport can play a central role in helping to reduce carbon emissions; — that expanding affordable, accessible and reliable public transport infrastructure across the island can deliver environmental,...

Public Transport: Motion [Private Members] (25 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank everyone who contributed to the debate. The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, stated that some elements of the motion "do not properly reflect the progress to date in this area, the work currently under way or the Government's future plans for public transport." I do not know what that means. We have set out, for example, in the area of Connecting Ireland, the rural bus plan...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 477. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the reason that illness benefit recipients are excluded from the autumn double payment and the Christmas bonus payment; if this matter will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53348/22]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 478. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will list, by social welfare payment type, those included and excluded from the autumn double payment and the Christmas bonus payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53349/22]

Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Bill 2022: Second Stage (26 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: It is ironic. Such is the curtailed nature of this whole debate, the Minister of State cannot deliver the most basic of remarks reflecting the contents of the Bill within the guillotined time he has. Perhaps the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, knows how we feel on this side of the House on so many occasions when it comes to legislation and emergency legislation from the Minister. ...

Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will be brief because the point has been mad with regard to this amendment. I want to make a point about some of the other amendments in the grouping. I support all of them, especially amendment No. 5 in the name of Deputy Bacik. It does what a number of other amendments seek to do, namely to increase transparency, accountability, scrutiny and the assessment of the particular projects...

Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: May I speak to my amendment at this stage?

Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will speak to Deputy Smith's amendment on the report. My amendment is on the same theme. As I mentioned, there is a need to measure emissions. This Bill is emergency legislation introduced in exceptional circumstances. There are significant risks associated with it and the opportunity for increased scrutiny, accountability and review is an important one that should be taken.

Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (26 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I move amendment No. 9: In page 7, between lines 25 and 26, to insert the following: “Report on the Implementation 12.(1) The Minister shall, within 6 months of the passing of this Act, lay a report before both Houses of the Oireachtas following a post-enactment review. (2) Within one month of the laying of the report before both Houses of the Oireachtas, the Minister and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (27 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: The next time the Dáil sits, COP27 will be under way. The conference will hear that greenhouse gas emissions were at record levels last year. Ireland has ambitious targets that are agreed. They include a 51% reduction in emissions by 2030. To achieve that, offshore wind will play a significant role. Our ports will also play a significant role but they will need to be ready. We know...

Energy Security: Statements (27 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: The war in Ukraine has exposed how vulnerable this State is to volatility in the international energy markets and reinforced the need to radically reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and become energy-independent. Ireland imports a little over 70% of the energy we use and this is well over the EU average of 58%. Oil accounts for 45% of primary energy needs and gas for a further 34%. All...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Coach Sector: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the witnesses. We examined this previously. To extend the 20% fare reduction to the CBO sector would cost in the region of €24 million over a 12-month period. Is it safe to say that it would be an ask today for that 20% fare reduction to be extended to the commercial bus operator sector?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Coach Sector: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: We do not have to go outside my constituency as we have Ashbourne Connect in our area, which is reducing services.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Coach Sector: Discussion (19 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: That is something the committee should pick up on because it is making a difference in those services, as we can see. Mr. Crowley raised fuel variation clauses the last time he was before the committee. Has there been any progress on that? Has the situation improved or deteriorated?