Results 21-40 of 969 for speaker:John McGahon

Seanad: School Transport, Leaving Certificate 2020 and Reopening of Schools: Statements (24 Sep 2020)

John McGahon: I will be very brief because I just have one or two points to raise. The first is on the leaving certificate and how well we did with it. Looking at what some commentators in the media and some Opposition politicians were saying back in August, they were willing the Minister to fail. They were not giving us a chance. They were saying the leaving certificate would be exactly like the exam...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Sep 2020)

John McGahon: I raise the acute need for further Government stimulus for the retail and hospitality sectors.The way to introduce such a stimulus is through a gift card scheme in budget 2021. I ask that the Minister attend the House to discuss this suggestion. Covid-19 has impacted on the way businesses work. We have 292,000 people employed in the hospitality sector and 250,000 are involved in the retail...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2020)

John McGahon: Senator John McGahon of Fine Gael.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I ask the Leader to invite the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to the Seanad for a debate on air pollution and air quality on the island of Ireland. At this point in time, four people are dying in Ireland a day as a direct result of complications from poor air quality and one in five children suffers from asthma because of it. The roll-out of a nationwide ban on...

Seanad: HSE Winter Plan: Statements (7 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: Some Members spoke for 1 minute and 20 seconds more than their allotted time, which was rude, but I will stick to the time in deference to the Acting Chairman. As we have been delayed again because Senators spoke for too long I will scrap what I was going to say and focus on one issue. Senator Elisha McCallion is absolutely correct in her call for an all-island approach to tackle Covid....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020 (Arrangements in relation to Fluorinated Greenhouse Gases): Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (7 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: My question refers to point No. 12 in the remarks which were provided to us beforehand by Mr. Close, stating that this would require the individuals to retrain if they do not get the certificates verified in time. How long would it take for an individual to retrain if they have missed all of those deadlines? On the 13th point in the document, stating that the period is going to be extended...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House. To get to the nub of the point I want to make, teachers and parents have made huge sacrifices in the classroom and at home in dealing with the new reality and the new era of Covid.I want to speak about what happens in the event of a level 5 situation. I accept that there is a firm commitment for schools to remain open, even in a level 5...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic (8 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I thank the Minister of State for the very substantial response. The most important part of it is the last couple of sentences in which he confirmed guidelines will be published in the next couple of days or within the next week on how the continuation of education will happen. It is important that that guidance is published as soon as possible. We acknowledge that schools need to be agile...

Seanad: Budget 2021: Statements (14 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: Yesterday in the Dáil, the Minister said the climate crisis is the greatest crisis facing our generation. As a result of my role in this Chamber as the Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson on climate action, I wish to focus the majority of my remarks on the climate action measures we put forward in the budget yesterday. The budget had measures in it that were transformative in terms of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low-Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (14 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I thank Mr. Carroll for appearing today before the committee. I have three short questions, which relate to the local authority climate action plan and the role local authorities will play. I am sure the many of us in this room who have served on local authorities will confirm that different local authorities have differing levels of ability with regard to preparing things. What happens if...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: The Cathaoirleach is the guy with the experience on the Capitol, that is for sure. I raise the concept of teachers who are considered to be extremely high risk, due to medical issues, and who continue to have to work in our schools. I spoke with a teacher in my home county, Louth, during the week and again this morning as I drove to this House. She is based in a part of County Louth where...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2020: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I will be quick with my questions so I can give the witnesses as much time as possible to respond. I agree with Dr. Jackson's point that Ministers should be required to appear before this committee annually. That is a good level of accountability which we should seek to introduce. I have two questions for him. What is the best way to ensure that the Bill is going to create a clear and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: What I would like to raise today is the importance of urban regeneration funding for the provincial towns around the country and I will use my own home town of Dundalk as a case in point. The Bridge Street-Linenhall Street area has been a neglected part of Dundalk for the past 40-odd years for various different reasons. It is a part of the town of Dundalk that has the most sincere and...

Seanad: Electoral (Civil Society Freedom)(Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage (22 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I thank the Minister of State for finishing bang on time.

Seanad: Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents Involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: The Railway Accident and Investigation Unit, RAIU, is the independent railway accident investigation organisation for Ireland. It deals essentially with investigations of incidents and accidents on the national railway network, including the DART, the Luas and industrial and heritage railways. An investigation is carried out for the improvement of railway safety thereafter, establishing the...

Seanad: Railway Safety (Reporting and Investigation of Serious Accidents, Accidents and Incidents Involving Certain Railways) Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I was discussing the issue of high-speed rail between the two largest cities on this island, Belfast and Dublin. There are eight direct trains now between those two cities whereas, in comparison, places in the UK involving similar distances, like Liverpool and Manchester or Edinburgh or Glasgow, have between 22 and 32 trains a day. The first train to leave Belfast is at 7 a.m. It arrives...

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: As the Minister has to come back in at 1.14 p.m., we have exactly 56 minutes for our seven speakers who have asked to contribute. I ask them to stick to their speaking time of six minutes to ensure that everyone will get in. I call Senator Fitzpatrick.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: I apologise to Senators Warfield and Moynihan for calling Senator Byrne before those two spokespersons.

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: We have 16 minutes remaining and a number of speakers indicating. Senators Cummins and Kyne have kindly agreed to share time, with three minutes each. Are Senators Crowe and O'Loughlin also willing to share time with three minutes each?

Seanad: Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (23 Oct 2020)

John McGahon: Excellent.