Results 4,421-4,440 of 13,291 for speaker:Joe McHugh

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Natural Gas Grid (30 Jun 2015)

Joe McHugh: I will convey the Senator's message to the Minister. However, I must reiterate the importance of strategic decision-making. Athenry, Craughwell, Headford and Tuam in County Galway and Ballina, Ballyhaunis, Castlebar, Claremorris, Crossmolina, Knock and Westport in County Mayo were included in phase 1. Construction on this €40 million project has been completed and the towns of...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I acknowledge the Senator's concerns in this matter. There is no definition of what constitutes "as low as reasonably practicable", ALARP, set out in either domestic or international legislation. The concept has been considered by the Court of Appeal in the UK and by the courts in Ireland. The Judiciary has found that for a risk to be determined as ALARP, it must be possible to demonstrate...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I will address both points. While the subject we are discussing is broad and complex in its scope, I want to reiterate that the Bill is a narrow piece of legislation. Many proposals were implemented through legislation in 2010. On gas flaring, for the purpose of clarity and context, I would like to establish that the transposition of the offshore safety directive, which is the purpose of...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Section 7 of the Bill imposes a range of obligations regarding petroleum undertakings on operators and owners. These obligations include an obligation on an operator or owner to take suitable measures, including suspending an activity where the activity poses an immediate danger to human health or significantly increases the risk of a major accident. Section 15(2) of the Bill already...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The focus of this Bill is safety and the prevention of major accidents related to oil and gas exploration and production activities. I accept the Senator's point regarding current momentum in the context of the current round of the Atlantic margin ending in mid-September next. However, I must again reiterate that the focus of this Bill is specifically safety and regulation of oil and gas...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I agree on the need to learn from past mistakes. No greater mistake was made than that in respect of the construction industry. The old adage that those who fail to plan plan to fail comes to mind. I agree with the overall principle of the Senator's argument. It is important, however, to point out that in the history of this State only four fines have been issued in respect of commercial...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: There are a lot of broader issues being discussed here. As I stated at the outset, it is a complex issue. There is no harm in raising the issues and, at a different stage, having these debates. There is a safety regime that has been agreed to, with a system of fines for companies that are not following the proper implementation of that safety regime. The issue of environmental damage is...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The purpose of these technical amendments is to correct typographical errors with regard to the cross-referencing of sections within the Bill. I commend them to the House.

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I will try to be as co-operative as possible. Every company has bought into a safety regime, and companies will have their triggering and alert systems. That is done straight away, but this provision is about providing a report. It is not a one-line or two-line message stating that an incident has happened at such-and-such a place. It refers to a full and extensive report. The purpose of...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I will address the point, which may put the Leas-Chathaoirleach at ease also. If an incident occurs it is a case of instant notification. That is the prescription for a potential incident but, obviously, the focus is on preventing it from happening. Within that 24-hour period, a full written report of what happened has to be provided. I assure the Senator that if an incident occurs off...

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I do not propose to accept the amendment, but if the Senator wants me to read my reply into the record for clarification purposes, I will do that.

Seanad: Petroleum (Exploration and Extraction) Safety Bill 2015: Committee and Remaining Stages (1 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: I propose to discuss amendments Nos. 10 and 11 together. Article 26 of the directive relates to an investigation following a major accident. It provides that member states shall initiate thorough investigations of major accidents occurring in their jurisdictions. A summary of the findings pursuant to paragraph (1) shall be made available to the European Commission either at the conclusion...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources: Invasive Fish Species (2 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is the state agency responsible for the protection, management and conservation of Ireland's inland fisheries and sea angling resources. I have been informed by IFI that from the first discovery of Dace in the tidal waters at St. Mullins, in 1992, the species had spread over 70km upstream, to near Vicarstown and upstream of the confluence of the Barrow...

Written Answers — Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Irish Language (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The primary objective of An Scéim Phobail Gaeilge(the Irish Language Community Scheme), which Foras na Gaeilge has been implementing for the past 10 years, is to support local voluntary communities in promoting the Irish language in their respective target areas and groups. Under the present scheme, funding is provided to 19 committees, 11 based in the North and 8 based in the South....

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir. Tá mé thar a bheith sásta bheith ar ais sa Seanad arís.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Go raibh maith agat as an gcuireadh bheith anseo. Dúirt an Seanadóir Healy Eames go bhfuil brón uirthi nach bhfuil Aire sinsearach, an Teachta Jan O'Sullivan, i láthair. Ba mhaith liom a rá go bhfuil caidreamh maith idir mo Roinn agus an Roinn Oideachais agus Scileanna i dtaobh an tumoideachais atá ar siúl idir an chéad agus an dara bliain. Tá...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Déanfaidh mé mo dhícheall scairt a chur agus an t-eolas a sheoladh chuig an Aire sinsearach inniu. Ba mhaith liom mo mhíle buíochas a ghabháil leis an Seanadóir arís. I thank the Senator for raising this issue and I welcome the opportunity to address the Seanad on the topic. As the Senator may be aware, the Teaching Council is the independent...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: The important focus of the response is to put pupils at the centre of the process.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Teaching Qualifications (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Every teacher embraces that philosophy. Senator Healy Eames is a former teacher and I am a former secondary schoolteacher. I worked in St. Mark's in Tallaght in 1992 and in the Loreto school in Letterkenny in 1993. The situation has changed dramatically since then. The focus is more pupil-centred. I accept there are challenges, especially in terms of the experience of Montessori teachers...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Government Economic and Evaluation Service (7 Jul 2015)

Joe McHugh: Ar dtús, ba mhaith liom aitheantas a thabhairt don Seanadóir as ucht an Ghaeilge a úsáid ar dtús fosta. Gabhaim míle buíochas leis. I thank Senator Barrett for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, who is not available this afternoon due to Government business. The...