Results 4,441-4,460 of 20,057 for speaker:Brian Stanley

Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 10. To ask the Minister for Health when the consultation process on the Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise involving local clinicians and the community will begin; and the expected timeframe for completion [16238/18]

Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: When will the consultation process for Portlaoise hospital begin? At our meeting in December the Minister told the other two Laois Deputies and me that he would begin this process early in the new year and that he would discuss the matter with clinicians and representatives from the local community.

Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Minister for his reply. I welcome the fact the pause button has been pressed and that we have moved away from the Dr. Susan O'Reilly plan. Consultations, however, can go on and on. I agree with the Minister that the consultation process needs to be extensive and meaningful, but it was announced five months ago. In answer to a parliamentary question that I asked in January the...

Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I am hearing the right vibes from the Minister but now we want to see the action to back it up. On his previous visits to Portlaoise hospital the Minister heard loud and clear from the clinicians and GPs that we need a plan for the future. I acknowledge that the Minister came down to meet these people. Certainty is needed for recruitment. Will the Minister confirm the announcement made by...

Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I want to hear the Minister confirm it. He holds the purse strings.

Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: It is very important.

Other Questions: Hospital Services (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: The Minister is confirming it.

Plastic and Packaging Pollution: Statements (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the issue of plastics. I wish we were speaking about it with a better record in terms of reducing litter, reducing illegal dumping and reducing the volume of plastic we are producing. I commend the Sick of Plastic day initiative that will take place this Saturday. The fact that this is happening and that people will be encouraged on Saturday to hand...

Plastic and Packaging Pollution: Statements (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: -----and dumping large amounts of rubbish. To catch those people we need the active involvement of citizens. Drones are being used. They are becoming cheaper. We should encourage more use of drones. We have to stop this dumping. What I see on roadways and in hedgerows around the countryside is an absolute disgrace.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Groups (19 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 71. To ask the Minister for Health the groups and organisations he will meet on the consultation on Portlaoise General Hospital; and if he will meet a group (details supplied). [16239/18]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Implementation of National Mitigation Plan: Discussion (24 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the delegations for their presentations. My first question is to the Department officials. Sinn Féin believes that the national mitigation plan is not fit-for-purpose and lacks specific actions to bring us on the journey on which we need to go over the next two years, 12 years and 32 years up to 2050, in terms of greenhouse gas emissions. Does the Department have specific...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Implementation of National Mitigation Plan: Discussion (24 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I hear what Mr. Carroll is saying about where we want to get to and how the national mitigation plan identifies the problem. The point I am trying to raise is that we are not even going to go a quarter of the distance we need to go in reducing greenhouse gas emissions between now and 2020. According to the EPA, and the Department agreed with the appraisal today, at best we will reach 4% to...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 19. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if his Department applies additional safeguards to maintain as much transparency as possible when both he and his officials are interacting with private and commercial interest groups, in view of the areas of the economy with which his Department interacts and the immense private and commercial interest parties from...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I will not be expecting any more latitude than that given to the previous speaker. The Minister's Department interacts with a lot of powerful and profitable commercial interests in the energy sector, including oil, gas, electricity companies, as well as in the media. There is a public service obligation, PSO, levy, for example, of €500 million to the renewable energy sector, while...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: I thank the Minister for his reply. He mentioned NGOs but I think he will appreciate there is a world of difference between, for example, the Stop Climate Chaos group, which is a non-profit voluntary group, and the likes of Independent News and Media, INM, enet and other commercial companies. SIPO has published a code of conduct for public office holders. Under the heading, "Principles of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Departmental Protocols (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: On the Minister's reply, the problem is that I asked him about this in October 2016. I asked him a priority question here in the House on 6 December 2016 on his intentions regarding that merger and what he intended to do and he told me, and the Official Report of that debate is available, that he had absolutely no idea. I think he even shook his head in terms of what he intended to do about...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: 23. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his plans to create an indigenous biomass industry in view of the fact that importing biomass for electricity production has been shown in studies to increase emissions; if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the power station in Edenderry, County Offaly, is using imported biomass and the ESB power station at...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: The issue of renewable energy is close to my heart. In 11 years' time, no more peat will be burned in power stations because of our international commitments. At best, though, we will only go a quarter of the way towards meeting our obligations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Under the programme for Government, we are supposed to reduce emissions by 20% by 2020. According to the EPA,...

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: What will be done about this situation?

Other Questions: Bioenergy Strategy (25 Apr 2018)

Brian Stanley: What I am trying to get across to the Minister is that while converting to biomass is great, we are only doing more damage if we are hauling it thousands of miles and levelling forests in other countries. I welcome that Bord na Móna has abandoned the plan to build a wood pellet plant in the US to feed plants in Ireland. Apart from the carbon miles on such imports, the environmental...