Results 441-460 of 616 for speaker:Grace Boland

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: I thank the witnesses for coming in today. It is good to hear that Mr. Walsh is living in north County Dublin, like myself. I am a Skerries woman.

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: I represent Dublin Fingal West, so Skerries, Balbriggan, Rush, Lusk, and the rural villages of Garristown-----

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: -----and Oldtown, and very proudly so. It is extremely difficult for our people to get to any of the driving test centres. I would very much echo calls for a driving test centre in north County Dublin. It is the youngest and fastest growing area in the country between Swords, Balbriggan, Skerries, Rush and Lusk. It has a huge population and we have people heading to Finglas, Raheny or...

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: Mr. Walsh might come back to us and talk about that. I would appreciate it if we could have the RSA in again. How does Ireland compare internationally on the driving test?

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: Where do we stand on road deaths?

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: I am sorry to push Mr. Waide. I am just really tight on time.

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: With the best being top?

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: The RSA might come back to talk to us about that and what more can be done around road safety.

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: Between schools and all of that, I have anecdotal evidence that some of the programmes are very much focused on driving rather than road safety for pedestrians, like for van drivers. It would be good to hear what-----

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: That is good to hear. I have less than a minute left. I thank Mr. Waide for that, and he might come back and talk to us.

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: On the NCT - and I am lawyer by profession who has worked in procurement - I was interested in the fact that the RSA said it was legally not allowed to include penalties in its contracts. Where does that come from?

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: Is that because the RSA is a State entity?

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: Mr. Walsh might seek some clarity and send us a letter on that.

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: The other issue I wanted to ask about was the Deloitte supervision services contractor for the NCT. Does that continue to be necessary? Could the RSA not use technology for that? Is it not included in the contract that the contractor would provide a report of its service levels? Why is a third party needed to interpret that?

Committee on Transport: Driving Test and NCT Delays: RSA (11 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: When the RSA returns to the committee, it would be good to hear about that. It strikes that me that Deloitte is reputable, but also very expensive.

Committee on Children and Equality: Priority Issues Facing the Department: Minister for Children, Disability and Equality (12 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: Barely a day goes by when I am not told how lucky I am to have such a supportive husband and it is true. I am very lucky to have a very supportive husband, who does a great job, but our marriage is a partnership. I do not believe many of my male colleagues get the same commentary. The cultural biases regarding fathers as parents really need to change. The CSO and ESRI data show that the...

Committee on Children and Equality: Priority Issues Facing the Department: Minister for Children, Disability and Equality (12 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: It is very welcome.

Committee on Children and Equality: Priority Issues Facing the Department: Minister for Children, Disability and Equality (12 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: And a public campaign on awareness.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jun 2025)

Grace Boland: Child poverty in Ireland is reaching crisis levels. The Children's Rights Alliance annual report revealed a staggering rise in the number of children living in consistent poverty. We must ensure families have the financial support they need to ensure every child has the opportunity to thrive. I very much welcome the Taoiseach's comments yesterday in which he stated that nothing is off...