Results 481-500 of 6,816 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I raise a related issue that has come to my attention. I am sure it has come to the attention of other committee members as well. Driving instructors are identified as essential workers but they have been experiencing difficulties with accessing testing centres even just to wash their hands. They have many sanitisation protocols now because there is usually a pre-runaround lesson with the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Is the State considering bearing some of the costs or is it expected that it will be borne by passengers themselves, though I presume it will not be the airports or ports?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: We had replies to parliamentary questions about the passenger locator form to state that it was at a 70% rate of follow-up and is now only at 18%. There was a report in the media about an individual case which was probably an example of the type of thing that can happen when we do not have adequate controls and follow-up at our ports and airports. With regard to the Estimates and Brexit...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Regarding supports for travel agents, will they be eligible for the Covid restrictions support scheme? I am conscious of the €15 million allocated for the travel package fund. Will the Minister of State outline her engagement and supports for the sector?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I have a couple of quick questions. Some of them I will ask on behalf of Deputy Ó Murchú. The first is on cross-Border projects between the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister in the North, Ms Mallon, specifically the proposed Narrow Water bridge, the A5-N2 project and, in my part of the world, the Slane bypass. Are these projects on track? Is there still a commitment...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I commend the rapid engagement on airport testing and the work that has already been done by the DAA, which says it is ready to go with, I believe, a PCR test. Based on the information from HIQA, it might be the case following its assessment that we have to live with the PCR until such time as other technologies are proven to perform. I encourage the expedition of that process. I echo...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 31 – Transport (Revised) (21 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: No, that is fine.

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: To follow on from that point, replies I have received to parliamentary questions confirm that there has never been a greater demand for school bus transport than this year and there have never been more refusals. It is wrong to state that this is related to Covid and that there is no demand. There has never been more demand for school bus transport and never have more children been refused.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I want to discuss subhead B8. Will the Minister explain what it is and how the system works? Will there be fines for missing targets? How is it accounted?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Is the amount paid relative to the degree to which the target is missed? Is there a levy per percentage?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: To whom is the debt owed? How does it work?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Is the €50 million owed now? When is it due to be paid? How will the transaction take place?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I have a question on subhead B1 and the increase in pay. Is it due to inflation, increments or has there been an increase in the number of staff in that section of the Department?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: What is the number in terms of headcount?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: On subhead C3, could the Minister indicate whether there is State-sponsored research of exploration opportunities off the coast, or is the research to better understand the coastal environment?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Based on subheads D1 and D2, it looks as if there has been some sort of shrinkage of activities or the headcount. Is that the case? Are the Ulster Canal and other projects of a cross-Border nature resourced and funded through this stream? Has funding been committed?

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: The Ulster Canal is a project that has been on the agenda for many years. I think it is envisaged that there would be inland waterways connecting Belfast to Limerick. The project has been discussed during North-South and east-west negotiations, and commitments were made in a number, if not all, of those negotiations. Are there funding commitments in this subhead or this budget to the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: There a number of subheads here that people might want to come in on. I will start with subhead E6, on landfill remediation. I appreciate the important work that is done on this. I wish to get a sense of the Department's understanding of the scale of the problem. When I was a member of the local authority in Meath we had a case in Timoole, with over €6 million for remediation. At...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: Is there a sense at a departmental level of the real scale of this problem now or its likely scale in the future? In County Meath, for example, cases recently have completed at the High Court. The expectation is there will be a responsibility to undergo remediation. It strikes me that this is a significant problem. Much of it is legacy. I wonder whether there has been an assessment of...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2020
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (22 Oct 2020)

Darren O'Rourke: I refer to subhead E10 on the enforcement initiatives. This is gained from experience as a member of a local authority and the major frustration of communities, and in fairness, of local authorities, in enforcing litter management policy. Expenditure of €5.7 million on enforcement initiatives was provided for. Can the Minister outline what they were or whether there are approaches...