Results 501-520 of 2,988 for speaker:James O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Services (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 224. To ask the Minister for Health when respite services will resume in Fermoy Community Hospital for a person (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56276/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 226. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding booster vaccines for persons under 60 years of age that have serious underlying health conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56283/21]

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: At the outset, I wish Deputy Stanley well in his recovery. I thank Dr. Quinn for being here. She has outlined a couple of the key points around the gross expenditure of the Department and its growth in 2020 in comparison to 2019 as the Department reacted to the situation around Covid-19. Looking at the restart grant, there seems to be quite a number of concerns around the whole process to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I will interrupt to build on a point that Dr. Quinn was making. She mentioned there are approximately 250,000 businesses that fit the bill. In terms of the support scheme, an original estimate expected approximately 80,000 businesses to take up the support.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: According to information we have received in briefings, there were approximately 57,500 applications. Some 49,300 had been approved to a value of approximately €195 million. Would Dr. Quinn explain the gap between the estimate and the uptake? What does she feel is the rationale as to why that happened? As I have said, many businesses that were deserving of support did not receive it.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I apologise but I must interrupt Dr. Quinn. She will be aware that I do not have the luxury of time. In the context of the process relating to the restart grant, the Department's service level agreement with the local authorities provided for the review of the restart grant scheme when approvals across 31 local authorities reached more than €200 million. Approximately two months...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: That is interesting. Credit is due in many ways with regard to the work the Department has done. There have obviously been flaws and issues, however, and the job of this committee is to identify them and to try to the processes involved. That said, we have to acknowledge that there was a lot of very hard work done rapidly to try to help businesses out. Nobody here disputes that, but,...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: One particular flaw that has been repeatedly raised with me by councillors in my party - I am sure other colleagues here would agree - regarding the restart grant relates to the geographical imbalance in terms of the grant and the allocation being dependent on each local authority. There is an opportunity here for the Department to look at the geographical breakdown in terms of the different...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 32 - Enterprise, Trade and Employment
Chapter 6 - Covid-19 Restart Grant Schemes (18 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank Dr. Quinn. There is one other key question I want to ask. The Department has oversight of Enterprise Ireland and IDA Ireland, which have quite large budgets of more than €1 billion and €280 million, respectively. Many areas in the Cork East constituency, which I represent, and in other parts of the country that are outside of the greater Dublin area suffer from high...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (18 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 50. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the position regarding the speed of applications being processed through the Passport Office; his views on the best way to improve to process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56561/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (23 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 171. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to address the shortage of substitute teachers in both primary and second-level schools. [57337/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Funding (23 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports Budget 2022 has provided for capital planning; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57300/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: National Development Plan (23 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 365. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the capital funding allocation for education within the National Development Plan 2021-2030; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57301/21]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Horse Racing Industry (24 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 64. To ask the Minister for Finance the position regarding insurance for outdoor equestrian pursuits, including horse racing and point-to-point racing; if there are other insurance companies in the market willing to provide cover for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57797/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (24 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 114. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding school bus capacity reverting to 100% in view of the increase in Covid-19 cases in school children (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57961/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (25 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 116. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection her plans to extend the pandemic unemployment payment in view of recently announced Covid-19 measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58011/21]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Schemes (25 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 32. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the details of the planned allocation of the additional €185 million funding announced in budget 2022 for the implementation of the Pathways to Work 2021-2025 national employment services strategy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [58012/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: State Examinations (30 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to reform the CAO process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58635/21]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Education Schemes (30 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 118. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the details of the planned measures under the €121 million skills package announced as part of Budget 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [58636/21]