Results 41-60 of 1,608 for speaker:Micheál Carrigy

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Nov 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I concur with the comments made by Senators Dolan and Murphy about the significant funding that was received yesterday, in the midlands in particular, through the just transition fund. As much as €5 million was given to specific projects in my own county of Longford and multiple millions of euro was given to others that cross over the area. I concur with the comments that Senator...

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: Impact of Covid-19 on Irish Dance Sector: Discussion (25 Nov 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I apologise for being late. Most of the questions I had have been asked. I compliment the witnesses on the work they do. I am not an exponent of Irish dance. My late mother, God rest her, tried to persuade me to become one but I did not. I love watching it, though. We have a very successful dance school in my local area. I have a question that goes back to something Deputy Christopher...

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: Impact of Covid-19 on the Arts Council: Discussion (25 Nov 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: The witnesses are very welcome and I compliment them on all the work they do. I come from Longford and I am a supporter of Backstage Theatre with Mona Considine and all the crew. There is also the fantastic St. Mel's Musical Society and Evolution Stage School. They provide fantastic performances and sell out every event they do. My first question is on guarantees that they will be...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (26 Nov 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister of State. I raise the issue of an application for additional school accommodation by St. Mel's College, Longford, a school I attended a number of years ago. The college opened in September 1865, with 48 boarders and 28 day boys. For most of the next decade, the college was a major seminary, where students pursued philosophy and theology through to ordination. More...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (26 Nov 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I am delighted that the project will be moved to an assessment stage, which I believe will be successful. The school engaged a professional architect to assess the possibilities for the project. The report which stated that it was viable to bring the building back into use was submitted to the Department. We discussed costs for education. This project would provide value for money and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Nov 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I would also like to endorse the campaign for people to shop green this weekend, and I am going to be parochial and ask those in my own county of Longford and those in Westmeath to shop in businesses in their counties to help with employment. I wish to raise the issue of services for those seeking early intervention. I know that it is an issue that has been raised on numerous occasions, but...

Seanad: Reopening Ireland (Department of Health): Statements (26 Nov 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister of State. I echo the comments of a number of Senators paying tribute to staff in front-line services, in hospitals, care homes, An Post, the gardaí and carers, who we sometimes forget. They are the people who work with the HSE and go into the homes of elderly people seven days a week. It is important to pay tribute to them for the work that they have done and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: Following the decision last Friday not to open public houses across the country, I was speaking to members of the VFI, Vintners Federation of Ireland, in Longford and Westmeath. I do not agree with the decision. While we have off-licences and supermarkets selling cheap alcohol in an unregulated manner, it is going to cause many issues. Publicans need to see a path for themselves if they...

Seanad: Technological Universities Agenda: Statements (2 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank the Minister of State for the funding given last October to the consortium of Limerick Institute of Technology and Athlone Institute of Technology. It allowed for the progression of proposals which the consortium had formally commenced in October 2019. The targeted date for the technological university to open is 1 September 2021. Both institutes of technology voted overwhelmingly...

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: Impact of Covid-19 on the Tourism Sector: Discussion (2 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: Our guests are very welcome. I compliment both organisations. If we look at the figures for Tourism Ireland prior to the pandemic, huge numbers were coming in and we were doing the job right. I am involved in the county tourism committee in Longford and get regular emails with updates from Mr. Kelly. Particularly since the outbreak of Covid, the Make a Break campaign has been excellent in...

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: Impact of Covid-19 on the Tourism Sector: Discussion (2 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I have a few short questions on the Stay and Save initiative. It must be extended next year, and hopefully businesses will be able to open for this. We need to do more promotion to encourage businesses to register with the Revenue. I checked on the statistics in October and in many counties the numbers of businesses registering are very low. On the issue of the retail export scheme, I...

Joint Committee on Media, Tourism, Arts, Culture, Sport and the Gaeltacht: Impact of Covid-19 on the Tourism Sector: Discussion (2 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I have more of an observation or an opinion than a question. We promote a great deal in Ireland and in Longford alone recently Fáilte Ireland have invested in the Knights & Conquests Heritage Centre project, which I was involved in at the beginning, together with work on Maria Edgeworth, projects where we are telling stories about different parts of our history but we do not...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I concur with Senator Fitzpatrick's comments. We need to value our nurses, and I believe we do. It is important that the Minister for Health should come before the House to deal with that. The demand for a €100 registration fee, which was sent out to nurses in recent days, is another issue. It is only correct that this be waived for this year, at least. The Forestry (Miscellaneous...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: The Minister of State is very welcome. I will keep my comments brief. Senator Casey has said it far more passionately than I could. I have been the chairman of the County Longford Tourism Committee for many years in a voluntary capacity. We are trying to build an industry from a very low ebb in order to bring people into our county. Now Covid-19 has brought us back to zero. I cannot...

Seanad: Withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union (Consequential Provisions) Bill 2020: Committee Stage (3 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: There was reference to figures and money. It is not about money; it is about rebuilding the tourism sector. In 2019, approximately 4 million people visited Ireland from Britain. It is about getting those 4 million people back into Ireland in 2021 and 2022 and putting incentives in place. It is not about figures; it is about rebuilding an industry that employed more than 200,000 people....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (9 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: The Minister is very welcome. I wish to speak about the upcoming urban regeneration and development fund, URDF, funding for Longford. An application was submitted under category B in 2018 for a specific area of Longford town, addressing the infrastructural deficits on open lands from the Camlin river northwards for residential development. The application did not receive approval which...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Urban Regeneration and Development Fund (9 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank the Minister. I note that she said that 76 proposals are under consideration, which include one from Longford County Council. If the Government is looking for balanced regional development, we need to balance where funding is given and at least one application from each local authority should be successful. As I have said, Longford County Council has only submitted one application....

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I wish to raise the issue of insurance. All Senators are well aware of the big problem it is for many people and businesses across the country. I welcome the new action plan for insurance reform published by the Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Varadkar, but I wish to highlight some things I believe need to be changed. I wish to put on record that we...

Seanad: Annual Transition Statement on Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (9 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister. One positive that came from the Covid lockdowns was that people walked and cycled in their local areas, thus leading to a greater appreciation for the current infrastructure. That is why I welcome the significant investment that has been put in place to continue and develop more cycleways and walkways. I welcome the recent midlands retrofitting programme that...

Seanad: Finance Bill 2020: Committee Stage (11 Dec 2020)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister of State. I support the comments of Senators Casey and Crowe regarding the CRSS. There is an issue if businesses are supposed to open at a certain level but there is no business to sustain them or not enough to prevent them making losses, for example, in the tourism sector. Will this matter be examined? Valid points have been made. A continued support, be it at a...