Results 6,221-6,240 of 6,846 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Córas Iompair Éireann (8 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 63. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of emails he and his secretary general have received 2 September 2024 from active members of the CIÉ 1951 pension scheme, expressing their total opposition to any new statutory instrument that would change and reduce their pension benefits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39731/24]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Córas Iompair Éireann (8 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 64. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the reason he and or his Secretary General failed to respond to emails from the membership of the CIÉ 1951 pension scheme with a unique Department of Transport reference number, same sent since 2 September 2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39732/24]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Airport Policy (8 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 94. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question No. 161 of 23 July 2024, if flight paths off the north runway which are currently in use are deemed planning compliant, despite the fact that the outcome of the ‘north runway relevant action’ planning application is awaited, as indicated in the reply from the DAA; if it is not the case...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Services (8 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 527. To ask the Minister for Health the person who made the decision to cut the psychology posts within primary care services in County Meath; the total number of posts that are being cut within the primary care services; in the event that previous vacant posts are made redundant as expected in December 2024, if services will be reported to be working to full capacity without the...

Planning and Development (An Taisce) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (9 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: The heart of this issue is the question of building and sustaining rural communities. Successive Governments, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael in particular, have failed abysmally in that. In my own County Meath, people cannot afford houses. The only way many of them can deliver them is if they build for themselves. I appreciate the policy in terms of transport-led development, building on...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024: Second Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I am sharing time with Deputy Gould. I thank the Minister of State for his statement. We have been over this ground a number of times in discussing similar legislation. I broadly welcome this initiative as we go into the winter. I do not agree, however, with a number of provisions in the legislation. The assistance given should have gone further this winter. We will deal with that...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I move amendment No. 6: In page 8, between lines 38 and 39, to insert the following: "(3) Electricity suppliers shall remove any arrears limits placed on prepay meters until the Minister directs otherwise.". This is a straightforward amendment. I am asking electricity suppliers to remove any arrears limits placed on prepay meters until the Minister directs otherwise. This is...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I move amendment No. 7: In page 8, after line 41, to insert the following: “Review by electricity supplier 6. (1) Where an electricity supplier refuses to make an electricity costs emergency benefit payment then the final customer may request the electricity supplier, on or before 30 June 2025 to review its refusal. (2) The request under subsection (1) shall state the reasons why...

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I move amendment No. 10: In page 14, between lines 21 and 22, to insert the following: “Reporting 14. (1) The Minister shall, within 12 months of the passing of this Act, prepare and lay before Dáil Éireann a report on the application of the No. III Scheme and the submeter support scheme to address high electricity costs. (2) The Minister shall, within 12 months of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 79. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to provide an update on the local improvement scheme, LIS; the measures this has supported in Meath; the amount of funding that was allocated to LIS in budget 2025; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40520/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: Will the Minister of State provide an update on the local improvement scheme, the measures this has supported in County Meath and the amount of funding allocated to the LIS in budget 2025, and will he make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State for his response. The funding is always welcome, but it does not go far enough. If you combine it with other improvement or involvement schemes like CIS, there is significant demand. There are long waiting lists. For those two schemes there is a ten-year waiting list in County Meath alone. In terms of the level of funding, is there a consideration of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (10 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State for his response. These popular schemes are oversubscribed. It is important for the Government to keep the issue under close review. In regard to the criteria, the Minister of State identified some of the challenges at local authority level, such as the increased cost of works and the smaller number of contractors available. We need to look at every...

South Coast Designated Maritime Area Plan for Offshore Renewable Energy: Motion (10 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the south coast DMAP. This has been quite some time coming. After 15 months, we finally have a plan for offshore wind on the south coast of our island. It is Ireland's first spatial plan for offshore wind and identifies four maritime areas off the south coast for offshore wind development over the next decade. It is welcome. Offshore renewable...

World Mental Health Day: Statements (10 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I will pick up on the point regarding SOSAD. It provides such an important service in my county. It is very difficult to measure these things but the organisation is living up to its name and saving sons and daughters. It delivers tens of thousands of hours of counselling and support to thousands of people. In my own county, it delivered 4,500 counselling sessions in the past year, while...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Sport and Recreational Development (10 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State for being here in person to take this Topical Issue. He is familiar with the teams in our area as we share a constituency, which include Balrath Girls and Boys Football Club, East Meath United and Laytown United. Balrath Girls and Boys Football Club alone has around 120 players affected by this issue. When I speak to coaches, they all talk about keeping the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Sport and Recreational Development (10 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: Deputy Donnelly and I will take a minute each. I thank the Minister of State for his reply. I welcome the commitment regarding the memorandum of understanding. Those girls, their coaches, parents and communities are looking for a timeline in respect of what will happen now and how soon all of this can happen. I played in the DDSL 25 years ago. It is a huge league; there are tens of...