Results 6,821-6,840 of 15,510 for speaker:Brendan Griffin

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We are against the clock here. As a result of the work of the RSA, countless lives have been saved and there were people sitting around the dinner table this Christmas who would not otherwise have been there. It could have been any one of us in this room. We will never know who those people are but what we do know is that the figures have come down significantly compared with where they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Does the same apply to VRT?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: At a previous meeting, reference was made to alcolocks, speed limiters and GPS. Would the RSA be supportive of this area? How far away is it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: We should aspire to stop crime from happening in the first place. The same is true of GPS and speed limiters. We have seen a serious reduction in the number of accidents involving HGVs since the introduction of the limiters. From a road safety perspective, there is no need to have a car that can travel 180 km per hour if it not an emergency vehicle. From a law enforcement point of view,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: It would be very helpful if Ms. Murdock could do that. On the issue of visibility, I note that of the 35 pedestrians who were in accidents during the hours of darkness, only two were wearing high visibility clothing. Under the current law on public order offences, if one is a danger to oneself or others, one can be prosecuted, yet that is rarely implemented when a person is walking on a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: In terms of isolated rural areas and the cars for bars scheme that was outlined in the previous meeting, would Ms Murdock be interested in examining that scheme to see whether she could support it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Even though the scheme is completely voluntary, once it is rostered, the insurance company says "no". That is a shame given the potential dividend.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I have two further suggestions. On Safety First, may I suggest that as an ongoing public awareness effort, the Road Safety Authority would on the first day of the month inform people of the casualty figures from the previous month. This would be newsworthy and there would be free publicity for what it is trying to do to create general awareness. It would also be an opportunity to broadcast...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Having gone through the figures county by county, I note that there were 71 fatalities in Munster, which is close to 40% of the total fatalities. The figure for Connacht was lower at 24%, while Dublin was 21%. The number of fatalities in the rest of Leinster was 51. The number of deaths in the three Ulster counties was 20. The number of deaths in Munster, in particular, seems to be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: It has a large population but it is comparable to Dublin and Leinster combined. That has been the trend over a number of years. Is there a particular reason for it? Has the Road Safety Authority looked at this pattern? Connacht is a very large area geographically and had 24 fatalities compared with 71 in Munster.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: Is there a correlation between traffic corps numbers in each of those counties and the figures over time?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: It would be an interesting study to see if there is a correlation. Will Ms Murdock advise the committee of the conference details and whether members could attend the June and October conferences?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Road Safety Strategy: Discussion (8 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I thank the witnesses for their very comprehensive presentation and for the quality of engagement. I commend the Road Safety Authority on its work.

Hospital Waiting Lists: Statements (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I welcome this debate. Unfortunately, what we saw on Monday night was nothing new to many of us here. Those of us who work on the front line in our constituencies are familiar with the unacceptable waiting times that have been endured by ordinary men, women and children throughout the country for many years. When we bring our concerns about the suffering of real people to this House,...

Hospital Waiting Lists: Statements (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: The people of this country send us to the national Parliament to raise concerns and highlight the issues that affect them in their daily lives. I ask the Minister to end the practice of referring health questions to the HSE for response. While I accept that the HSE might need to be consulted, I emphasise that parliamentary accountability in respect of the health service needs to be returned...

Hospital Waiting Lists: Statements (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: This is the way the Dáil should work. I welcome that we have had these statements. This open, honest and frank question-and-answer session is the way we should do business a lot more often in the House. It is a very good way to do business and I commend the Minister on facilitating this. I would say to those who took the opportunity this morning to take cheap political shots at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: 108. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his views on a matter (details supplied) regarding the new junior cycle; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6557/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Digital Strategy for Schools (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: 105. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the amount required to include newer schools built since 2013 in the scheme for new computers for schools, considering the small number of new schools as a proportion of the overall number of schools nationwide; if his Department will review the policy of excluding the newer schools to help refresh the information technology hardware in all...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (9 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: 112. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills when 2017-2018 staffing schedules will issue to schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6577/17]

Clarification of Statements made by the Taoiseach and Ministers: Statements (Resumed) (14 Feb 2017)

Brendan Griffin: I am happy to give the floor to the Minister of State. I saw her name on the list when I went down.