Results 7,141-7,160 of 7,192 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: International Protection (3 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 28. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if a facility (details supplied) is still being considered to house applicants for international protection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35259/25]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Trade Sanctions (3 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 94. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the measures he is taking to protect Irish whiskey in international markets; the plans for expansion in that regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35260/25]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Support Services (3 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 199. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the measures he is taking to support food enterprise and innovation in County Meath; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35261/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (3 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 211. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will reintroduce the route for people who undertook an early childhood care bachelor degree to attend a postgraduate course in St. Nicholas Montessori college (previously offered a route 4 pathway to Teaching Council recognition) and extend this to other colleges. [36742/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (3 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 212. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the supports being put in place to help undergraduates to progress from their early childhood education degree to furthering their studies to become a teacher. [36743/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (3 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 388. To ask the Minister for Health if she will agree to allow a GP in County Meath (details supplied) access to the GMS scheme while he is waiting for a lift to be installed in his practice; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36967/25]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 8. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [33552/25]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the establishment of the commission of investigation into historical sex abuse in schools and the appointment of the chair, announced today. I have questions about the methodology, particularly as it relates to sampling and other areas. However, I ask about redress and pursuit of financial accountability. The Minister says that further work is being to examine the matter of...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 27. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [37506/25]

Student Fees: Motion [Private Members] (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: The Minister must be completely detached from the reality of the cost-of-living crisis if he thinks it is okay to heap €1,000 on students and families this September. The Barnardos cost-of-living report for 2025 found: One in five families cut back on or went without heating (18%) and electricity (17%) over the past six months. More than two in five families going without or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Boards (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the funding cut to apprenticeships in Meath and across the State; his assessment of the practical impact of this cut; the measures he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37297/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Boards (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: Is that the case with LMETB or are there specific circumstances in its area? I do not know whether the Minister was going to make a point on that. The figures I have from the service plan for 2025 show further education and training funding was €87 million and that this was revised on foot of a funding letter down to €73.7 million. That is a cut of in the region of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Boards (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: It is really important that these courses proceed and that people be allowed to work their way through the system because we need a conveyor belt of graduates in all courses. There was a reference earlier to reflection on how we have ended up in this place. None of the students or apprentices has dropped out of the sky; they have been in the system. Has SOLAS dropped the ball? Did the...

All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the all-island strategic rail review. It is an important piece of work. Anyone who looks at the old maps of the railway lines compared to today knows there is a significant job of work to fill the gaps. There are lots of gaps, such as the west and the north-west, but I wish to focus on my area. It is important and I welcome that we have DART+ West at...

Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence: Statements (10 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: Domestic, sexual and gender-based violence is a crisis shaped by the modern world, one where smartphones, online pornography and harmful attitudes towards women and girls are fuelling abuse. We cannot and must not ignore how technology has become a weapon in the hands of abusers, nor how degrading content is warping minds, including young minds. Revenge porn, coercive control via messaging...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Costs (10 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue. I am raising the issue of the cost many parents are faced with for digital devices like iPads, tablets and laptops when schools move to a one-to-one digital device policy. It is happening quite a lot and comes at very significant cost to families, many of which have multiple students at school. Devices can cost anything up to...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Costs (10 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: The Minister of State's response is the response we have been getting to the question over the past few months. I want to put a number of things on the record, which I would appreciate the Minister of State conveying to the Ministers for Education and Youth and Social Protection. We have a funding crisis in education. We cannot take from ICT funding that is desperately needed to keep...

Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation (Transfer of Functions) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (10 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this Bill and I thank Deputy Smith for bringing it forward. The usual approach from the Government is to delay these Bills by 12 months or let them go to Committee State to die. It is a particular point when the Government opposes a Bill. I would say it was a surprise but it is entirely consistent with my experience of how Fianna Fáil and Fine...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 68. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on a new school building project (details supplied); if tenders have been assessed and awarded; if so, to whom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38226/25]