Results 701-720 of 2,988 for speaker:James O'Connor

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
National Broadband Plan Expenditure and Related Matters (10 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I confirm that I am within the confines of the Leinster House campus. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. We had an interesting opportunity to engage with representatives of NBI earlier today. I have a question regarding the interaction between NBI and the Department. An issue I raised with NBI was around the knock-on impacts of the Covid pandemic on the original...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
National Broadband Plan Expenditure and Related Matters (10 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I apologise for interrupting but I want to make a pressing point about a concern I have. I am a rural Deputy and I grew up and live in a rural area. We are living in an intervention area and as it stands, the contractors are working in my region. A point must be made and I did so on the site visit. When it comes to telecommunications and access to broadband, phone coverage can be a major...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
National Broadband Plan Expenditure and Related Matters (10 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: Is it possible to correspond with Mr. Neary after the meeting as I am conscious of the remit of the Committee of Public Accounts?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
National Broadband Plan Expenditure and Related Matters (10 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I do not wish to be overly parochial but there are a couple of issues I would not mind highlighting in my area. They are important.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
National Broadband Plan Expenditure and Related Matters (10 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I appreciate that. The point I am making, just to be crystal clear, is that many houses, taking in tens of thousands of residences in Ireland, will not get any direct broadband connection until 2026. One might assume this is probably because they are in the most difficult to reach areas and the likelihood, as witnesses are well aware, is that those areas are probably the most problematic...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications
National Broadband Plan Expenditure and Related Matters (10 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I would appreciate that opportunity.

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Enterprise Policy (10 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: 23. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his Department’s strategy for creation of unicorn start-ups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6551/22]

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: Tá fáilte roimh an Aire and his officials to the committee. I thank the Minister for his presentation and the work he is doing. I know there is an awful lot going on in the areas of mobility and sustainability. I compliment the active travel measures. It is welcome to see such focus put on that area, which has been neglected for an awfully long time. For the coming financial...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: The Minister will be aware that time is precious. I have only five minutes remaining.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I am concerned that we are building a mountain that the Government may have to climb and that it could be quite a nasty one if we delay implementing a major scheme that will allow people to scrap older diesel vehicles. I am particularly concerned that tens of thousands of vehicles using traditional methods of combustion are still being bought and put onto Irish roads on an annual basis. The...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: While we are nowhere near the size of the United Kingdom in terms of its economy or population, in terms of its Government Communications Headquarters and other state agencies that are in place from a cybersecurity and security aspect, is the Minister confident that we have brought in enough expertise to secure the Irish cyberspace in terms of defending vulnerabilities that were badly exposed...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: Is it 44 personnel?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I do not wish to be derogatory or dismissive, but perspective is key in this. It has to be acknowledged that the people working within this space are extremely committed and working very hard and they have been put through the wringer in the past 12 months, but 44 personnel is fewer people than work in a busy McDonald's restaurant or a major supermarket. For an economy worth hundreds of...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I hope that in the years to come we will be able to scale up and get an increased number of people involved. It sends a chill down my spine, and that of anybody who is committed to State security, that this area is going to become an increasing risk in years to come. The world is becoming a more unstable place, unfortunately. Over the past few years, we have seen that pattern starting to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (15 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: 160. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the backlog of assessment of needs for children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5446/22]

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: I welcome the officials before the committee. The work they are doing is extraordinarily important. The hopes and dreams of an entire generation are on their shoulders. As a 24-year old, the youngest Deputy in Dáil Éireann and the youngest Member of the Oireachtas, I am extremely concerned about the pace of delivery. How much of a surplus was there in the previous year's...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: How did that happen?

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 34 - Housing, Local Government and Heritage (17 Feb 2022)

James O'Connor: At what stage during the financial year did it become apparent to the Department it was accumulating available money that was unspent?