Results 61-80 of 1,995 for speaker:Joe Flaherty

Services for People with Disabilities: Statements (10 Sep 2020)

Joe Flaherty: I am sharing time with Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan. I wish the Minister of State well in her new role and commend her on the significant body of work that she his achieved to date and, specifically, today's announcement on funding to clear the backlog of young people waiting for an AON. It is much needed and I hope, in respect of my parish and county, that it will enable the Phoenix...

Services for People with Disabilities: Statements (10 Sep 2020)

Joe Flaherty: The family and I understood that a bed is available in Ballymahon. I urge the Minister of State to try to expedite that transfer.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (Resumed) (15 Sep 2020)

Joe Flaherty: Given the week that is in, I will focus on the Siege of Jadotville, which raged for four days 51 years ago this week. It was a stand-out moment in this country's proud history of overseas peacekeeping duties. In Longford-Westmeath, we are especially proud of our association with this chapter in our peacekeeping history. Fifteen soldiers from County Longford and a further 22 from...

Protecting Jobs and Supporting Business: Statements (16 Sep 2020)

Joe Flaherty: I am well aware of the many measures that have been introduced to aid businesses throughout the country to get back up and running. However, I will focus on one sector that was in crisis pre-Covid and will be essential to the country if we are serious about any post-Covid recovery, and that is, of course, the forestry sector. The introduction of new forestry licensing procedures in 2019...

Climate Action: Statements (17 Sep 2020)

Joe Flaherty: I am delighted to see the Minister back in the Chamber. Everybody in the House is relieved to know that all is well for him in the family home. I welcome the confirmation last week that a number of Longford-based projects have been approved for funding from the just transition fund. It was particularly good to see the inclusion of an ambitious technology energy cluster project for the...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: National Broadband Plan (17 Sep 2020)

Joe Flaherty: 20. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the roll out of broadband connection points in counties Longford and Westmeath. [16074/20]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Efficiency (22 Sep 2020)

Joe Flaherty: 101. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of additional jobs which will be supported in the midlands through the funding provided in the July Stimulus for retrofitting.. [25130/20]

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (24 Sep 2020)

Joe Flaherty: Bus Éireann has agreed to carry out a review of the school bus service in order to comply with the 50% capacity ruling. It was expected that it would take five or six weeks and that additional buses would be provided to resolve the dreadful situation in which many families who do not have access to buses find themselves, as well as assisting beleaguered private bus operators. We now...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Tourism Promotion (1 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: 45. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht her plans to further promote and expand the tourism offering of the midlands; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27382/20]

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: House Purchase Schemes (7 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: The Minster with responsibility for housing, Deputy Darragh O'Brien, is very focused on delivering affordable housing schemes in key urban areas. As the Minster of State shares a constituency with me, he will be very aware of the need for a similar scheme in six or seven counties, namely, a sustainable house-building programme. County Longford will obviously be one of those. The average...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: House Purchase Schemes (7 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Burke, for the comprehensive overview and I emphasise the issue in Longford is not an affordability one but a sustainability one because we simply cannot get builders to come forward to build houses because it is not commercially viable. For decades to come, we will probably reflect on the Covid-19 period as a watershed moment and it will very much be a...

Brexit and Business: Statements (7 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: Communities across the midlands are already reeling from Covid-19 and now we find ourselves facing significant uncertainty as a result of Brexit and how it will ultimately play out in our community. I appreciate the Trojan work done by the previous Administration on this issue and I know a number of our Ministers, our Taoiseach and our Tánaiste are assiduously working to ensure there is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (13 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: 260. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to reduce class sizes each year until the average is comparable to that of EU and OECD countries (details supplied). [30034/20]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Equality Issues (13 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: 261. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to end pay inequality (details supplied). [30035/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (13 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: 501. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons who applied to the recruitment campaign for community swabbers in the CHO8 area; the number of community swabbers that have been recruited in the CHO8 area; and if this will enable staff deployed from a centre (details supplied) to return to their jobs. [30036/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (13 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: 502. To ask the Minister for Health the date on which staff will return from testing duties to their work at a centre (details supplied). [30037/20]

Financial Resolutions 2020 - Financial Resolution No. 7: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2020)

Joe Flaherty: When I visualised attending the Dáil on budget day for the first time as a Deputy, little did I realise it would be one of the most significant and historic budgets in the history of this great State of ours. I certainly never imagined it would be set against the backdrop of the Covid-19 crisis. Many people have already correctly referred to this budget as a wartime budget because it...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Leave to Remain (3 Nov 2020)

Joe Flaherty: Last Friday, Malik Amir Iqbal was one of several people across the country to be advised of the rejection of their appeals for leave to remain in the country. Mr. Iqbal has lived in direct provision for almost five years and in Longford town for several of those years. During that time, he has endeared himself to the local community and excelled in the arts through the medium of dance....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Leave to Remain (3 Nov 2020)

Joe Flaherty: I thank the Minister of State for his detailed response. I certainly hope the Department will move to issue a simple assurance that no deportations will occur during the Covid pandemic. At the very least we would ask that no deportation orders be issued and, ideally, that leave to remain be granted in the case of Mr. Iqbal, which I outlined earlier. I also ask that consideration be given...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Sustainable Development Goals and Departmental Priorities: Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (3 Nov 2020)

Joe Flaherty: We all appreciate that recent weeks have been especially difficult for the survivors of the mother and baby homes and their families. It is certainly a matter of fact that the legislation was badly handled when it was dealt with in the Convention Centre. I appreciate that the Minister has acceded in respect of this point. It is probably regrettable that we did not have the subsequent...