Results 12,681-12,700 of 28,162 for speaker:Catherine Murphy

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: National Broadband Plan (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: 226. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the status of the awarding of a contract in respect of the national broadband plan; if his officials have provided him with an interim report and-or made recommendations on the awarding of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2017/19]

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: On a point of order, does the Minister have a vote for committee meetings?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: I move amendment No. 8: In page 7, line 8, to delete “FCC” and substitute “The Environmental Protection Agency”

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: There is absolutely no reason we would not have the absolute optimum in terms of an up-to-date European regulation. We do not want to have to come back and amend legislation where we can predict that there is an improved standard and do a good deal with insulation. It is not possible to insulate a back garden. We should consider outdoor, as well as indoor, noise.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: Will the Minister expand on who makes the regulations to which he referred?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: Will the Minister address the point on who makes the regulation that is followed?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: Do we not update measures? We do it here all the time. We update ourselves. Obviously, there has been an advance since 2002. It is referred to in this amendment. We would be obliged to update our statute in accordance with European directives on noise. Why is it falling behind in respect of this issue?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: We all want to achieve the optimum standard of noise regulation. It is unusual although not unprecedented for privilege to be waived. Instead of members trying to deal with this in the dark, it would be very helpful for the committee in framing further or altered amendments for Report Stage to have the legal advice, or a synopsis thereof, in order to achieve the optimum regulation. Could...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: I am supportive of two-way consultation that is meaningful. Very often people are consulted and told what is going to happen. I am sure Deputy Munster will agree that it is important that the residents are not only consulted in a transparent way but in a meaningful way and that this is knitted into the process. Very often stakeholders are met in pecking order and the determining factor...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: Can I ask the Minister about------

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: Is the vicinity of the airport defined?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: I have one very quick point about that. The name of the Bill is the Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018. If the health measures are not included, what is the Bill about? I completely understand this is a national facility and we are looking at mitigating effects, but if health measures are not counted, what is the Bill about? I support the points that have been made.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: The Minister outlined an appeals mechanism. One needs deep pockets for judicial reviews, however. It is not like taking a court case where if one wins, one gets one’s costs. In a judicial review, one is paying the full costs. It is only wealthy people who have that recourse. I have some experience of disputes concerning Kildare County Council’s planning decisions for...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: What was the thinking behind making it so one-dimensional when it was being framed?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: Earlier, the Minister talked about the community around the airport having confidence in the regulator. How that is stacked up in respect of the balance of rights feeds into that confidence. As has been said, the Bill does seem to be very one-sided in how it is framed. That undermines the very point the Minister is making on the confidence people might have in the regulator. This...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: Giving a reason is just one aspect. The regulator could state that ideally a measure should be implemented but that its implementation must be deferred because it believes the DAA does not have the money to implement it. In that case, what is the point? The regulator is supposed to provide certainty. This is a get-out-of-jail clause. Within what parameters will the regulator make...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aircraft Noise (Dublin Airport) Regulation Bill 2018: Committee Stage (16 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: It is a matter of a balance of rights. The legislation is way too open if it does not contain parameters within which the regulator will be operating.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (17 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: A lot of the information given is useful. There are some specific pieces of information that we sought. One was the percentage of the investment by the Irish Infrastructure Fund that came from public funds. Is that separate?

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (17 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: The other issue is the coverage. Some areas in the country covered by metropolitan area networks, MANs, contain blackspots. We also looked for that. It is more to do with mobile phone coverage than it is to do necessarily with the MAN. However, it is one of the documents that was requested. We should specifically go back after that.

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (17 Jan 2019)

Catherine Murphy: We were to receive information on black spots. The Department promised it before Christmas. It was on the existing state of the fibre and where there were black spots.