Results 12,781-12,800 of 14,127 for speaker:David Stanton

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Global Humanitarian Response: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: I note from OCHA publications that the largest refugee camp in the world is in Bangladesh, with 640,000 people.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Global Humanitarian Response: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: I take it they are mainly Rohingya refugees. Places like that often slip down the timetable or storyline of the media and are forgotten about. Does it concern Mr. Rajasingham that there are so many people like that in many parts of the world who are not highlighted or not known and they slip down very quickly? At the moment, Ukraine has slipped down because what is happening in Gaza has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Global Humanitarian Response: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: We in Ireland are insulated from a lot of things. We are so far away from them, although we welcome a lot of people seeking international protection and so on. It appears from Mr. Rajasingham's overall presentation that, globally, things are getting worse, not better.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Global Humanitarian Response: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: There is not much hope in that. I thank Mr. Rajasingham and his team for the work they do on the ground. They are very brave. In Mr. Rajasingham's experience, if a child is in one of these camps for many years, is there any hope afterwards given the impact and the damage done? Surely the life chances that have been lost and squandered are incalculable.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Defence: Global Humanitarian Response: United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: Linked to that, there is of course the growth of modern slavery, sex trafficking and so on, which is also a huge worry. I am sure OCHA staff have come across that as well. I will finish by thanking Mr. Rajasingham and his team globally for the work they do and the risk they take. I wish them well.

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Community Development Projects (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: 31. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development with reference to the 2023 Community Centres Investment Fund-New Builds Measure, if lead parties could have included primary or second level schools working in partnership with local community organisations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49470/23]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Patent Applications (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: 163. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to outline his plans, if any, for the establishment of an oversight committee to support the work of a referendum on the Unified Patent Court; the membership of this committee; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49445/23]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Patent Applications (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: 164. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his views on the establishment of an Irish local division of the Unified Patent Court; the work carried out to date in this regard; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49449/23]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Patent Applications (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: 165. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if it is intended to allow Irish judges to participate in the Unified Patent Court on a part-time basis; if so, what changes to legislation of the constitution would be required to enable this to happen; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49451/23]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Wastewater Treatment (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: 243. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government further to Parliamentary Question No. 130 of 24 May 2023, to list the number of funding applications submitted in 2022 and in 2023 respectively by each local authority under the Multi-Annual Rural Water Programme 2022-2025 Measure A8 - Waste Water Collection and Treatment needs for Villages and Settlements without access to...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Renewable Energy Generation (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: 391. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine with reference to his Department’s Minimum Specifications for the Installation of Solar Photovoltaic Systems S.198 and in particular with reference to the Declaration of Works Documentation pertaining to solar PV installations, to outline the number of registered companies currently on his Department’s Solar...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Youth Services (14 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: 614. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the current number of Youthreach centres; the number of students attending Youthreach centres, by county; if his Department has carried out any studies to ascertain areas in the country not served by Youthreach; if so, to provide details of same; his plans, if any, to open further Youthreach centres; and if he will make a statement on the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (15 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: I thank the office of the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue today. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy James Browne, for being here. It has been four weeks now since Storm Babet hit east Cork and Midleton. We have all seen the devastation that was caused, and we have all seen the pictures from the town. We are extraordinarily lucky that nobody died. Some people...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Flood Risk Management (15 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: I thank the Minister of State and the Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW, Deputy O'Donovan, for this response. There is some new and very interesting information in there. The harbour at Ballinacurra near Midleton was navigated by tall ships up until not that long ago, but now it is all silted up. The local people on the ground tell me dredging of the river is important and...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: Given the recent devastating flooding in east Cork and other parts of the country, would the Taoiseach agree with me that it is important to expedite climate change issues right now? In that regard, what is the Government's policy regarding the construction of anaerobic digesters which remove methane from farm waste and make it available as renewable fuel to be added to the gas grid in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: I welcome the witnesses and thank them for coming before the committee and for their presentation. I wore the sustainable development goals badge this morning. Many people ask me what it is when they see it. I do not know whether the witnesses agree with me but I think it is important to have awareness of the goals and what they are and that this would be spread across industry, society,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: -----across the whole Department and the agencies that are under the aegis of the Department as well and in the employer and employee organisations with which we deal through the Department. If people do not know about them, how can they be expected to meet them? That is the first question. Colleagues will have different areas on which to zero in. I want to zero in on two areas. First,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: The committee has done some work on this issue. We have met people with disabilities. I have met people with disabilities myself who tell me they are disabled because the supports are not there or employers are not aware of the supports. Supports such as changing places and toilets are not available and PA support is not available for a lot of people. I met a young lady recently who has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: On goal 9, relating to industry, innovation and infrastructure, one of the things about innovation is to do with patenting. I am not sure if the witnesses have any update for us on the unified patent court and what is happening with that. Having that in place would support innovation and entrepreneurs and so on. If Dr. Coates does not have that today, he might come back to us with it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Sustainable Development Goals: Discussion (15 Nov 2023)

David Stanton: There are one or two other issues in the opening statement. Dr. Coates mentioned the Department is actively involved in a number of files such as the EU's generalised scheme of preferences, GSP, which is to expire this year. What are the plans to continue with that? Cambodia has been excluded from that particular group of preferences but Myanmar is still actively in there, which causes me...