Results 14,121-14,140 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is for the first session but there is a second session as well, so we have ten minutes between the two sessions.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I do not have an issue with that in theory but as the witnesses will not be present in the way we initially expected, one may want to spend more time with one witness than five minutes will allow. That is the only problem I see.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am just making the point.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: The point I am making is that the limitation we have is the two-hour session.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I just want to make one point. I appreciate that the Chairman understands all this but I want to articulate it clearly. I will have questions, not necessarily today, which will exceed five minutes because I expected to have ten minutes with the witnesses. That is the point I want to make, but I am not objecting today.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I just want to make the point that, as I understood it, the Chairman's initial proposal was that we would all have ten minutes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: The problem is that the same witnesses will not be there.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I have made the point and we will take it from there.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I do not disagree.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I think we need to go into private session.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Briefing by Department of Health Officials (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I propose to use two and half minutes. I have one question and I ask the witnesses to respond as they wish. First, I congratulate them on their excellent professionalism, their work and their credibility. I want to tell all the health workers who have given so much to all of us, and all the essential workers in the country, how much we respect them for what they have done. I want to ask...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Briefing by HSE Officials (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Chairman is very kind and has been very fair. I want to back up Deputy McGuinness in what he has said. The fact is that there is a person in my constituency who has cancer and who had a procedure cancelled two weeks ago. He and his consultant are both at home and there is nobody in the operating theatre where this procedure could have been done. That is not acceptable. It is hugely...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Briefing by ICTU, HSA and CIF Representatives on the Reopening of the Construction Industry (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I very much welcome the return to work. I live in a town that produces a lot of cement. We have a cement factory in the town and we are delighted that business is beginning again and that people are getting back to work. Seeing more lorries and people involved in construction on the road down here and back is very welcome. I accept and acknowledge that this will only work properly if the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Briefing by ICTU, HSA and CIF Representatives on the Reopening of the Construction Industry (19 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I am emotional because it is so important.

Covid-19 (Employment Affairs and Social Protection): Statements (20 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: The Acting Chairman thought the Green Party was in government.

Covid-19 (Employment Affairs and Social Protection): Statements (20 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I support the points made on all sides of the House in regard to the people over 66 who are working. There was controversy over pensions and when they come into effect, but there is no controversy around people who were in business prior to Covid-19 and were paying their taxes but can no longer work because they are sole traders and their business cannot function. These people are not...

Covid-19 (Education and Skills): Statements (20 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: The bread and butter of our local communities is that the national schools continue to provide the excellent education they have provided. I refer to the school in Lordship, County Louth, Rampark National School, role number 18101F. The difficulty is that last September it had 170 students and that effectively means it will lose two teachers. That will have a very significant and adverse...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration (20 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 50. To ask the Minister for Finance the mechanism relating to VRT payments on vehicles that were purchased before the closure of the NCT/VRT offices in order to be in a position to drive and insure the car and comply with the requirements of the Revenue Commissioners; if an estimated billing process will be put in place to be paid in the interim in order to access a registration here to...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Vehicle Registration (20 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 51. To ask the Minister for Finance the position from an enforcement stance relating to VRT payments on United Kingdom vehicles that were purchased before the closure of the NCT/VRT offices, in order to be in a position to drive and insure the car and comply with the Revenue Commissioners and Road Acts requirements; if there is a waiver in place to allow citizens to drive imported UK vehicles...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 May 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 77. To ask the Minister for Finance if a reply will issue to concerns raised in correspondence from a person (details supplied) in respect of possible problems in creating the necessary supports for businesses to restart operations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5897/20]