Results 141-160 of 498 for speaker:Séamus McGrath

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (15 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: That is great. On the €6.5 million in the account without any interest, I presume the argument is that it may be needed on demand and so on, but it does not seem to be a good use or good treasury management that it was not earning some degree of interest. I am sure there are financial products out there where you can have money on demand and still receive some interest, so I think...

Assessment of Need: Statements (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank the Minister of State for facilitating this debate, which we badly need to have. I do not want to repeat everything that has been said. The position is stark with 15,000 children waiting for assessments and very poor figures for those who get assessments within the six months. The overwhelming majority do not get assessments within the six months, which is a requirement under the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Vehicle Testing (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 261. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to examine how ‘type approval‘ certification can be achieved for an industrial vehicle converted from a diesel or petrol engine to a battery electric solution (details supplied). [25944/25]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Bus Services (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: 321. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to clarify the position in relation to supply chain issues concerning bus shelters through the National Transport Authority tendering process (details supplied). [25945/25]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Election of Leas-Chathaoirleach (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: That is no problem. I am delighted to have been elected as Vice Chair of this important committee. I look forward to working with the Chairperson and all the members. We all recognise that while this is a broad committee, housing is the number one issue for it and the Government. I want to work with everyone in a fair and balanced way to try to make progress on these issues. I will leave...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank Mr. Taaffe and Ms Leech for taking the time to come into us. I am someone who spent many years on council in Cork. I have the utmost respect for councils and the work they do. They are on the front line in the housing crisis that we have. I have great respect for the work being done. I want to focus on operational issues and touch on what was focused on in the opening address on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: That was a rookie error.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank Mr. Taaffe for that. I appreciate it is a sensitive issue and that a CPO is not issued lightly. I foresee compulsory purchases only in the case of land that is zoned and has possibly progressed along but that has just not been activated. That is the land that needs to be examined. I have a couple of questions on modern methods of construction. What needs to happen for these to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Deputy Stanley mentioned the standard designs. Whether these fit into the MMC model might need to be looked at. In the context of cost rental, I hear what Mr. Taaffe had to say on the borrowing risks and the caution in the local authorities. These need to be addressed. Mr. Taaffe has explained this fairly well to us. With regard to the ambition in the programme for Government for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: It was more of a statement. It was on private capacity being usurped to meet local authority targets.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage: Challenges Relating to the Delivery of Housing: County and City Management Association (20 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I have a few quick questions rather than a long introduction, as I had earlier. Reference was made to the Housing Agency fund for land acquisition. That is an important fund. Reference was also made to the CPO process. The supply of land in the pipeline is an issue in many local authorities. I feel from my experience that they were not as proactive as they needed to be on this issue. ...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Business of Joint Committee (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I join the other members in congratulating Deputy Lawlor on taking up the position of Cathaoirleach. I am glad to be a member of this committee. I was, like other members, previously a member of a local authority committee so I have some experience in that respect. The one takeaway I have from that is the importance of having good engagement with the Traveller community. We are not...

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: I thank the witnesses for attending. Returning to the children’s hospital and the big picture items, the Government approved in February 2024 the budget of €1.88 billion. Is it fair to say that budget will not be sufficient to complete the hospital?

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Is that a high degree of confidence?

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: The opening statement referenced the original contract value, which was of the order of €910 million.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: It is a doubling of that original contract value.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Mr. Gunning is making a distinction between the contract with the contractor and additional items.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Where is the value of the contract with the contractor right now?

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: That went through the resolution process.

Public Accounts Committee: National Paediatric Hospital Development Board and Children's Health Ireland: Discussion (22 May 2025)

Séamus McGrath: Regarding the contract with the contractor, the opening statement referenced a 6% variance. Is that correct?