Results 1,581-1,600 of 9,814 for speaker:Steven Matthews

Select Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: It would be more beneficial for the process if the Minister was able to comment on amendment No. 190 and then move amendment No. 191. This can be facilitated on Thursday morning. I thank Deputies for their co-operation.

Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Second Stage (Resumed) (29 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: I am sharing time with Deputy Leddin. I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan, and his officials for the time they took to brief us on the Bill and for the briefing notes they supplied. If it gives colleagues comfort, the joint Oireachtas committee agreed unanimously to waive pre-legislative scrutiny on the Bill. We also wrote to the Irish Planning Institute and the Royal Town...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (29 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: 113. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the campaign led by a charity (details supplied) that proposes a return of the quiet carriages initiative on Irish Rail that had been in place previously; the basis for the phasing out of this programme in 2018; if he will consider recommencing such an initiative; and if he will make a statement on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Naval Service (29 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: 232. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his views on whether and if the Naval Service will play a role in the protection or monitoring of offshore wind infrastructure off the west coast of Ireland in particular due to the proposed distance from shore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34567/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rapid Antigen Testing: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank the witnesses for appearing before the committee. I also thank them for the expertise and commitment that they have shown to this country over the past 14 months. Their guidance and advice has undoubtedly saved lives. The vaccine roll-out, walk-in tests and the PCR tests have been really well done so I compliment the team. It is important that we take the advice of experts,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rapid Antigen Testing: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: I suspected as much. It is not as simple as just carrying out an antigen test on one person. I have heard the references that it is easy on one person, but when the numbers start to increase it becomes more difficult. That might create a situation where there might be a slippage in standards or a slippage in how that is managed. One can understand how that might happen. In terms of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rapid Antigen Testing: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: I am sorry, but I am just out of time. To follow up on that, it is not just about the testing, but also the follow-up afterwards when the results of the tests become apparent. There is the contact tracing that must take place after that as well. The before, during and after have to be considered.

Land Development Agency Bill 2021: Report and Final Stages (30 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for reminding me that An Taisce is a prescribed body in respect of planning regulations. It would be a good move for the Land Development Agency to also become a prescribed body to enable it to be made aware of the submission of planning applications which may border or impact public lands. It is something I will discuss with the Minister, and it is an aspect...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 107. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to cases whereby persons currently in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment are offered short-term, temporary work; if they will be allowed return to the payment following the completion of this work; if not, if they will they be required to apply for jobseeker’s allowance; if...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I am also asking the Minister a question on the pandemic unemployment payment where persons are currently in receipt of that payment and are offered short-term temporary work. This is especially the case in the music industry, where a gig may happen and they will go back to work on it. Will such people be allowed to return to the payment following the completion of that work or, if not,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I thank the Minister. I am referring in particular to the music industry and to the large cohort of people who work in that sector in the sound, power and production areas. Where they may be offered gigs throughout the summer, there might be two or three days of work, and that is through other Government supports for live music events through the Department of the Minister, Deputy Catherine...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I accept that the Minister cannot introduce sector-specific schemes, but there are sectors that we know cannot reopen or can reopen only in very limited circumstances because of crowd control measures or social distancing. As the Minister has pointed out, there has been unprecedented support for welfare payments and employment supports across the past 15 months and I think everybody...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 110. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if her attention has been drawn to cases whereby full-time musicians who are currently in receipt of the pandemic unemployment payment, PUP, due to the ongoing closure of their industry, are receiving phone calls from social welfare officers to ask if they have considered moving to the jobseeker's payment; if this is an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: Has the Minister's attention been drawn to cases whereby full-time musicians or those in the music industry who are currently in receipt of the PUP due to the ongoing closure of the industry, are receiving phone calls from social welfare officers asking if they have considered moving to the jobseeker's payment? Is this an operational procedure by the Department and are all persons in receipt...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: I welcome the Minister's statement to the effect that the engagement is across all sectors and that the purpose of the call is to advise and inform people of what options may be available to them, which she reiterated. I am aware of her recent response to Deputy Cannon on the matter. The Minister was clear that she does not expect musicians or artists to retrain. As I indicated in my...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: All Members across the House acknowledge the tremendous work being done by the Department of Social Protection, the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and her predecessor as Minister, now Senator Doherty, all the staff across the Department and in Revenue. Some 15 months ago the Department had to react to give payments to people across society who had never been in receipt of payments before and to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rapid Antigen Testing: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Jun 2021)

Steven Matthews: The second question is on the logistics of rolling out antigen testing. We had experts before the committee last week who talked about Croke Park being a possibility, with 80,000 people in it in September with the use of antigen testing. It was mentioned earlier, I believe it was by Professor Keogan, that a 5,000 person event took 12 people over 12-hour shifts to try to apply antigen...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 16. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the loss of a teaching post in a school (details supplied) since the 2019-2020 school year that resulted in an increase in class size due to the amalgamation of classes; if she will review this decision in view of the Programme for Government commitment to reduce class sizes; and if she will make a statement...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Admissions (1 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 82. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her attention has been drawn to the serious challenges related to the provision of secondary school places for September 2021 in Greystones, County Wicklow; the steps she will take to ensure that the solutions offered are future proofed to avoid the same issues in the coming years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35175/21]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Direct Provision System (6 Jul 2021)

Steven Matthews: 86. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the progress made to date on the implementation of the White Paper to End Direct Provision and replace it with a new international protection support service; the expected timeline of implementation going forward; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36290/21]