Results 16,461-16,480 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff (26 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: I very much welcome the initiatives but they do not change the fact that home care was provided by the State through the HSE and that has changed now. I get glossy brochures regularly from big companies that are moving into this area and treating it as a market rather than what I believe it should be, which is a career for people. My point is I do not see any sign of a national...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Services Staff (26 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: I support the Minister of State with regard to community care and voluntary organisations. However, it is not possible in some communities to do that, particularly as towns grow to become cities and people are not as neighbourly. They do not know their neighbours as well as was previously the case and that community benefit is lost. I am delighted that it is there. Could the Minister of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: I would like to express my concerns about the loss of jobs in County Louth this week. Some 172 jobs will be lost in PayPal. Since January, over 70 redundancies have been announced at Hilton Food Group. There are concerns about jobs in Premier Periclase, which is a local industry in Drogheda that is in transition. I compliment the IDA on the work it has done in buying additional land in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (26 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is very good, Tánaiste.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (26 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: 116. To ask the Minister for Health if the Government has further considered setting up a commission of inquiry to seek the truth for families on the significant loss of life in a nursing home (details supplied) during the initial wave of Covid-19 in 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25453/22]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Animal Welfare (26 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: 146. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of sellers and suppliers of pets and animals who have registered with his Department in the years 2021 and to date in 2022; the details on plans to target the sale and distribution of animals through illicit puppy farms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26714/22]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Industry (26 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: 175. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine his plans if appropriate support will be provided to Irish pig farmers who are struggling to maintain their operations as costs rise exponentially; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26715/22]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (26 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: 205. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when he expects that all homeowners with solar photovoltaic panels will start receiving payments or credits for excess electricity exported to the grid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27007/22]

Transport, Accelerating Sustainable Mobility: Statements (31 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: As yet, there is no published plan for how Dublin Airport's chief executive and board of management are going to handle the issues next weekend. I am very concerned at the way people have been treated. Families are disgusted and absolutely appalled at what happened. Approximately 1,000 people missed their flights. The stress and tension caused to families with young children, older people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: I welcome Ms Dearbhla Holohan, from Include Youth, the Strive programme co-ordinator, Ms Debbie Watters, director of Northern Ireland alternatives, Ms Mary Nolan, director of Newstart Education Centre, and Mr. Tony Silcock, CEO of Youth Initiatives, to our meeting. They are very welcome. Some people are attending our meeting remotely and will ask the witnesses questions and hopefully praise...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: Do any of our other guests wish to contribute at this stage? If they do, that is fine; if they do not, we will go to members for questions and discussion. Our guests should feel free to intervene at any stage. It is a relaxed process. Senator Currie is having computer issues, so I call Deputy Carroll MacNeill.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: That is a profound response. There is much sense in what Ms Watters said. I used to be a teacher in a school where many of the students had difficult backgrounds. She put her finger on it. She has identified her support for them as individuals and recognised their importance and self-worth. I read a report published yesterday on productivity at work. Because of the problems and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: We have a serious drug problem among young people in the South and I am sure it is also a problem in the North. We plan to visit Belfast soon. I ask that the witnesses might identify if we could meet some young people on both sides of the divide if they think that would be appropriate. We would like to do that as it would be helpful for us and hopefully support what the witnesses want. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: Sinn Féin has the next 15-minute slot. Deputy Conway Walsh can indicate the other speakers in her party.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: The young people might or might not feel confident enough to come down here to speak for themselves but, truthfully, we would love to hear what they have to say. Our biggest problem is meeting political loyalism, for want of a different word. There is no engagement. We want to work with everyone, as does Strive. That is really where it is at. If we can bring about that change or Strive...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: On that point, I live in a town called Drogheda and we have the Drogheda United soccer team, which contacted me about the following matter. It wants to have a game of football with a team from the loyalist community in the North on the site of the Battle of the Boyne. That would be a day out for everybody with social mixing, including for young children. There is a lot of goodwill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: There are other groups who would feel like you also. Have you formed a lobbying group? Perhaps we can assist in that, in the context of the shared island as my colleague has suggested, or by supporting this and drawing attention to the inequalities, especially when one is looking at programmes and the matrix is militating against your good work. This committee would be happy to help out in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: Mr. Silcock has indicated.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Engagement with Strive (19 May 2022)

Fergus O'Dowd: I attended a meeting of the North South Youth Forum in Drogheda on Monday. I can share the email about it later. The forum came to our town and there were about 90 young people from post-primary schools in attendance. They spoke to us about their needs. They were working with people in the North. From 24 June to 26 June, they are to have a conference at which they will have a plan....