Results 17,241-17,260 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (15 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: 61. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport to seek an update on when it is expected that DART services will commence in Drogheda; if the hybrid diesel units will be in place and in operation in advance of electrification of the line; the frequency of expected DART services and any other relevant details; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7562/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Maritime Safety (15 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: 62. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport further to Parliamentary Question Nos. 198 of 13 December 2022 and 160 of 18 January 2023m to detail if any State body is responsible to compel ship owners to progress survey application to the MSO, in particular in situations whereby the ship is causing environmental and general safety concerns as the Hebble Ship continues to cause as...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Funding (15 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: 81. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the works that have been completed to date under the €700 thousand awarded to Drogheda under Fáilte Ireland’s urban animation capital investment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7702/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (15 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: 169. To ask the Minister for Health if a review can be undertaken to examine the viability of the out of hours GP north east contract (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7500/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Care of the Elderly (15 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: 205. To ask the Minister for Health if he will seek an update on future development plans for the St. Marys Hospital site on the Dublin Road, Drogheda following completion of the new 30 bed community nursing units due for completion in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7701/23]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: With the agreement of members, we will go into private session briefly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: Apologies have been received from Senator Emer Currie. Today we continue our meetings on our Architects of the Good Friday Agreement project. We have met with a range of people involved in the peace process negotiations, both politicians and officials. On behalf of the committee I would like to welcome Ms Liz O'Donnell, former Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Ms O'Donnell for a lively descriptive account. It is as though we were actually in those rooms with her, whatever different papers we might have had or were thinking of saying. That is an important and incisive analysis of the situation now. I commend her on that. The format here is relaxed. We rotate between the political parties and give 15 minutes to each, Fianna Fáil,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: On that last point, I think there was a comment from the British Government this week that it would be in a position to fund some of those cross-Border initiatives, provided that the Executive in the North is up and running. It would have to come from the political parties, but the British Government is not opposed to that, which is a very important point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: Ms O'Donnell mentioned in her summary that Brexit poisoned the well. In one sense it certainly did, but it has also changed the agenda in the context of what different people are saying. Obviously, the big pressure or debate from a nationalist point of view is when and if a border poll will take place. The difficulty about that is to prepare for that, and if there was such a poll that it...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: How can we drive that? I do not know if Ms O'Donnell has any view on that

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: A point was made here recently by one of the people involved in the agreement who was a civil servant - now our ambassador to Canada - that we ought to look at places like Canada to consider issues around how that confederation works. Are there lessons to be learned there as to how one could have a new relationship on the island that would try to satisfy people on both sides, more than the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: There are solutions that have been successful in other parts of the world that we need to look at. As Ms O'Donnell said, the Good Friday Agreement stumbled and is more in the breach than the observance.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank Ms O'Donnell. We will go now to Sinn Féin.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: If there was a border poll, to lose it would be an absolute disaster-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Architects of the Good Friday Agreement (Resumed): Ms Liz O'Donnell (16 Feb 2023)

Fergus O'Dowd: -----because it would be so divisive. That is why-----