Results 1,881-1,900 of 3,777 for speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues in Higher and Further Education: Discussion (21 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I think the Minister will get to escape for a short period.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues in Higher and Further Education: Discussion (21 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: There is also a great train service.
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues in Higher and Further Education: Discussion (21 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Before I ask my questions, I support the Chair's view on teacher education. I am not saying that the centres of excellence model is outdated, but the list of centres available within the State is old. If I am right, it dates back quite a number of years. It could be updated. There is a history of education, particularly lifelong education, at the Waterford campus of SETU. It is a space I...
- Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues in Higher and Further Education: Discussion (21 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Minister. That is very helpful.
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Safety (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 6. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the status of the review of the framework for setting of speed limits, with specific consideration of the introduction of a 30 km/h default speed limit in urban areas to improve road safety and take-up of active travel, as outlined in the RSA Action Plan 2021–2024; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30186/23]
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Safety (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: As I understand it, a review of the framework for setting speed limits is under way. I ask about the specific consideration of introducing a 30 km/h default speed limit in urban areas. This would improve road safety, the uptake of active travel and reduce road deaths. It also has an emissions impact. It is one of the measures outlined in the RSA Action Plan 2021-2024. Where do we stand...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Safety (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: This is an extremely important issue. As I said, there are three elements involved, namely, road safety, climate implications and the implications for active travel. I do not know whether the Minister of State took physics for the leaving certificate but I apologise if I am giving him a flashback. The equation that governs kinetic energy is E = mv². It is the v² in particular...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Road Safety (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Before I continue, I will praise the great work that Mairéad Forsythe of the Love 30 campaign has done in bringing focus to this issue. This has been done elsewhere. Belfast and Edinburgh have both made a decision to reduce speed limits from 30 mph to 20 mph, which would be the equivalent of 30 km/h in "old money", as they say. Both cities have seen major positive effects. There has...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I believe everybody across the House, probably including the Minister of State, shares the frustration with the delay in publishing this report. Just as all roads lead to Dublin, all rail tracks lead to Dublin as well. We have come to have a rail system that is hub-and-spoke and what we need is the outside of the wheel. In that context, the mothballed connection between Rosslare and...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 9. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the outputs from the climate delivery transport task force since its establishment, as indicated in the Climate Action Plan 2023 Annex of Actions; the specific areas and initiatives of climate delivery that are currently under its focus; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30185/23]
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The climate action plan has now set out the sectoral emissions targets reductions that we want to achieve. I am aware that across different sectors, we have put in place climate delivery task forces. The decarbonisation of our transport is probably one of the most difficult areas for us to tackle. What specific areas and initiatives of climate delivery are currently under the focus of the...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: There is no doubt that considerable headway has been made, particularly in terms of public transport. We see across Europe many countries struggling to get transport numbers back to pre-Covid levels whereas, here in Ireland, we have not only rebounded but exceeded that. Anybody who is using public transport these days can see the number of people travelling and I am always struck,...
- Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Climate Action Plan (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The Minister of State mentioned two key things, which are the public engagement piece and that piece around road space reallocation. Any of the representatives here know that reallocation of road space can be contentious and we can get a lot of pushback on it, so public engagement is critical. I wonder whether we are recruiting into the active travel teams across all of the local...
- Apprenticeship and Further Education and Training: Statements (22 Jun 2023)
Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I welcome the opportunity. We have had a number of opportunities to speak about skills and further and higher education recently in the context of the European Year of Skills. It is really welcome and shows a renewed focus on this area. It actually vindicates the idea of having a stand-alone Ministry to deal with further and higher education. It has certainly brought an increased focus on...
- Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4: Re-allocation of Voted Funding (22 Jun 2023) Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Gabhaim buíochas leis na finnéithe as a bheith linn agus as ucht na cuir i láthair. Ba mhaith liom díriú isteach, i dtosach báire, ar na sonraí ar chaiteachas ar chúrsaí Gaeilge. I want to look at some of the Irish-language spending. In the first instance, it is very welcome that funding for the Irish language has largely recovered to...
- Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4: Re-allocation of Voted Funding (22 Jun 2023) Marc Ó Cathasaigh: In fairness, a language programme and something like Údarás are not as capital intensive. I understand that we had a long shutdown of large capital projects, but I would have liked to see an ability to pivot funding to provide supports, particularly for parents who are raising their children trí mheán na Gaeilge. Would it have been possible for us to pivot supports so we...
- Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4: Re-allocation of Voted Funding (22 Jun 2023) Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Will Dr. Mac Cormaic give an indication of, or quantify, how far the Covid period set us back? There was good and bad in the figures that came from the census. In some Gaeltacht areas, Gaeltacht na nDéise, mar shampla, we managed to achieve many of the key performance indicators as regards language strategy. It may be a little unusual in that. How far has the 20-year process been set...
- Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4: Re-allocation of Voted Funding (22 Jun 2023) Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I am keeping an eye on the clock. This might be, as Fr. Jack would describe, an ecumenical matter. I will ask about the conversations that are happening around possibly expanding the remit and role of Údarás na Gaeltachta, particularly in the development of affordable community housing and taking a partnership stake in the development of that. Údarás na Gaeltachta owns...
- Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4: Re-allocation of Voted Funding (22 Jun 2023) Marc Ó Cathasaigh: There is a significant opportunity. If you are from a Gaeltacht area, the cost of accessing housing in Gaeltacht areas is prohibitive because a lot of people are moving in from outside. I will turn to a completely separate issue relating to the virement that happened in December 2021. It involved a significant amount of money, an €8 million transfer, or some 48% of the original...
- Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2021
Vote 33 - Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
2021 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General
Chapter 4: Re-allocation of Voted Funding (22 Jun 2023) Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is large in relation to the original provision. It was some 48% of the original provision.