Results 181-200 of 432 for speaker:Ciarán Ahern

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (10 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: Yesterday, Uisce Éireann announced that areas in 12 counties, from Donegal to Wexford, are officially suffering a water drought. This is at a time when we have seen tragic flash floods in Texas, wildfires outside Marseilles and an extended heatwave in many countries across Europe that is about to hit Ireland. Before I came in here, I got an alert on my phone from Met Éireann that...

Ministers and Secretaries (Attorney General) Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: All too often the State approaches litigation against it in the same way any private corporate entity would. It is a war of attrition against each individual plaintiff who dares to sue it. That approach must change, not least because it is hugely discriminatory against those who do not have the time, resources or mental fortitude to fight a case like that. We must also consider the...

All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Statements (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: I am delighted to speak on the all-island rail review. We need to see a major modal shift in how we get ourselves from one place to another on this island so that we are not so dependent on our cars. Rail will obviously play a huge role in that. We have a somewhat sorry history in this country when it comes to rail infrastructure. What was once a fairly comprehensive rail network in the...

Nursing Homes: Motion [Private Members] (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: I commend my colleagues, Deputies Sherlock and Wall, for tabling the motion. All of us in the House were outraged by the "RTÉ Investigates" programme, which showed the appalling levels of abuse and malpractice in older people's care settings. These are some of the most vulnerable people in our society. They depend on the help of others to meet their basic needs, as any one of us here...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: I thank the Minister for coming in and engaging with us. I welcome the language he used in his opening statement, in being so frank that we are not on track to meet our first two carbon budgets and that this is removing any option of deferring action and forcing us to confront the gap between our ambition and delivery. While the language is welcome, we will see the colour of the...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: It was reported this week that it was sent to the Minister.

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: On energy security and the report, we are being told we need to invest in our Defence Forces at the moment to increase the security of our territorial waters and things like that. I suppose one would query the reality of some of the perceived threats. I also want to talk about how the Minister will ensure the climate and gas demand conditions on any gas reserve will be transparently and...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: To follow up on that, private wires are relevant to data centres. In the Minister's proposals for private wires, will he ensure they will be used for sustainable energy only, particularly for large energy users? Going back to the CRU's policy on large energy users, it said it does not have a mandate, not even under section 15 of the climate Act, to require them to use sustainable...

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: That is fair enough. The fear around some of these large energy users is that, in being required to create their own energy but not necessarily connect to our overall grid, that energy will come from non-renewable sources. That was the basis of my question and I hope the Minister will consider that.

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: Very briefly, in light of the renewable heat obligation, RHO, that is coming down the tracks, has the Minister considered increasing the percentage of HVO or other renewable fuels to be used as part of that, rather than maintaining the current rate of 1.5% to 3%?

Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Carbon Budget: Minister for Climate, Energy and the Environment (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: The Minister will love this. I will go back to LNG. Can I get a sense of the Minister's decision-making process around that? He referred to an existing planning application. I will not ask him to talk about that. At the time, was the Minister advised that allowing for the State's strategic reserve could or would lead to planning applications for commercial LNG being revisited? Did the...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Staff (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 42. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the number of vacancies by job title currently within the railway investigation unit of his Department as of 25 June 2025; the expected timeframe for filling each of those vacancies, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36467/25]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 43. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the estimated costs of providing a double rail track between Greystones and Rosslare Europort stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36468/25]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Rail Network (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 44. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide details of the funding provided by NTA to improve rail network and train connectivity in County Sligo in the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36469/25]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 98. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to overturn her Department’s decision to refuse an exemption to rule 64(1) for the 2025-26 school year in the case of a pupil (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36390/25]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 216. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE social workers by grade based at the Chamber House children's disability network team in the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36470/25]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 217. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of WTE psychologists by grade based at the Tymon children's disability network team in the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36471/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Procedures (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 257. To ask the Minister for Health the number of hospital appointments, including surgeries and procedures, carried out in Tallaght University Hospital on a Saturday from 2022 to date in 2025, broken down by appointment or procedure per month, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36460/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 258. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE psychiatrists, by grade, based at Springfield/Tallaght primary care centre in the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36461/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (2 Jul 2025)

Ciarán Ahern: 259. To ask the Minister for Health the number of WTE consultant paediatric ENT surgeons based at CHI Crumlin in the years of 2023, 2024 and to date in 2025, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36462/25]