Results 2,061-2,080 of 2,283 for speaker:Matt Shanahan

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: That would represent the best value for money. I wish to raise a further point about the lack of consultants. The Minister will be aware that a large number of mainly foreign doctors have been residing in Ireland for many years at registrar level. Is there an opportunity to consider providing additional training or fast-tracking some of these doctors? They have the experience, but it...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank our contributors and those who have returned to speak to the committee. I know we will speak with representatives of Meat Industry Ireland later today as well. I agree in part with Ms King's comments regarding the very high turnover of companies but I point out that turnover is vanity at the end of the day and there is a high capital cost in this market. It is important to note...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: May I say to Mr. Ennis-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I would like to get in some questions if I may. I agree with Ms Labo about workers' pay. She has highlighted one of the key issues in this industry which is the issue of agencies. Have the unions offered some alternative to the agency structure for hiring foreign and migrant workers here? The meat factories themselves are not in a position to recruit on that basis which is why they look...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the witnesses. I have a question for the HSA. There was a comment in a report from Meat Industry Ireland about the high level of asymptomatic cases that were turning up in the meat industry compared with the community. Is that trend ongoing or has it changed?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: As someone in the community looking at this, the question needs to be answered. If it is an ongoing trend, it suggests that a possibly large number of people in the meat trade are not susceptible to the symptoms of Covid but are carrying the disease. We should note that. If it has been resolved, we can put it down to perhaps a testing blip that happened early on. We should arrive at an...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I have a question for the HSA and the Department. Following the previous meeting we had about this issue, and after listening to the unions this morning, I think even Meat Industry Ireland might agree that accommodation and congregated settings, especially as they relate to migrant workers, without doubt constitute vectors of disease transmission in the factories. Looking to the future, do...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I understand what Dr. McGuinness is saying but I would have thought the HSA would have some oversight of this issue. While it is a matter of public health, it is also very much a safety aspect of employment. I hope it is an area the HSA will raise strongly with the HSE and anybody else with oversight of public health.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid 19: Implications of a Zero-Covid Island Policy (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the witnesses. I will direct the following question to Professors Kearney and Staines. We had representatives from the aviation sector in here two weeks ago to discuss the effect of Covid on the entire sector. Our two airlines are both haemorrhaging money and the one that used to be the national airline is in severe difficulty. The aviation sector represents approximately 9% of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid 19: Implications of a Zero-Covid Island Policy (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Professor Staines. He probably saw this morning that China has imposed an embargo on certain Brazilian products coming because Covid was found on frozen Brazilian chicken. Is the importation of frozen products something that we should be looking as well? Is there any chance of contamination of people in the sector who are handling it or the logistics people who are distributing it?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid 19: Implications of a Zero-Covid Island Policy (13 Aug 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Professor Staines. I will ask Mr. O'Brien a question. He highlighted a pretty grim economic picture. Assuming that we continue on the path we are on - and that most European countries will probably do likewise - whereby we are trying to mitigate the disease, trace and put temporary lockdowns in place, what does he think is the path to the ECB unwinding support to European countries...

Civil Law and Criminal Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2020: Second Stage (30 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: In March 2020 the Courts Service introduced measures to scale back the work of the courts because of the Covid-19 lockdown period. In a statement published in July, the Chief Justice, Mr. Frank Clarke, outlined plans to further increase the number of remote hearings offered by the Courts Service. Most appeals before the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal, to date have been conducted...

Perjury and Related Offences Bill [Seanad] 2018: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: It is important that the Perjury and Related Offences Bill 2018, which was introduced by the former Senator, Pádraig Ó Céidigh, and which lapsed with the Thirty-second Dáil be reinstated. I am glad to hear the Minister say it is to be restored to the Order Paper. Somebody once said, "Never argue with someone who believes their own lies". That mantra should never be...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (28 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the witnesses for attending. I would like to go to Mr. Gray first. On airport testing, we had the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport in here on Friday last and they were talking about a departure test, which sounds like a good idea as far as risk mitigation is concerned. Mr. Gray partially answered this question already but I ask if he has any executive function in the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (28 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Mr. Gray, I am in agreement with him. I want to refer back to a point he made a few moments ago about the future development of Dublin Airport and how important it is for Ireland Inc. He specifically mentioned the regions. On that basis, I am thinking of Shannon and Cork airports as well as an application from my own constituency of Waterford to try to get our own regional airport...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (28 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: That is the point I was making. What Mr. Gray expressed about the authority's impact on the regions was that it is not involved with the regional airports. That is not a criticism but a statement of fact. Turning to Ms. Considine, there was a submission this morning regarding the potential for Shannon Airport to offer a flight combining freight and passenger traffic to the US because of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (28 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Ms. Considine. Does the Shannon Group have any plans to lobby the Government in the context of State aid and, possibly, a subsidy for airlines, which is a very good idea for trying to stimulate demand? It is probably the easiest and most effective way of trying to drop ticket prices and get people flying. Does Ms. Considine have any thoughts about the group making submissions like that?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (resumed) (28 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank both Aer Lingus and Ryanair for their attendance here today. Turning to Mr. Doyle, on Friday I spoke and he reflected what I had said then, which was to raise the question of urgency with the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport on these issues in respect of testing, in particular, at airports, together with other issues. I heard his response a couple of minutes ago. He...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (resumed) (28 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Mr. Doyle. Nobody has full expertise here but both companies are significant players and they have the leadership to drive this agenda. With due respect to the Department and to public health, if one is waiting for civil servants to drive an agenda one will be waiting quite a length of time. I suggest that both companies which are looking for subsidies from the State should be...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Aviation (resumed) (28 Jul 2020)

Matt Shanahan: I was not-----