Results 2,381-2,400 of 2,967 for speaker:James O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motor Industry (25 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: 216. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the efforts he has made in respect of plans to phase out the sale of diesel cars in Ireland; the details of a comprehensive diesel scrappage scheme in the medium term; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3440/22]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Electric Vehicles (25 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: 217. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to prepare legislation for motorway filling stations to increase the number of rapid charging points for electric vehicles and hybrid vehicles; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3441/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Ambulance Service (25 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: 617. To ask the Minister for Health the intermediate care ambulance services currently operating in each CHO catchment area; the funding allocated to each CHO for the provision of such services in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3290/22]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (25 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: 618. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the recruitment of neurology nurses for University Hospital Waterford; if he has plans to address the urgent need for these positions to be filled; his views on the recommendation by an association (details supplied) of the urgent need for six extra neurology nurses at the hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3291/22]

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: First and foremost, I welcome RTÉ to the committee. We have been waiting some time for this meeting to happen, but all the same, it is welcome. I welcome Ms Forbes and Mr. Collins. I have a couple of issues that I would like to raise and questions I would like to ask. First, I would like to focus on the financial circumstances within RTÉ's organisation. I refer to...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: Obviously, it must be a very large part of the revenue that the organisation takes in. We have seen from viewership figures that it is one of the areas where RTÉ successfully manages to attract a large viewership of the television audience. Has RTÉ ever considered having a separate sports channel for broadcasting GAA, horse racing, soccer, the IRFU and other sports across male and...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I will perhaps disagree with some of the points there in terms of not having a separate channel as it stands. There is enough sport going on in Ireland and we have a sports-mad culture, therefore this is something that should be considered. RTÉ is in very serious financial circumstances, arguably down to the television licence. On behalf of the taxpayers in the country, one could also...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I apologise for interrupting Ms Forbes but I have a question that must be asked. Has RTÉ come forward with a concrete business plan to the relevant Departments that need to provide it with this additional funding to bring it out of that hole? Is that something the station is proactively doing? The drama, "Normal People", for example, was extremely successful. It was an original drama...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I do not want to be overly negative. I wish to compliment the current affairs aspect of what RTÉ is doing; it is excellent. The public get good value for tax money in that regard, particularly with radio. The figures internationally are very impressive. Coming back to the content creation side of dramas with home-grown talent in Ireland, is Ms Forbes at liberty to divulge how much...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I am sorry to interrupt Ms Forbes but I am up against the clock. My apologies for being so rude. I am sure she understands. The figures she compared are telling. Some €67 million is being spent on current affairs, while €17 million is being spent on the whole area of production of shows in RTÉ outside that scope.

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: Drama. The sum needs to be drastically increased. Obviously, that will require support from the Government. My view is that increasing that budget significantly, and perhaps even doubling it, would represent a good return for that type of investment. Going back to the success of "Normal People" and other shows, it can be done. In the limited time I have left-----

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 33: Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media
Programme E - Broadcasting (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: -----I wish to make the point that it is worth exploring RTÉ having its own dedicated sports channel and investigating the financial income that could be generated from that. Irish sport needs this. There are so many sporting events that are not covered, particularly across women's sport, but also many other aspects of sport that are not given the coverage they could be given. This...

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Departmental Reports (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: 110. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of the Report of the Future of Media Commission; her plans to publish this report; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2497/22]

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Sports Funding (20 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: 117. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if she will provide an update on supports to assist organisations in the sports sector to recover and develop post-pandemic; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [2498/22]

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

James O'Connor: 1617. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider including booster vaccination details on EU Digital COVID Certificates; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1102/22]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Haulage Industry (16 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: My question is on the all-important haulage sector in Ireland. What supports are under consideration by the Department? What work is it doing to help the sector to transition to a more carbon-friendly model? This is a huge issue that we must deal with and on which we must work directly with the sector.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Haulage Industry (16 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank the Minister of State for her response. It is interesting to hear the initiatives that the Department is bringing forward. There will be many challenges before the haulage sector. Internationally there has been much difficulty in logistics, which is the Minister of State's area of responsibility. We have to be conscious that there is another key demand on the whole industry where...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Haulage Industry (16 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I want to add my words on the very hard work that has been done throughout the pandemic. That is important to acknowledge. It has been one of the areas that we relied on. New additional pressures have been put on. On emissions, the Minister of State has said that the Department will do more public consultation, which I welcome. It is important that there be a grassroots level...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health (16 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: I confirm that I am within the Leinster House complex. It is important to have the Secretary General in the committee. As part of my contribution I want to acknowledge the enormous work that has been done by many of our healthcare professionals around the country that are under the remit of the work of the Department. That needs to be acknowledged. A number of important issues across...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 38 - Health (16 Dec 2021)

James O'Connor: We need to explore this further. There needs to be proper analysis done on why young graduates often feel that they need to leave the country. We are seeing in places like Canada and Australia that opportunities are being presented to young graduates who have studied here. The State has gone through the enormous cost of supporting their education and higher education. There is no...