Results 2,461-2,480 of 2,967 for speaker:James O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 226. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding booster vaccines for persons under 60 years of age that have serious underlying health conditions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56283/21]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank the Minister for being here to discuss the national development plan, which is an extremely important document covering over €165 billion of Government capital expenditure in the coming years. I have more national-focused questions. Is the Minister confident he can get through the Department's workload in terms of capital projects, planned expenditure and the capital envelope...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: In terms of the building of new capital infrastructure projects in Ireland, it seems we have a significant historical problem around getting such projects from concept to being under way and operational on time and within budget. Does the Minister have concerns around this area? Do we need fundamental reforms of how we go about building new public transport?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: Can the Minister give an example of a public transport project that TII has delivered in the last five years?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I want to be very specific because we have limited time. I ask for the Chair's protection here. It is important to give full context because my time is limited and precious. Concerning things like the metro line in Dublin or Luas lines planned for Cork, I said to the Secretary General of the Minister's Department in the Committee of Public Accounts last week that there is extreme...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I have a request for the Minister in that area because I believe it is quite an interesting issue. The work the Attorney General is doing is obviously a very important part of Government business at the moment. It is critically important that all relevant civil servants in the Minister's Department, including the Minister, would feed into that process. It is crucial that all feedback is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I want to outline one fundamental concern to the Minister, which I have mentioned previously at the committee in his absence. While he is here with me, however, it is important to say that there are flaws with the system for the national allocations that go to national roads and national secondary roads through TII's funding budgets. One very clear example of that, with which I know the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I will make a concluding remark, Chairman, if I may have a just a little bit of leniency. I have one other issue. The two to one strategy on public investment in public transport versus that of roads is something about which I have many concerns as a rural Deputy. The obvious reality is that the lion's share of that public transport investment will be going into Dublin, particularly the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I would feel wrong to let the Minister go out of here without a helpful suggestion, rather than grilling him. I have a lot of questions and there will be many more in the future but I believe passionately that every single village and urban settlement in rural Ireland should have a public transport hub.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Development Plan 2021-2030: Discussion (17 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: A car park with a bus stop is all that is needed so that people living in rural townlands surrounding those villages have the option of driving to the area where they can access to rapid public transport services that will bring them to their hubs of education, employment and any access to services they desperately need as well. East Cork, which I represent, would be such an excellent model...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Health and Safety (16 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 355. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the steps she is taking to address the need for a formal national policy and training programme for the care of the allergic child in primary, secondary and pre-school; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55744/21]

Forestry Sector: Motion (11 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank the Minister of State for yielding some of her time. I appreciate that. I am here this evening as a Deputy from Cork East, a constituency that has a very large amount of forestry and timber processing. I have often discussed these with the Minister of State. I compliment the Chairman of the joint committee, Deputy Cahill, and Deputy Flaherty, who are Fianna Fáil members, on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: This is a very important topic and I thank the Minister of State for facilitating it. My question relates to the sports capital grants. Throughout my constituency, Cork East, as he will know from his visit, many clubs are hoping to get positive news on the increased investment for new capital infrastructure works. Given the two years we have had with Covid-19, investing in sports clubs and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: It is important to take an in-depth analysis of the individual projects. Major schemes have been proposed, such as for Fermoy GAA, and the Minister of State has been in close contact with Youghal GAA and a number of soccer clubs within the constituency. It is important also to recognise on the floor of the House that Midleton FC is seeking significant investment. There are major capital...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (11 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: 136. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht the status of sports capital grant allocations for 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [55201/21]

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 31 - Transport
Chapter 5 - Expenditure on Night Vision Imaging Technology and Training for Search and Rescue
Special Report 113 of the Comptroller and Auditor General - Procurement of Vehicles by the Irish Coast Guard (11 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: For the first time on the public record, I wish to say to the Chairman how grateful I am for his guidance and assistance. I am thankful for it. It is good to have the Secretary General, Mr. Spratt, before the committee. The Department he is in charge of and controls an astronomical budget in terms of the capital projects it is working on. I have worked closely with him as a member of the...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 31 - Transport
Chapter 5 - Expenditure on Night Vision Imaging Technology and Training for Search and Rescue
Special Report 113 of the Comptroller and Auditor General - Procurement of Vehicles by the Irish Coast Guard (11 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I have to cut across Mr. Spratt. As he knows, I do not have the luxury of time. I have approximately five minutes left on the clock. Mr. Spratt is the Secretary General of the Department of Transport. He has an entire team in his Department whom I, as a public representative, expect to deliver these projects. I am not laying blame as such, but what does Mr. Spratt think we as...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 31 - Transport
Chapter 5 - Expenditure on Night Vision Imaging Technology and Training for Search and Rescue
Special Report 113 of the Comptroller and Auditor General - Procurement of Vehicles by the Irish Coast Guard (11 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: How? What needs to be done? Will Mr. Spratt expand on that? I am not trying to trap him into answering questions. The public, the media and I are interested in this matter. What proactive measures could help to speed up the development of new Luas lines? I am from Cork, whose city has no Luas line. On paper, these projects look like they could take two decades. Has Mr. Spratt...

Public Accounts Committee: 2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 31 - Transport
Chapter 5 - Expenditure on Night Vision Imaging Technology and Training for Search and Rescue
Special Report 113 of the Comptroller and Auditor General - Procurement of Vehicles by the Irish Coast Guard (11 Nov 2021)

James O'Connor: I have a question for all of the witnesses from the Department of Transport. They act under ministerial guidance, but they should make a submission on the reform of the planning process. It is exciting that the Government will examine this issue. No doubt it will be extremely complex and may take more than a year. There is an opportunity for the witnesses and their Department to feed into...