Results 2,561-2,580 of 2,964 for speaker:James O'Connor

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla — Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I convey my gratitude to the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for attending in her capacity as the Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for mental health and older people. An important issue in my constituency and municipal district has been prominent in the national news in recent weeks and days. It concerns the provision of mental health residential...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla — Topical Issue Debate: Mental Health Services (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank the Minister of State for her response. While I am in Dáil Éireann, I stress the point that the loss of the residential service being provided at the Owenacurra centre will have a major impact in east Cork. It will leave the entirety of the southern side of the Cork East constituency without a residential facility. That is worrying to me as a Deputy for the constituency....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank the Minister of State and the officials who are here to discuss this very important topic. It would be remiss of me and any other public representative not to say, first and foremost, that we are grateful for the extremely hard work that was done by some of the officials in response to the attack on the State that happened in regard to the HSE software and IT systems recently. I am...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: The important question I have is that the gross resourcing on an annual basis that the centre has for a country of 5 million people is €7 million.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I must ask for the protection of the Chair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: It is a clean question. I just want to know how much money the State is spending annually on cybersecurity. Given that he has responsibility in this area, will the Minister of State tell me that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: Above all else, what happened in regard to the HSE was shocking. I am not going to lay the blame at the feet of the Minister of State. He is relatively to the Department and many of these problems are historic. However, the country and the Oireachtas need to have a better understanding of the existential risks relating to Ireland's cybersecurity. It all comes down to why we were targeted,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: My next question was on the role of tech multinationals, which is crucial. If we are not in a position to defend ourselves, particularly in comparison with other countries that began resourcing this area at a far earlier stage than we did, we need to try to reach out to organisations in the private sector in order to find the best expertise possible to allow us to build the team that is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: Is the Minister of State in a position to give us the feedback from that engagement? What are they saying to the Government about our set-up and the steps we are undertaking to improve our cybersecurity?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I am asking the Minister of State specifically about the State's defences. Is he in a position to inform the committee of what the members of the private sector with whom he has engaged are telling the Government? What is the feedback he is getting on what happened with the attack on the HSE? Is he in a position to disclose any details in that regard?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I will come back in the additional round of questioning if there is available time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: We are hearing a lot about reviews and reports. Time is against us on this issue. It is only a matter of time before we have another ransomware attack in the State. There is an onus everybody, including us on the committee, to try to assist in any way we can with our suggestions. I want to use the remainder of my time to be very clear that I think it is imperative as part of this review...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Cyber Security Centre Review: Discussion (22 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: The point of my contribution was to ensure those tech companies would have a role in the review of the NCSC we are here to discuss. That is what I am trying to stress to the Minister of State, to be totally clear.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Electricity Generation (21 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: 124. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment when the microgeneration support scheme will be rolled out (details supplied). [45242/21]

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: HSE (21 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank the Chair and Deputy Lahart for allowing me to contribute. It is much appreciated. I also thank the committee for inviting me as a Deputy for the constituency despite not being a member. It is also much appreciated. Last night, I attended a meeting at the Midleton Park Hotel convened to discuss the situation at the Owenacurra centre. I acknowledge the phenomenal work undertaken...

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: HSE (21 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I want to be clear about my question. Is it possible for the HSE to find an alternative location to provide residential services similar to those now being provided at the Owenacurra centre in the Midleton area? Yes or no?

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: HSE (21 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I know options are being examined but is it possible that accommodation could be provided for those people in the Midleton area instead of transferring them throughout the county?

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: HSE (21 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: That is fine. I thank Mr. Fitzgerald for that answer. A suggestion made last night was quite a palatable one for the people involved. Everyone to whom I have spoken told me that they would like to see this service being retained in the Midleton area and that some alternative location for the provision of the residential services would be found there. That, in turn, would allow the HSE the...

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: HSE (21 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: St. Raphael's centre provides a different service in that it is a service for patients with different needs. The work done by the HSE in taking people out of the central location and integrating them into Youghal town and the community has been quite successful. Why is that not a possibility in the Midleton area? In regard to communication with the people involved, that needs to be stepped...

Joint Committee On Health: Mental Health Services: HSE (21 Sep 2021)

James O'Connor: I thank Mr. Fitzgerald for his answers to my questions. I look forward to further engagement with him on this important topic.