Results 2,701-2,720 of 3,333 for speaker:James O'Connor

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: In the example I provided, they operate in tandem. That is just one example of countless others around the country, I imagine. I cannot see how it is in any way sustainable when the NTA is providing hundreds of millions in PSO funding on an annual basis if Expressway can come in and, frankly, undercut the NTA. The other point I want to make is that the prices the NTA is charging rural...

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: In the limited time I have, I want to switch to more Dublin-based questions, which are important to ask. With regard to rapid transit systems, it is fair to say Ireland has had a lot of issues with the availability of public transport, particularly in high density areas and in particular in Dublin, because it is a primate city - let us call a spade a spade. Does Ms Graham think the board of...

Public Accounts Committee: National Transport Authority: Financial Statements 2020 (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: That work is welcome. However, taking the facts and figures that we know, Dublin is one of the most congested cities in the world per capita, which is obviously disturbing. How does Ms Graham feel the organisation is doing with regard to tackling that issue? What plan does the NTA have for the next ten years to lower that statistic and to bring us out of the bracket the city is currently...

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Passport Services (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: 75. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the steps being taken to reduce waiting times for passport applications; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3931/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I greatly welcome the representatives from NBI here to the meeting. I greatly enjoyed the experience of going on-site to see the work that is being done. The expenditure around broadband in Ireland is obviously a very contentious issue. It is hard for the public to see the physical scale of the demands that are being put on the organisation. In the NBI’s defence, from an opening...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: Yes, exactly. I must say that I got a bit of a laugh as she explained that the place is in a very isolated area. The text said that she is living in this area with a very poor telephone reception. I understand that in community centres, schools and other public buildings in which NBI has done its intervention, it requires text messages to be sent to the people in that area, in order to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I will not reveal the lady's name, because we know how identifiable people are in small communities. Let us call her Ms W. Unless she is going to be doing cryptocurrency mining from Inch community centre, which is highly unlikely, I would like to see that facility becoming more accessible. I refer to there being no need for a text message, for example. I understand there is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: She will be WhatsApped the clip of this part of the video.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: Apologies for being so parochial, but there is an issue-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I appreciate that and I can relay the message to Ms W. An important general point is that many employers with operations in rural communities are contacting me. One recent inquiry concerned a large employer at Rathcormac, which employs more than 150 people. I highlighted this case to representatives of NBI before. There is a concern about the prospect of waiting two to three years for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: Very good. Concerning the limitations with exchanges, this issue arises in rural areas especially and particularly with families building on greenfield sites. Prior to going into politics, I was not even aware that there was an issue if a farmer's son or daughter, for example, was building a new property and wanted to get a phone line installed. There are areas, though, and Inch happens to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: If it is not doing so, I suppose-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: ComReg has a role here. I did not realise-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Broadband Plan Update: National Broadband Ireland (27 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: Okay. That is interesting. We have limited time, so I will summarise my points. This project is important for businesses that are large employers, especially for those rural areas lucky enough to have a company employing more than 100 people. I come from Youghal, where approximately 10,000 to 12,000 people live. We have no private employer with more than 100 employees. Some rural areas...

Youth Mental Health: Statements (26 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: In the very limited time I have, I want to outline some of my own concerns as a young person of 24 years of age. I have discussed this issue with both Ministers of State previously. I have a strong degree of concern about the rapid increase in cocaine consumption in Ireland, and the knock-on impact this is having on the mental health of so many young people. Within this debate there are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I welcome the Minister and his officials. I will surprise him by not being as parochial as I usually am. I have a few national issues to raise. I am worried about NIFTI because I feel it is another fence in a process that could outdo the Grand National when it comes to building infrastructure. I have been through this with the Minister before, particularly at the meeting in October. It...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: I want to stop the Minister. I want to be very focused. I appreciate the European relief funding is being directed towards the metropolitan rail network in Cork. That is €184.7 million, if my memory serves me. I am talking about a multibillion euro investment in a Cork- Belfast line. Joining up the network would involve tunneling under Dublin, the electrification of the entire...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: With the protection of the Chair, I ask the Minister to hang on for a second, please. It is an area we should look at and I say that because of the congestion coming into Dublin. At the moment, for somebody living in Cork who wants to drive to Dublin, and there are thousands of such journeys every day, the rail journey time does not compete with the road journey time. That is also the case...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: How does investing in those cities----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Investment Framework for Transport in Ireland: Discussion (26 Jan 2022)

James O'Connor: It is a point that needs to be made. I have limited time, and the Minister knows that.