Results 3,161-3,180 of 6,797 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I suppose reducing the fares is a giant experiment. The NTA is tracking all of that and it will inform future policy and expansion and where it goes. I presume the case the NTA makes to the Government relates to our climate obligations, the modal shift and the number of people in different age brackets that we want to get into public and active travel.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: However, the NTA would like to see them maintained at the current level. The commitment is only until the end of next year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Provision of Bus Services in Dublin: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: When the NTA came before the committee previously, Ms Graham spoke about potentially going with a proposal to the Government in this regard before the end of the year.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Dublin Airport’s north runway is welcome, but it is operating contrary to its planning permission. The flight paths that are being operated are not the ones that were agreed. Houses were insulated to mitigate against the noise of low-flying planes. Incredibly, many of those homes are not now on the flight path, while hundreds of others, as well as schools and businesses which were...

Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill 2019: Report Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the points that have been made in terms of the engagement, the movement on behalf of the Minister and the need, if required, for additional time. I welcome that there seems to be some movement on the part of the Minister but the devil will be in the detail. Programmatic audits are not a new concept in the HSE or elsewhere. The question is what those programmatic audits trigger....

Patient Safety (Notifiable Patient Safety Incidents) Bill 2019: Report Stage (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this group of amendments and on this legislation. One of the central findings of the CervicalCheck scandal was showing up in lights the paternalistic nature of medicine and healthcare in Ireland. Ireland is not unique in that regard but we have a particular history, especially when it comes to women, poor people and people who are disadvantaged. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister and the Minister of State for their time. I will ask about an issue that seems to be an anomaly, namely, the way in which environmental taxes are raised, for example, short-haul versus long-haul and connecting flights. This is an issue that was raised with the committee and is recognised at national and European level. Are there plans to address it? It seems it would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Is there a process coming out of COP27 on how a mechanism like that comes into being? The argument made is that the current system is not fair.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Has the Minister considered a landing or departure tax on private jets in Ireland? At a European level, the environment and transport group has identified in the region of 6,000-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Okay. Is there any flexibility regarding the threshold of a million passengers? I think it is the case that other countries use a different threshold.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Yes. There is a consultation that might feed into that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: There was discussion on Rotterdam, movements at a Dutch level, and their environmental considerations around noise. Is the Minister aware of the incredible situation that exists now at Dublin Airport as regards the north runway? It has been quite well covered in the media in recent days and weeks. We have had correspondence from this committee and the DAA regarding it. A situation has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Is it appropriate that the DAA continues to operate in the meantime contrary to the planning permission it received?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Will there be an assessment? I have met with a number of the people living under the new flight paths and this issue is a daily problem for them. What accountability will there be here? It seems an incredible error to pursue a planning application only to realise on the day a welcome runway goes live that it operates in a completely different way.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I ask the Minister to take a personal involvement in it. I encourage the DAA and Fingal County Council to engage with residents affected by this because it is incredibly distressing for them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: The committee can pick up on it as well.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Emergency Departments (6 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Our Lady Of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, does not have the capacity to take any additional patients, regardless how small the number might be. That is a statement of fact, and it has been confirmed by the 17 consultants. The Minister of State indicated that no decision has been made, as though that is a badge of honour. The Minister has had the report since 8 October. There needs to be a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Emergency Departments (6 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: There is a recognised risk associated with a small number of patients attending at Navan hospital. It will probably come as no surprise that the HSE's plan is to make matters worse. In June, 17 consultants at Drogheda wrote to the Minister to state that transferring risk from one hospital's accident and emergency department to another will lead to poorer clinical outcomes for patients....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: The Role of the Media and Communications in Actioning Climate Change: Discussion (6 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Is that a new departure or model because Ms Craig mentioned the ability to get programming commitments as one possible avenue for increasing the quality and quantity of climate coverage? Is that the type of model we might expect into the future? Is that a new departure or is it something that is standard enough practice?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: The Role of the Media and Communications in Actioning Climate Change: Discussion (6 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Very good. On Ms Craig’s sense of the demand which she has indicated is coming from the sector itself for support, and the opportunity to develop and improve in the sector; does she believe or is she aware that there is a greater demand out there for the quality and quantity of content? Is there a greater demand for quality and quantity of content? It may not be something the BAI sees.