Results 3,281-3,300 of 3,759 for speaker:Michael Collins

Order of Business (17 Apr 2018)

Michael Collins: Part 12 of A Programme for a Partnership Government relates to agriculture and the marine. Since last autumn a serious fodder crisis has been developing in this country. The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and the Minister were far too slow to react in a meaningful way. The only way to explain this is to say they were asleep at the wheel. This has led to animal deaths being...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: SOLAS Training and Education Programmes (17 Apr 2018)

Michael Collins: 421. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills why painter and decorator apprentices from County Cork must travel as far as Ballyfermot Training Centre, Dublin 10, for the 20 week SOLAS training period (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16065/18]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Fáilte Ireland (17 Apr 2018)

Michael Collins: 1305. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport when the second round of Fáilte Ireland grants will be delivered; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16047/18]

Affordable Housing: Statements (Resumed) (29 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this issue. I will begin the way I began my previous speech on affordable housing in January. In A Programme for A Partnership Government, the Government made a promise in respect of "Providing affordable, quality and accessible housing for our people is a priority for the New Partnership Government". In fact, this is the very first line under...

HPV Vaccine: Motion [Private Members] (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I am happy to be able to speak on this motion this evening. There has been much controversy over this topic and I have had a number of concerned parents come to me in my constituency clinic in west Cork and here in the Dáil about it. I believe it is up to individual parents to choose whether they want to vaccinate their daughters. It is not fair that the HSE and the Minister for...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 33 - Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I concur with Deputy Danny Healy-Rae's comments on festivals. I am involved in a festival committee myself, as most of us here are. I call Ballydehob the festival capital of Ireland. There seems to be a festival there most weekends. They are struggling, like many other towns through west Cork, because the festivals cannot keep going back to struggling businesses to ask for funding. Many...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 33 - Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I would just like to raise a few issues in respect of the islands. I represent eight of them in my own constituency in Cork South-West. In fairness, when the Minister of State's name is mentioned there is always a positive response. As the old saying in west Cork goes, call a spade a spade and be straight with a person. Having attended the AGMs of various groups on some of those islands,...

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 33 - Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: Does the Minister of State have any comment on Fastnet Rock?

Select Committee on Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs: Estimates for Public Services 2018
Vote 33 - Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: It is still off our shore, however.

Questions on Promised Legislation (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I refer to pages 85 and 86 of the programme for Government on making older years better years. During the talks on government two years ago many Rural Independent Group Deputies highlighted the difficulties with home help being delivered to our elderly, especially with home help not being available over weekends and bank holidays. The Government agreed in the programme for Government to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Policy: National Transport Authority (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I will.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Policy: National Transport Authority (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I will keep it strictly to a few minutes. I thank the witnesses for coming before the committee. I have a few issues to raise and I will start with Local Link Cork because time is of the essence. I am involved in Local Link Cork and I have seen the incredible delivery it has given to the people throughout west Cork. In fairness, the NTA deserves praise for giving sufficient funding to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Policy: National Transport Authority (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: Give me a minute and a half and I will finish.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Policy: National Transport Authority (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: Give me as minute and a half and I will finish on this.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Policy: National Transport Authority (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: The cost of bus and rail tickets is a serious issue, for many young people in particular. I would appreciate the NTA looking into this because in rural Ireland young people totally depend on a bus service, particularly with car insurance being so expensive. It is nearly an impossibility for people to get on the road. They are totally dependent on bus and rail. Recently, I raised in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Rural and Community Development: Rural Transport Policy: National Transport Authority (28 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: It has been good to have the NTA here today but we need more time, in fairness.

Services for People with Disabilities: Motion [Private Members] (27 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I am happy to have the opportunity to speak on this important motion. I commend Sinn Féin on bringing it forward. This is an issue which I am passionate about. I continuously support local disability support groups in my constituency, Cork South-West, and I am a former voluntary board member of CoAction West Cork. I am glad that the Minister of State is supporting the motion, but I...

Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. He mentioned numbers dropping, but they are dropping because people are going to Belfast as quickly as they can for operations that should be carried out locally. He also referred to cataract operations. Those should be taking place in Bantry, Mallow and elsewhere in west Cork. They are 20 minute procedures. The Government has failed in its duty...

Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: This is not made up. This is the reality on the ground for our elderly, who feel let down by the State.

Leaders' Questions (22 Mar 2018)

Michael Collins: I concur with previous speakers in commending the emergency services for tackling the fire in Ballymun which, thankfully, did not lead to a loss of life. I will speak about elder care or, I should say, the complete lack of it throughout the country, including the constituency I represent, Cork South-West. The elderly built this country. Now, when they need help from the State, they have...