Results 3,361-3,380 of 25,713 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Relax for a second. I am trying to answer. Just relax. There are 2.7 million people at work, and we have to ensure there is an economy there to support good jobs for people. I am a firm believer in and always have been an advocate for workers' rights. The decision to increase statutory sick leave is not required until quarter 4 of this year. We have already made significant changes in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: ICOB grants support small businesses that employ people right across this country-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: -----and I am assuming the Deputy agrees with me-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: As Minister with responsibility for planning, I cannot address specific planning applications in there because I am precluded from-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand the Deputy's concern, particular as brought forward the Marine Planning Act that was passed by this House. The Deputy is right there are great advantages for this country. There is a real need to expand our offshore renewable energy, ORE, capability. Indeed, there are very clear benefits for our communities and for our country. Public consultation with stakeholders is...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The Deputy may have missed my earlier response regarding the health budget. There are 3,000 additional staff are being recruited this year.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I understand.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will raise the point the Deputy raised directly with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly. Everyone understands that in order to fill posts across the sector, it can take some time because, effectively, we have full employment.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will bring the matter up with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, and I will ask him to respond directly to the Deputy because he has raised an important point. We want to make sure staff safety and patient safety is paramount. I will raise it with the Minister, Deputy Donnelly.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Clare County Council is the housing authority for County Clare. I am familiar with this case. Thankfully, Clare County Council is building many more homes than heretofore. I have always told all local authorities to use existing stock where they can to house people. We are doing that across the country. The decision taken in respect of that specific scheme was taken by Clare County...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this important point relating to Letterkenny general hospital. He asked about an implementation group to make sure the resourcing that is required there will be put in place, and I will certainly raise that matter directly with the Minister for Health and relay that to him. It is important we look at the overall context of where we are with health delivery and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I will raise the matter directly with the Minister for Health. It is not a question of just throwing money at it but is about getting improved health outcomes for our people, and I have given the Deputy just some examples of that where life expectancy and other rates have improved over the course of a few years. In respect of Letterkenny, since January 2020, there has been an increase in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The matter of insurance reform is a really important one for the Government and we have been embarking on that further reform. We want to make sure consumers get proper value for money and that cost reductions are passed on to them. That is why the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, recently met representatives of the insurance sector again and they are to report back to him within two...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: The targets themselves do not build homes and the Deputy knows that. We are continuing to deliver homes at a scale we have not seen in more than 15 years. Not everybody is feeling that yet. It is a significant challenge. I meet people across this country, in my own constituency and everywhere else, who are getting the keys to their forever homes at a rate we have not seen for 15 years....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: We need to do more. I will answer the question about the Planning and Development Bill. It is really important legislation. It needs to pass by this summer. I am open to amendments, and we debated this on Committee Stage. I will be looking at further amendments on Report Stage.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this serious issue. I first want to address the issue of drugs and antisocial behaviour. I come to that with some degree of knowledge. Up to recently, I chaired for ten years the regional drugs and alcohol taskforce in north County Dublin. I have seen at first hand the damage illegal and illicit drugs, and indeed legal drugs like alcohol, can do to our young...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Sorry?

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: Does the Deputy want to sit in the Chair? I am trying to answer Deputy Murphy if that is okay. It is a serious issue and a serious point. Deputy Shortall should know that as a former junior Minister at the Department of Health. I say to Deputy Murphy that it is not just a commentary. We need to do more in that space. That is why we are recruiting more gardaí. We have to ensure...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: I take this matter extremely seriously. All of us, as TDs and representatives in our areas, see the damage that drugs can do and are doing. The Deputy has referenced specific points about Wexford with regard to policing resources. I have given examples of where those community policing teams are back in place. With regard to resourcing our Naval Service, the Deputy knows the Government is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (23 May 2024)

Darragh O'Brien: On customs, the Deputy has mentioned drug seizures. All across our State agencies they carry out really important work. Will we stop every single drug shipment coming into the country? No country can do that either. Do we need to improve and increase our capacity to protect our coastline? Yes, and that is what we are doing. That is why we are embarking on the most significant...