Results 3,661-3,680 of 6,851 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Engagement with Road Safety Authority (12 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Go raibh maith agat.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update on the additional funding received in budget 2023 for school transport; the way in which additional school transport places are being provided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49958/22]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I did not think we would get to this question. The Minister has dealt somewhat with the issue I raise but the fact is we have a school transport fiasco every year. We must ensure that is not the case into the future. A review will need to deal with eligibility and distances, including allowing for circumstances where schools are equidistant, and facilitate as many concessionary tickets as...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. At this point, what we want to see is accommodation of all the pupils who previously got concessionary tickets, as well as those in receipt of what are now being called concessionary 3 tickets. For students who have no siblings who ever travelled on the school bus and are the first in the family to enter the fray, I would like to think the numbers will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Yes, the review needs to look at all the criteria and we must ensure this particular issue is not ongoing. I like to think all sensible politicians would welcome that, as will families. There is no point repeating myself other than to say we need to deliver for people as quickly as possible, accepting the capacity issues and making sure they do not arise next year.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The Minister of State recently visited Coláiste Chú Chulainn in Dundalk and the two ASD classes there. Many parents have come to me and their issue is ensuring that their kid coming from primary school has a space in an ASD unit, if that is what is suitable, in secondary school. We have insufficient places or classes. At the Joint Committee on Autism a number of stakeholders...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I concur with what has been said. We have a scramble every year. We hope that our numbers are sorted for concessionaries on the basis of luck and then every local elected representative gets involved in these campaigns in areas. I have told the Minister previously that sometimes they almost welcome it as a chance to show themselves as busy, but I would be a hell of a lot happier if we...

Disability Services: Motion [Private Members] (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: What we are talking about here are rights for citizens and be able to deliver a service. We are literally talking about a cradle-to-grave care. We all accept that this has been lacking. We could all reiterate some of the points made about psychology services, occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and physiotherapy. We all know the waiting lists. Everyone has spoken about the...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Carlinn Hall in Dundalk is one of these communal district heating systems with in or around 200 homes. The fact is that at the minute, the prices have risen. We are now talking approximately 42 cent per kWh. Frontline Energy provides heat. I have dealt with the Ministers and the Department. It looks like the long-term fix is the possibility of biomass or geothermal energy. We need to...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: What about Carlinn Hall?

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The Acting Chairman could let him finish.

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 28. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet Committee on social affairs and equality will next meet. [50015/22]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 16. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on the environment and climate change will next meet. [50016/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Legislative Measures (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 128. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if changes are planned to the Education (Admission to Schools) Act 2018 in relation to school children with special educational needs; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49957/22]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirleach. It is great to be made to feel welcome. I also welcome the guests. This has been very useful. I will talk about Carlinn Hall, a community heating system in Dundalk. It includes 200-odd houses. Initially it was biomass. There have been many twists and turns but it was replaced by gas when gas was cheap and gas is no longer cheap so that is a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The geothermal sounds incredibly interesting. Am I correct that there a similar project that has used geothermal? Could Ms Sheehan go into a bit of detail on that? My understanding is that for this to work you could be talking about going down 2.5 km. Once you go down that far it is free but I imagine there is a significant cost in doing that work.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: But there are other sites using geothermal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I suppose the difficulty for Carlinn Hall is that even if a solution comes into play it does not get people through this winter. The prices have gone up recently. I have been inundated with communications from people. In fairness, Frontline dropped its price around 14 June to 32.9 cent per kilowatt hour, which was a spectacularly high price at one stage, but at that time it was a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is the only long-term solution.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is okay. In fairness, what I put on the record is what needs to happen in the short term. There will be engagement with various Departments to deliver this. We are all looking at what could be a very nasty winter, especially cost-wise. I expect that Ms McCarthy is engaging with the task force on district and communal heating systems. Such systems only really happen in Britain and...