Results 361-380 of 7,546 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (10 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 317. To ask the Minister for Health the number of psychiatric wards or units there are in Leinster. [38329/25]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services (10 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 318. To ask the Minister for Health the number of new psychiatric wards or units opening in County Meath within the next five years. [38330/25]

All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Statements (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the all-island strategic rail review. It is an important piece of work. Anyone who looks at the old maps of the railway lines compared to today knows there is a significant job of work to fill the gaps. There are lots of gaps, such as the west and the north-west, but I wish to focus on my area. It is important and I welcome that we have DART+ West at...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (9 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 68. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on a new school building project (details supplied); if tenders have been assessed and awarded; if so, to whom; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38226/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Boards (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 109. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on the funding cut to apprenticeships in Meath and across the State; his assessment of the practical impact of this cut; the measures he is taking to address this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37297/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Boards (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: Is that the case with LMETB or are there specific circumstances in its area? I do not know whether the Minister was going to make a point on that. The figures I have from the service plan for 2025 show further education and training funding was €87 million and that this was revised on foot of a funding letter down to €73.7 million. That is a cut of in the region of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Education and Training Boards (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: It is really important that these courses proceed and that people be allowed to work their way through the system because we need a conveyor belt of graduates in all courses. There was a reference earlier to reflection on how we have ended up in this place. None of the students or apprentices has dropped out of the sky; they have been in the system. Has SOLAS dropped the ball? Did the...

Student Fees: Motion [Private Members] (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: The Minister must be completely detached from the reality of the cost-of-living crisis if he thinks it is okay to heap €1,000 on students and families this September. The Barnardos cost-of-living report for 2025 found: One in five families cut back on or went without heating (18%) and electricity (17%) over the past six months. More than two in five families going without or...

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 27. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on infrastructure will next meet. [37506/25]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: 8. To ask the Taoiseach when the Cabinet committee on children and education will next meet. [33552/25]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Cabinet Committees (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the establishment of the commission of investigation into historical sex abuse in schools and the appointment of the chair, announced today. I have questions about the methodology, particularly as it relates to sampling and other areas. However, I ask about redress and pursuit of financial accountability. The Minister says that further work is being to examine the matter of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State for being here. Regarding the national AI office, the timeline is August 2026 and the Minister of State said 2 August which is a Sunday. Let us just work on August 2026 as the target date. Is there a broad outline of the remit and has it been agreed or refined?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: In terms of its staffing cohort, will it be new recruits or is there any sense of where that is at?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: And the remit. As things stand, it is going to sit within the Minister of State's Department?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: It will be independent of the Department. Regarding the relationship between the AI advisory council and the Department or the national AI office, the advisory council appeared before us last week and we got a sense from the general discussion that there was scope for refinement of its role and additional resourcing. Is the Minister of State looking at that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: A separate but related point is that there is probably scope to look at its role and how it will relate to the national AI office. My own sense of it-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State. There is a commitment in the national strategy under 3A. It reads: Commission research which analyses the potential impacts of AI (including generative AI) and other advanced technologies on key sectors of the Irish economy. The research will be forward looking and will identify sectoral use cases and make recommendations, including policy interventions to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: Will it be the ESRI? Will it run across Departments ? What will it look like and how long might it run for? I presume the Minister of State is saying it will start at the end of the year as opposed to reporting at the end of the year.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Darren O'Rourke: Yes. It would be a really interesting piece of work. If it coincided with our committee's work, it would be useful to see and could be complementary.