Results 3,821-3,840 of 4,026 for speaker:

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank the witnesses for their presentations and for answering the questions so far. Mr. Rogan mentioned that in July, Mental Health Ireland allocated €90,000 to local mental health associations to replace lost funding. I imagine that is not a euro-for-euro reimbursement. Approximately how much money has been lost due to the inability to fundraise for Mental Health Ireland's...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Non-Covid Healthcare Disruption: Mental Health Services (14 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: Mr. Rogan mentioned that many new referrals to his services from younger people aged between 18 and 20 would be due to lost jobs in the retail and hospitality sector, which is very understandable. Perhaps Mr. Rogan will not be able to answer this. What level of new referrals are for people suffering from anxiety over how the State is responding to the pandemic? I refer to people who have...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: Before I address the witnesses, I also would like to call for a session in the near future to which the trade unions would be invited on this specific issue.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: In their submission, they offered to come in. What we are seeing here is that were it not for MRCI and the work of the unions, we would not have any information-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: -----about what is going on inside these meat plants in what I and many others interpret as the largest example of systemic worker exploitation happening in the State. We had a session here a couple of weeks ago where it became clear that one was most likely to contract Covid in three areas: a healthcare setting, a nursing home or a meat plant. While there are issues with healthcare...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: When we had a debate with the former Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Deputy Creed, some weeks ago, he was very defensive and borderline aggressive in his responses. Responding to me, he said I was entitled to my own opinions but not to my own facts. That was when I was referencing the figures being put together by the MCRI and the trade unions. Knowing the people and...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: Yes, that will be fine.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: Me neither. I sympathise.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank Ms McGinley for her answers and for her work in this area.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank the witnesses for their attendance. I want to return to their rationale for not engaging with the unions which, frankly, I find incredible in the current climate. I want to point to Meat Industry Ireland's opening statement where it refers to the reason high-level clusters occurred and states that there was uncertainty as to why large clusters occurred. Mr. Carroll stated this "is...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: Okay. Will Mr. Healy agree to meet SIPTU, for example - yes or no? Will Mr. Healy agree to the invitation it has extended?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: Will Mr. Healy meet its representatives?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: Is that a "yes"? Will Mr. Healy meet them?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank Mr. Healy for confirming that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I will present how Meat Industry Ireland is being viewed. We have had no other industries in here like the meat industry over the last number of weeks. This is not our first session on the meat industry. It has been discussed in questions to the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine. There are huge questions about the industry which Meat Industry Ireland represents and many people...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I am running out of time here.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I will be brief. I am not trying to create any artificial divide. I am just trying to bridge the massive gap in information that exists between submissions from Mr. Carroll's side and those submissions we are getting from the MRCI. I thank the witnesses.

Vote 33 - Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (9 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: Would it be fair to say that the Minister is pushing for more funding in the July stimulus package so that there may be some expectation or hope in the industry of further announcements later this month?

Vote 33 - Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Revised) (9 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State on their new roles. I look forward to working with them over the coming months and for however long this Government lasts. I get a sense from the Minister that she has a strong understanding of all the difficulties the arts sector faces and I am encouraged by that. The programme for Government states that as part of the July...

Rent and Mortgage Arrears: Motion [Private Members] (8 Jul 2020)

Duncan Smith: I regret that the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, is no longer in auditorium because I wanted to take this opportunity to congratulate him on his appointment. He is a constituency colleague and I know him well. He is, of course, a Fianna Fáil Minister. When many people heard that a Fianna Fáil Minister was taking over the housing portfolio there was a sharp intake of breath and worry...