Results 21-40 of 185 for long speaker:Pat Buckley

Committee on Public Petitions: Reform of Mental Health Services: Discussion (28 Sep 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...in the public interest. It is huge that it refers to being in the public interest. Somebody is lagging. Somebody is not prepared to pick up the slack here. I do not know why this has taken so long. I have said it before that the one thing that is missing here 99% of the time is bloody common sense; that we cannot do it. This is not the first time we have got notification from the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Bus Services (21 Sep 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...asking if the National Transport Authority, NTA, or Transport Infrastructure Ireland, TII, would consider a park-and-ride model of transport to run from Youghal to the train station in Midleton, along the N25, for connectivity. It would service Youghal, Killeagh, Castlemartyr and go into Midleton. Unfortunately, the response I got from the NTA was that, building on the work developed as...

Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Second Stage (21 Sep 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...Bill, but it is back to closing the stable door after the horse has bolted. The Bill is a bit late. Given the effect of energy poverty we in Sinn Féin have called for this windfall tax for a long time. I will give the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, the story of a gentleman I know personally who went on radio and had no problem saying it. He works in pharma, has a semi-detached...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Accommodation for Travellers: Discussion (21 Sep 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...went into a particular halting site with a particular age group and asked people if they knew there were alternatives to a caravan, very similar to a caravan but which would be way better, last a lot longer and be of a better and high-quality standard? I am talking about modular homes on-site because they are going to be plumbed the same way anyway for water, storage and electricity. Are...

Committee on Public Petitions: Closure of Vital Health Services: Discussion (13 Jul 2023)

Pat Buckley: I thank Ms Curtis for attending. This has been going on for a long time. What we have dealt with is only part of the file on Owenacurra. There are also parliamentary questions and you name it, not to mention the petititons. Ms Curtis is right. She mentioned suicides. Between 2000 and 2002, there were 69 suicides in east Cork. There were women aged 63, 54 and 33, and the rest were...

Investment in Football: Motion [Private Members] (12 Jul 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...at my club in Midleton, which is 50 years old. It has more than 860 young children in the club. It is lucky to have a strong voluntary group. It is about getting local facilities. I remember a long time ago I played above in Home Farm against Drumcondra. I will not say the result because it was more like a hurling match than a soccer match. We did not come out favourably from it....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Quality (4 Jul 2023)

Pat Buckley: I thank the Minister of State for taking this matter. The Ceann Comhairle introduced it well. Indiana Jones, I would say, has not around as long as this issue. This has been going on for approximately seven years. This boil water notice in the Whitegate area affects more than 10,000 people in Midleton, Ballinacurra, Cloyne, Ballintotis, Rathcoursey, Saleen, Upper Aghada, Whitegate,...

Committee on Public Petitions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (29 Jun 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...xed;ochána and the Defence Forces has been sitting in these Houses for quite a while. There is a lot of dust on it now and it might even nearly need to be hoovered. It has been sitting in here for a long time. It proposes to give the members of the Defence Forces and An Garda Síochána the option to join a union and have their rights and their say. This is what I am...

Committee on Public Petitions: Ombudsman for the Defence Forces Annual Report 2021: Office of the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (29 Jun 2023)

Pat Buckley: I was going to ask a question on section 114 but I will not do so as we would be here for a long time. It is a complicated process.

Retained Fire Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (13 Jun 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...example of the sacrifices fire service members have to make every day. It's a job that requires a commitment like no other, where only those truly passionate about helping their community stay for the long haul. In the article Mark went on to say that the firefighters must live within 2.5 km of the station so they can respond to calls quickly. He went on to say: During Covid and the...

Committee on Public Petitions: An Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission Annual Report 2021: Discussion (1 Jun 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...physically present or who give evidence from within the parliamentary precincts is protected, pursuant to both the Constitution and statute, by absolute privilege. Witnesses are again reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or entity, by name or in such a way as to make him, her or it identifiable, or otherwise...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (1 Jun 2023)

Pat Buckley: ..., is from Mr. Mark Darmody on behalf of Ms Cara Darmody. The petitioner advises that this petition has three aspects to it, all of which are connected. More than 18,000 children are waiting for long periods for autistic assessments on HSE waiting lists. It is accepted that it is the State's responsibility, through the HSE, to pay for these assessments but because the State is failing in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (31 May 2023)

Pat Buckley: ..., even though it was moved from there. During Covid, the delivery office I mentioned in Little Island was doing 40% more than the two offices in Athlone and Portlaoise. Ironically, there was a long-term plan for that to go on sale. If a company is going so well with parcels, why would it sell a profitable business? To make it worse, there was a rumour it was going to be sold to a...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (31 May 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...that the parcel office in Ballincollig is to move to Macroom in west Cork. That is absolute madness. I would like to see the lad on the bicycle going down to collect his parcels. It will take a long time to cycle from Ballincollig to Macroom. The other side of this is that more than 30 people work in the office in Midleton. Many of these people have relocated over the years. They...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism: Autism Policy (Resumed): Discussion. (25 Apr 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...so members can be more informed about what is happening. I understand where Ms Dada is coming from concerning family members not accepting her bona fides and that it is necessary to wait so long to even get an opportunity to get a diagnosis. We have heard from other witnesses that this is one of the biggest problems we have, especially with adult autism. I just wanted to make that point...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health and Safety (20 Apr 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...and I worked on a protected disclosure with the Minister, Deputy Michael McGrath, in order to get it over the line. The HSA has not done its job properly. Health and safety in this area was mentioned as long ago as 19 March 2022 in a motion adopted by Cork City Council. The latter raised the concerns relating to this issue. The matter went to the Labour Court before that in the...

Committee on Public Petitions: Public Petition on Lil Reds Legacy Sepsis Awareness Campaign: Engagement with the HSE (20 Apr 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...on the Joint Committee on Autism and to learn a lot more from witnesses and so on, through conversation and even in such a short period. I do not think that committee has been operating for very long. Next month, we will be the first parliament in the world to be autism-friendly. This committee is also very different. It is a mix of all parties but it is very level; there is no real...

Committee on Public Petitions: Decisions on Public Petitions Received (20 Apr 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...to it. It is a great committee. It has been going well. We always say anyway - maybe we are biased - we have the best workers on the committee here and the best secretariat of the whole lot. Long may it continue. I wish Susan the best in whatever she does next.

High Energy Costs: Motion [Private Members] (7 Mar 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...attached to it. This motion is about the fact that we must look after our people. It is in the report and it is in many other reports that one in ten people is going to food banks. It is not too long ago that I remember a food bank being opened not too far from me - not in my constituency - while the country was supposed to be booming. We certainly must stop the companies from price...

Standards in Public Office (Amendment) Bill 2023: First Stage (23 Feb 2023)

Pat Buckley: ...about working together and enhancing accountability. We need accountability within the HSE and other entities. In this regard, we could probably consider some more legislation. It was not too long ago that Deputy Farrell and I worked on the protected disclosures law. We worked with the then Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Michael McGrath. We did not seem to agree...