Results 21-40 of 5,781 for speaker:Cathal Crowe

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I am allowing an overrun on all speaking slots but I am conscious that we have more speakers to come in and we also want to get everyone in for a second round of questions. We might get the remaining answers in a little while if that is okay with Senator Tully. I am sorry but I am trying to get everyone in before we conclude and am also aiming to get everyone in for a second round of two...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I am next on the roster, and I have a few questions. At the outset, I thank the witnesses. I will just mention Stephanie. Do people know who she is? I will not mention her surname, but she is outstanding in the Department's Limerick office covering County Clare as well. I think she is tuned in, so if she is watching, we appreciate everything. She is working flat out, and we really...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: We would love to know the figure because, although people will say it worked and led to efficiencies, it did not in many ways, if you ask me. There were three or four colossal public meetings in the local hall. We had 400 or 500 parents attending one of them. RTÉ was out. There were protests. The buses eventually ran like clockwork, but only after a lot of teething problems. It was...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: There is a system whereby children have to apply for 17 schools, yet the Department's requirement is that they should be attending their local or second-nearest schools. What if a child ends up with the school that is furthest away? This is happening by way of how that policy unfolds.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: Yes, and that is how it should work but, unfortunately, it does not. I can think of many examples. I will not get into it at this meeting, but there needs to be cognisance of the fact that children may be attending school A, B or C but it may not have been their first choice or it may not be their local school. I know of kids who lived in Ardnacrusha, yet they got Pallaskenry secondary...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: Senator Sharon Keogan is next. We have built up a customary practice of three minutes for non-members and then we will go back to members for a second round.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I will give members three minutes each, because we could yet have a couple of members returning to get questions in. Deputy Aisling Dempsey is next.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I call Deputy Darren O'Rourke.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I thank Deputy O'Rourke. I call Deputy Pauline Tully.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: Okay. I call Deputy Jen Cummins.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I have the final speaking slot. I have three minutes. I wish to return to Sixmilebridge and the pilot scheme there. While it may seem parochial, it is not. Everyone in here needs to be tuned into this pilot scheme because it could be somewhere else in the country next. I have asked for the costs of the scheme. After posing all of those questions, the response I will get will outline...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I thank Mr. Kent. Before we conclude, this is our final committee before the summer recess. If anyone wants a good summer read, the book written by former Minister, Mr. Eoghan Murphy, Running from Office, is quite good for all of us to read. It starts off about his personal journey in politics, which is similar to all of our own experiences, but approximately three quarters of the way...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Irish Aviation Authority: Engagement (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I thank the witnesses for being here. Have there been any Russian military flights, rogue flights or RAF incursions into Irish airspace in the past 12 months?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Irish Aviation Authority: Engagement (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I would imagine that the IAA would have a bit of information.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Irish Aviation Authority: Engagement (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: We are aware of that. We are aware of the IAA's functions, yet sometimes the civil aviation radar gets dotted with rogue flights and flights that do not have a transponder at a given time. Will Mr. Fitzpatrick comment on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Irish Aviation Authority: Engagement (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: Is Mr. Fitzpatrick familiar with Project Ireland 2040 and the national planning framework?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Irish Aviation Authority: Engagement (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: Both documents speak very loudly about balanced regional development and not having everything Dublin-based, yet, as other speakers have said, Dublin has a hugely dominant position in terms of all flights that take off and land in Ireland. I think the figure is around 84% or 85% and it has been higher in the past. That leaves the five airports along the western seaboard vying for that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Irish Aviation Authority: Engagement (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: Shannon Airport in my constituency can increase its passenger take fourfold, by up to 10 million, without changing a single thing or adding a single brick to the building. Dublin, on the other hand, has to look at expansion. There is all the stuff with An Coimisiún Pleanála, which is a separate debate. Let us leave that over there. Nevertheless, Dublin is pretty much at capacity...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Irish Aviation Authority: Engagement (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: I may interject before my time runs out. I appreciate mothership Europe is always bearing down on the Government with regulation, but we also have our own policies here at home. We have our national aviation policy which we are going to review. We have Project Ireland 2040: National Planning Framework. At the moment, Irish aviation policy is tone deaf to those policies. It does not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Irish Aviation Authority: Engagement (16 Jul 2025)

Cathal Crowe: If we changed the policy the IAA would have to adhere to it. Is that the case?