Results 4,001-4,020 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: The Minister should know enough now.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I have a question of local interest to me and do not expect an immediate reply, but the Minister might give me one in writing. Earlier, the HSE told us that the Department engaged the DAA to carry out the follow-up calls in respect of people coming into the country. What tendering process was done for that or how was Dublin airport selected over, say, Shannon, which is going through a round...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: With the DAA, but how ------

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: That is fine. I thank the Minister. There are some other issues I would like to raise, but I have taken up enough of his time. I thank him for coming in and making himself available. I appreciate that is it a busy time for him and for his officials. I particularly thank Mr. Malone, who I know had to work through his holidays to organise today’s meeting, and Ms Sarah Cremin from...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: We have a quorum so we will go straight into public session. I apologise for being slightly late. I thought we were sitting in the Dáil Chamber but it became apparent that we were not. We have been notified that Deputies Holly Cairns, Cormac Devlin, Paul McAuliffe, Jennifer Murnane O'Connor, Padraig O'Sullivan, Carol Nolan, Bernard Durkan and James Lawless will be substituting for...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: It may well be that he is not available the following week. I do not know. In fairness to the Minister and to the acting CMO in particular, they are entitled to some downtime and family time.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: If the secretariat could seek-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I have not seen the media reports and the Social Democrats have not contacted me to tell me that they wish the Minister to be called before the committee. Personally, I hope there will not be a need to meet the Minister and that the schools will open as anticipated, as I expect and hope they will. Can we discuss this matter in private session? I was not aware of these issues and I thank...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: That is fine. We tried to do that by holding three sessions today.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: Absolutely.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I accept that. We will also be sitting in September so that might be an opportune time to bring in witnesses other than the Minister for Health and the deputy chief medical officer.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: The acting thinks it might be too late. In fairness to the Minister for Health, he said that he and the acting chief medical officer would be available next week. We can discuss other witnesses later rather than taking up time now. I agree, however, that we must give people adequate notice, particularly at this time. On that, I thank the secretariat for organising today's meeting at very...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I welcome our witnesses, who are in committee room 2, to discuss the situation in meat processing plants. I have a different name on the list before me but the representative from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, ICTU, is obviously Ms Patricia King. I welcome Ms King and thank her very much for coming before the committee again. She was here on the first day, as were representatives...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Ms King very much. I am afraid I did not time her. I had forgotten there are no timers in the Seanad, which I suppose is timeless, so I do not know if there is any extra time to be given to Mr. Ennis. He has five minutes and whatever time is left over from Ms King's time slot.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I note Mr. Ennis has called for a 24-hour turnaround period in testing. This committee made a similar recommendation just over a week ago. Is Mr. Ennis saying that the turnaround period for tests in meat plants was four days?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I do not want to eat into my colleagues' time. I thank Mr. Ennis for that clarification. I call Ms Labo from the Independent Workers Union and ask her to confine her contribution to five minutes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I ask Ms Labo to conclude.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Ms Labo for her presentation and for all the information she crammed into that five or six minutes. I will now open the floor to questions. Is Deputy Durkan taking five minutes?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: It depends on how many Fine Gael speakers there are. They have 20 minutes in total but no more than ten minutes at this stage.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: The Situation in Meat Processing Plants (13 Aug 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Mr. Ennis. I am afraid Deputy Durkan's five minutes are up.