Results 4,261-4,280 of 6,944 for speaker:Michael McNamara

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: The Deputy's five minutes are up but he may come in again at the end. I have a question on the introduction of the latest regulations. Regulations are often introduced before they are announced. They could take effect on Monday morning and are published on Monday afternoon at the earliest. Under the regulations on wearing a face mask on public transport, it was only an offence to refuse...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I understood there was no consultation with the union but was there any consultation with workers in a separate way outside the union to see how this requirement might work in practice?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: We have all read the horrific story of a bus driver in Bayonne in the south of France being beaten to death for asking somebody to wear a face covering. Returning to the original point, Mr. O'Leary is correct that the term "relevant persons" includes employees of the transport company, which would be NBRU members, and NTA personnel. Did the NTA send out personnel to monitor compliance with...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Is Mr. O'Leary aware from speaking to NBRU members of any NTA patrols?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Returning to the taxi drivers, the plight of the taxi industry seems to be very much shared by hackney drivers. I appreciate there is often rivalry between the two groups. In the west, the Western Chauffeur Drive Association has reported an 80% reduction in income for March and April. Does Mr. Waldron accept that a similar difficulty is being faced across the PSV sector? In other words,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I agree that a forum is a good idea. Before other speakers contribute again, I will ask one more question. Mr. Waldron said that he received 500 boxes of face masks from the Chinese embassy. I do not expect him to be able to answer this question, but does he have any idea where they were made? I ask that question because in the People's Republic of China there is a phenomenon called a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I take that point. Furthermore, neither the NTA nor anybody else in Ireland is checking the source of where this PPE comes from, which is sad. There was a time when Irish foreign policy was otherwise. In terms of China's internment of Uighurs and other Muslims in the north western Xinjiang province, there are almost 2 million people estimated to be incarcerated. These people are a Muslim...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I ask Mr. Waldron to repeat that.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Any generosity is to be welcomed, particularly if it meets a shortfall from a State authority. Dealing with the latter is, I suppose, the primary purpose of this committee. I was just wondering if anybody knew where the masks were made, in what conditions they are being made or if there is any State authority here is looking at that, particularly in view of Ireland's enhanced role on the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: And, perhaps, the Department of Foreign Affairs as well.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: The Deputy might wish us to make that recommendation.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: Solidarity-People Before Profit pressed for this session. Would Deputy Boyd Barrett like to speak last or to proceed now? I am alerting the Deputy to the fact that there are two other speakers yet to come.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Mr. Waldron. Deputies Cronin and Ó Murchú both have additional questions to ask.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I will allow the witnesses a couple of minutes to respond.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I thank Mr. Waldron and all the witnesses in the committee room for all the questions they have answered. I now propose to suspend until 2.30 p.m. when we will meet representatives of the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport. I will make the point that several colleagues who wished to speak at this session could not do so because there was a possibility of votes being called in the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (Resumed) (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: We are joined by representatives from the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport to further discuss the impact of Covid-19 on public transport provision. I welcome Mr. Kenneth Spratt, acting Secretary General of the Department; Ms Deirdre O’Keeffe, assistant secretary; Ms Deirdre Hanlon, assistant secretary; Mr. Fintan Towey, assistant secretary; and Ms Maria Melia, principal...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (Resumed) (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I call Deputy O'Rourke. He has ten minutes but may take as long as he wishes as there are few members present, through no fault of their own.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (Resumed) (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: The Deputy has spoken for 13 minutes. He can speak for as long as he likes within the time allocated to his party, but his colleague, Deputy Ó Murchú, wishes to come in. I do not know how the Deputies wish between the two of them to use their time.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (Resumed) (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I am not stopping Deputy O'Rourke from continuing to speak. I am just alerting him to the time.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Impact on Public Transport (Resumed) (24 Jul 2020)

Michael McNamara: I call Deputy Ó Murchú.