Results 4,301-4,320 of 18,851 for speaker:Fergus O'Dowd

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: Everyone is very welcome. One of the problems we have is that, because of Covid, we have to have distance between attendees. If all members turn up, this room will not suit us, so we have to think about that, not today but for our next meeting. If we could get a different room, perhaps the Seanad Chamber or even the Dáil Chamber, it would be more appropriate because this is such an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: Everybody has a right to make a contribution. We held meetings on Thursday afternoons to allow those travelling from the United Kingdom to come here. The decision is entirely in the hands of the members, however. We must remember other committees also have times allocated. The alternative is to sit on a Monday or Friday, when there would not be a problem over publicity and with giving due...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I thank the Deputy.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I acknowledge Deputy Tóibín coming in. He is very welcome. I do not know whether there is a seat with a microphone at which he can sit. If not, there are seats at the back or the side. We will facilitate the Deputy whenever he wishes to make a contribution. It is not the tradition for the clerk to the committee to speak in public session so we may go into private session in a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: We have many ideas. We will draw on our collective wisdom and communicate to the clerk to the committee the dates that are available and the options. We shall meet next Thursday week with a view to solving this issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement: Business of Joint Committee (29 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: We will leave it for the moment. We will meet Thursday week, think about it and look at all the options and we can make a decision then. Is that fair to everyone? Agreed.

EU-UK Negotiations on Brexit: Statements (Resumed) (24 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I will take six and a half minutes. I welcome the Minister to the House. To be clear, he has been anything but silent, feeble or weak on this issue, and nor have the Government, Opposition parties in the House and our colleagues in the EU. Each and every one of those colleagues backs what we are saying, namely, that Britain must abide by the agreement it signed. The EU unambiguously...

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: European Maritime and Fisheries Fund (24 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 298. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the number of applications received for the latest round of EMFF fisheries local action groups funding announced on 21 September 2020; if applications were received from County Louth; if so, the reason applications were not successful; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26194/20]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Heritage Sites (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 71. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform his plans to bring a landmark site (details supplied) back into use and open to the public to draw much needed tourism to Drogheda town centre; if a financial assessment has been undertaken to ascertain the overall cost to bring the landmark back into use; if so, the cost; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25903/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Stroke Care (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 204. To ask the Minister for Health the number of patients that were referred to acute stroke units in each of the CHOs in each month since January 2020; the names and locations of each of the units; the number of persons referred to the aforementioned acute stroke services from outside of their CHO areas due to stroke services in their own areas being out of hours in tabular form; and if he...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 212. To ask the Minister for Health if concerns raised in correspondence by a person (details supplied) in relation to the dentistry profession will receive a response; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25873/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: 211. To ask the Minister for Health if a pop up Covid-19 test centre will be provided in Drogheda, County Louth in view of the significant increased demand on testing that has been evident since July 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25867/20]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: I indicated, Chairman.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: It is very clear that nobody will sign off on any report without all the accountable people coming here, including the Minister for Health, NPHET and all the other parties. I wish to place on record that the first ever proposal that was made at this committee was the offer of the Taoiseach-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: Could I just make this point, please? The Taoiseach and the Minister for Health offered to come in here and the committee turned it down. Deputy Cullinane's party turned it down. That is why they did not come initially. It is not true to imply that they do not have an interest or that they do not want to be here. It is wrong to use this committee as a political football. It is...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Business of Special Committee (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: The implication is that he is hiding from the committee when he is not.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Strategic Options for Government Plan to Eliminate Community Transmission (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: As Chairman of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on the Implementation of the Good Friday Agreement, I very much support the proposals from Professor McConkey and Professor Ryan on increased co-operation between North and South on Covid and the east-west connection. I will work my hardest with my committee to follow that up. I live in a Border county, from the River Boyne in Drogheda to the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Strategic Options for Government Plan to Eliminate Community Transmission (23 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: On that point, this area is on the Border and it is a Border issue as well because it is where all of the tourists go and it seems to be a serious problem there.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Covid-19 Tests (22 Sep 2020)

Fergus O'Dowd: What is clear now is that the Slane centre is closing. The decision has been made. The Meath test centre is moving, I think, to Dunshaughlin or Ashbourne. The Dundalk centre is moving to Ardee. That is what is happening on the ground. The Dundalk centre is moving to an area equidistant from the two big towns of Drogheda and Dundalk, but that means more people will have to travel farther....