Results 4,541-4,560 of 6,804 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Engagement with the Irish Air Line Pilots' Association (15 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: That is a point well made. What I am hearing is that the starting point here is different from the starting point in other countries or areas where the culture is different. This is almost about a proper check-in, based on experience to date.

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures Bill 2022: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I move amendment No. 3: In page 4, between lines 37 and 38, to insert the following: “(e) The Minister shall make provision in the Electricity Costs Emergency Benefit Scheme to identify those who own holiday homes or multiple properties and put in place a mechanism to ensure such individuals do not receive more than one electricity costs emergency benefit payments. (f) The...

Green Hydrogen Strategy Bill 2022: First Stage (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled an Act to require the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications to draft and publish a hydrogen strategy within six months of the passing of this Act. I welcome the opportunity to introduce the Bill, along with my colleagues Deputies Réada Cronin, Johnny Guirke and Maurice Quinlivan. Hydrogen generated from...

Green Hydrogen Strategy Bill 2022: First Stage (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister for his update. I have just a couple of questions. Am I right in saying the overall Department budget is down by 6%? Is that a trend the Minister expects to continue? What is the headline figure in that regard?

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: On a related point, will the Minister give me a sense of what he will do to encourage people back onto public transport? He said the Covid supports account for a significant part of that 6% budget decrease. We have provided €208 million to subsidise the public service obligation, PSO, routes on top of what would normally be given. It seems strange there would be such a massive...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will point the Minister towards the issue of fares. They are and remain a significant barrier. If we are already providing additional subsidies to the public transport network when they are running well below capacity, there is real opportunity to do something in that regard. The Minister pointed to the issue of hybrid working. Another issue that frustrates people is the lack of...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: There is an urgent need for it. I have experience of trying to be committed to public transport while working part-time. The minute one moves away from it and back into the car, one saves time and money. From a policy perspective, that is the wrong incentive and needs to be addressed. There is huge opportunity to encourage people onto public transport if we make it make sense for them....

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will come back to a couple of issues. I have concerns about regional balance, how it will be achieved and how it is playing out in practice. I am looking at two issues in particular. The first is the trans-European transport network, TEN-T, review. As I understand it, DART+ and MetroLink are included in that review. My colleagues in the west of Ireland are concerned that the proposed...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Therefore, there is an opportunity. The concern is that this TEN-T review closes the door for a considerable period. The Minister is saying that is not the case.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: We will be hearing about the western rail corridor and rail links to Navan and elsewhere as part of our considerations. On a related point, we asked specific questions about the NTA funding for active travel projects undertaken in 2021, broken down by local authorities and other bodies. We did the same for cycling and walking projects in 2021. The geographic spread of such projects is...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: That is my concern. I refer to this being a case of the survival of the fittest and of first up, best dressed. When it comes to local authorities competing to see who will be the best dressed, for me it is no coincidence that these schemes were launched in the Dublin suburbs. I say that with the greatest of respect for those areas; they are as entitled to fight their case as anybody else....

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: From speaking to members of local authorities, some of the issue here concerns the nature of Ireland and the pool of potential staff. Having spoken to people in my region, they would say their local authority got additional staff, but they came from the local authority next door. In turn, that same local authority which got the extra staff might also have lost staff to its neighbouring...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Regarding the NDP and the roads projects, there are useful interactive maps of which projects exist and what stage they are at in that context. We can be frustrated by projects not having reached particular stages, of course. Those interactive maps exist for the Twenty-six Counties. The Minister already has a long list of things to be done in this area, but I think we should map the...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Turning to the subject of hauliers, there has been and is great frustration in the sector. It is under great pressure and hauliers took to the streets before Christmas. The Minister met with members of the representative bodies, and he indicated that some moves would be made after Christmas. What is he doing for that sector and what does he intend to do for it? Will anything be included...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (9 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Time is of the essence here. The hauliers have protested on the streets twice now. The economic challenge posed to them has not got any easier. There are aspects that could be addressed, including, for example, the fuel rebate and the alternative fuels excluded from that measure. If one speaks to hauliers, they will point out the types of supports they require to move towards Euro...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State for being here. I have questions across a number of subheads. That is probably a more efficient way of-----

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I will throw out some questions on subhead A1. Some of this may be related to the different way of presenting figures this year. As I see it, there is a reduction in administration pay. Does that relate to a staff reduction? Why are we seeing that? On A3, for the Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, we see a change in current versus capital expenditure. Under the capital programme, was...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised) (8 Feb 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: Is the figure's going down related to staff reduction?