Results 4,781-4,800 of 6,530 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I accept that. It makes complete sense in respect of the point of law. Regarding antigen and PCR testing, it is believed a vaccinated person presents a lower risk than an unvaccinated person. That is where I assume there is a differentiation between the two.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I was right at least once. We are all dealing with Omicron and its outworkings, combined with the disaster that Delta has been for us. Regarding our sampling, updating and all the rest of it, has there been further information? We are all getting the idea that Omicron is more transmissible and that it might be slightly more resistant to antivirals and vaccines. However, we were not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: In fairness, it seems that due diligence is being done and all information sources in respect of Omicron are being chased down, which is vital and will play a significant part in making determinations on moves in respect of these new restrictions. I appreciate all that has been said. I ask the Chairman to allow me to put a slightly tangential question relating to an issue that has arisen....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: No, it is not indoor dining. I am asking about the rules that have changed. The venue is an indoor soccer hall, for want of a better term, but I assume it falls under the same category as leisure centres. There are adults who take the kids playing soccer and are responsible for them and actually play alongside them. I suspect that some of the cohort may not have bothered getting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is okay. It was an unfair question. I was just looking for clarity.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I would appreciate that because it is slightly anomalous. It is not clear from the guidelines published on gov.ie.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Covid Testing for International Travel into and out of Ireland: Discussion (8 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I would appreciate that. I know some of my questions are somewhat tangential.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: There should be no diminution in numbers.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It is fair to say that communities have been failed over the years. This is where we are starting from. When we talk to any organisation working in the community and voluntary sector that deals with drug addiction and the communities that are being ravaged by it, they tell us that it has become more difficult to deal with the State. I hope that what the Minister of State is saying will be...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Health Services (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We are here to discuss the planned removal of the community and voluntary addiction network groups from the national oversight committee on the delivery of the national drugs strategy. We believed the removal was going to happen on Friday. A number of us met and the Minister of State will have received a letter as well as communications from a number of people on this matter. There has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Bodies (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Planning and licensing will be major issues, and they obviously needs to be done. Significant work has been done by broadband officers. I will come at this from two ends. There is a necessity to look at planning laws and such. National Broadband Ireland, NBI, is looking for the resource to be available, particularly if it gets to the point of an acceleration, where people would have the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Bodies (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 65. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the expected timeframe for the reconvening of the mobile phone and broadband task force; if she will report on the membership, structure and specific actions of the task force and the initial engagements that are due to take place; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60213/21]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Bodies (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I am looking for detail on the mobile phone and broadband task force, which the Minister mentioned earlier. I want to know about its membership and structure, what specific actions are intended for it to take and any initial engagements that are due to take place. We all know the difficulties there are at this point in time with the roll-out of the national broadband plan, NBP. Even in a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Bodies (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I really welcome the news that the task force will meet next week, which is vital. We can guess the different actions it will need to do. If it sets out with a limited scope in terms of the number of jobs it has to do and if it can deliver on them, that will be welcome. A vital part of that will be dealing with interim solutions for areas that may be waiting five, six or seven years at...

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We are all dealing with a situation where a large number of people engage private health insurance. It amounts to 45% of people in the State. On some level, this Bill, which is a process that we go through every year, is an element of accepting the failure of our system, in that we do not have the public health system that people deserve and require. We all accept the necessity of this...

EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Motion (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I accept what the Minister of State said that this is a technical necessity and just a continuation of the status quo. We all accept that it makes absolute sense that passenger name records information is maintained for a certain period. We all know that we need all the tools that are required to deal with international crime, which is utterly cross-border and, in some cases, technically...

Written Answers — Department of Rural and Community Development: Flexible Work Practices (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 88. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development the status of the delivery of remote working hubs; the progress of the development of a national hubs network; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60214/21]

Written Answers — Department of Public Expenditure and Reform: Flood Risk Management (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 221. To ask the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform the expected timeframe in which the tender brief for a scheme (details supplied) will be developed; the expected stages of consultation regarding the flood management proposals in this area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60167/21]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Care Services (7 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 567. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the future of a centre (details supplied) in County Louth; the reason this essential respite centre has not reopened while other services have; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [60168/21]

Social Welfare Bill 2021: Second Stage (3 Dec 2021)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I welcome the fact we are dealing with the PUP being put back in operation, which is a necessity. We have also had the conversation, before we even had today's announcements or leaks, in regard to the necessity for businesses that were already being impacted to receive supports. When the Minister is talking to her Cabinet colleagues and others, I imagine that has to be part of the solution...