Results 5,741-5,760 of 6,816 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, for the update. I wish to raise supports for taxi drivers with her. I will refer to a number of the measures taken. There was €150 for the suitability test. There was a one-year extension, not a rollover. If taxi drivers were at nine years last year, they got an extra year, but they are faced with a significant cost this year. Why...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State. We appreciate that funding is an issue, but my concern is how the limited budget available is directed. At this point in time I emphasise in the strongest terms that funding should be directed towards survival and recovery in the first instance. A related issue is aviation sector workers, and cabin crew in particular. The Irish Aviation Students'...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I have a follow-on question about another group of important transport workers, namely, private bus operators. Many of them are struggling to make ends meet and are dependent on the school bus transport scheme. Many operate outside of the State Bus Éireann scheme and are essentially unsupported, outside of the general schemes that are available in fairness to the Government. They are...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2021
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Revised)
Vote 31 - Transport (Revised) (30 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I want to make a very clear point. I raised this with the senior Minister, in fairness, and he made the same point. Bus operators the length and breadth of the country asked me how he does not understand the difference in what we are saying. The Department of Education, with Bus Éireann, operates the State school bus transport system. I am talking about school bus operators who...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (25 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: The Government has an ambitious retrofitting plan but I am concerned that it is a case of building castles in the sky. I could list many cases of families, renters and homeowners, who are pensioners in some cases, who live in cold homes that are D-rated or worse. The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland was with them a decade ago so they will not see it again, such are the rules. There...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: With regard to the vaccine priority list, the Minister has said medical conditions and the magnitude of the risk they pose will continue to be monitored and periodically reviewed. There is robust evidence for poor outcomes in Covid-19 in the presence of pre-existing heart failure. This is for hospitalised patients and patients in the community. I can send the references to the Minister. I...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister. Is it the normal course of events that there are reviews? Are there ongoing reviews or scheduled dates for reviews? The Minister might come back to me on this. The next issue I want to raise is the roll-out of vaccines to adults with intellectual disabilities and Down's syndrome, particularly adults with intellectual disabilities in residential care who have been...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I ask the Minister to come back on whether the reviews are scheduled. I might contact the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, on one or two cases in my area with regard to the roll-out to people aged over 85 who are confined at home.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Vaccination Programme (25 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: 179. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to the prioritisation of heart failure patients for access to the Covid-19 vaccine in view of information (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16068/21]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: 46. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the new measures he plans to introduce to reduce the 20.3% contribution of the transport sector to Ireland’s total greenhouse gas emissions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15579/21]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I ask the Minister about his plans for the transport sector as part of our overall action against climate change. I very much welcome the revised climate action Bill published yesterday. The scale of the challenge is huge and with the transport sector accounting for 20.3% of emissions, I ask the Minister what contribution he sees the transport sector making to our 2030 target.

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I have supplementary questions on two matters. One is the Connecting Ireland programme. There are particular challenges in Ireland because of the spatial configuration of our communities. We are unique in many respects, specifically the dominance of Dublin and the types of rural and sparsely populated communities we have. Connecting Ireland is essentially a BusConnects programme for the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Climate Change Policy (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister. On that point, at the climate committee yesterday we heard from Dr. Lynn Sloman who referred to a Swiss example of good rural public transport. Built into it were performance and service standards that were binding. That is the type of direction we should be moving in. I will let the Minister come back to me on the point on electric vehicles. I refer to the Road...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: We received lots of documents at the transport committee and we have heard from the RSA. I read one document we had not previously seen in the media at the weekend, which outlined the concern in the RSA about the impact the backlog will have on road safety and insurance costs. Those are real issues that need to be addressed. The limited capacity that is in place currently is not even...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: I ask the Minister of State to go back and speak to the RSA because what she said is not actually the case. The RSA has clearly said there is spare capacity currently as essential workers cannot sit the test because they have not completed their lessons. I am not trying to make a meal out of it, but I ask the Minister of State to go back to the RSA and confirm whether what I have outlined...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: 44. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the actions he is taking to address the backlog in driver tests, theory tests and driving lessons; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [15578/21]

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Driver Test (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: There is a massive problem in the area of driving tests, lessons and licences. I do not yet see a sense of urgency from the Government. There are 100,000 people waiting for driving tests and more than 80,000 waiting for theory tests. The demand for lessons is huge. It is having a major impact on workers and families and it needs to be a priority. How are the Minister and the Minister of...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: 42. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the way in which he plans to support the aviation sector in light of the necessary public health restrictions and the devastating impact of Covid-19 on the sector; if he plans to establish a new survival and recovery taskforce to plan and prepare to sustain and recover this important industry; and if he will make a statement on the...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: The aviation sector is facing an unprecedented challenge. Most people acknowledge the need to suspend international travel at this time as part of the State's pandemic measures, but it is also recognised that this puts significant pressure on an already crippled sector. Aviation workers need financial support and protection during this time. The sector also needs a survival and recovery...

Ceisteanna (Atógáil) - Questions (Resumed) - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Aviation Industry (24 Mar 2021)

Darren O'Rourke: Aer Lingus today announced an expansion of its air services from Manchester. I saw a communication sent within the company which offered staff here the opportunity to move to Manchester and base themselves there on local terms and conditions, that is, Manchester terms and conditions. That is deeply concerning for those workers. It has been said that this is happening because there is such...