Results 41-60 of 626 for at speaker:Micheál Carrigy

Seanad: Family Carers: Motion [Private Members] (31 Jan 2024)

Micheál Carrigy: I formally second the motion. I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, to the Chamber and acknowledge the support and work that she has done in that Department. It is a difficult role but it is one she has taken on to make positive changes, and I know she will make further positive changes. I am speaking as a Member of the Oireachtas but I am also the parent of a young autistic...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Jan 2024)

Micheál Carrigy: I also wish to be associated with the comments of my colleagues concerning the late John Connor. As Senator McGahon said, he represented Longford-Roscommon for a term, alongside the late Louis Belton. It is ironic to lose these two stalwarts of the party in a short time. Our deepest sympathy goes to the Connor family. I wish to raise the issue of the school building programme. I have...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jan 2024)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kind words. I want to thank a number of people who worked on this project and drove it. First, in particular, I thank the members of the committee who put to the Houses of the Oireachtas that this was something they wanted to see implemented, including Senators Ardagh, Wall, Garvey and Flynn. It was taken on board by the Cathaoirleach, the Ceann Comhairle...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I raise the disparity in overnight rates between the public service and the Civil Service. It has been highlighted to me, with regard to Garda overnight rates, that if a Garda has to come from somewhere such as Belmullet in County Mayo to the Central Criminal Court in Dublin and stay overnight for a case, the maximum payable is €107. As all of us know, we will not get anywhere to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I know they are independent but public representatives are not treated fairly or in the same way as other citizens. Our families do not get the respect they deserve when people admit and plead guilty to doing something. I am highlighting something that is a fact. A little bit more respect needs to be shown to us and our families. This issue was highlighted to me on Wednesday, the day...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Football Association of Ireland's Facility Investment Vision and Strategy, and Governance Issues: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome all our guests. Core to why we are here is about trying to rebuild, for a second or third time, the trust between the Oireachtas, the Government and the FAI. The organisation has been before the committee on a number of occasions. Even through the Covid pandemic, employees at a leadership level in the organisation were being paid significant amounts, hundreds of thousands of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Football Association of Ireland's Facility Investment Vision and Strategy, and Governance Issues: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: We purchased a site within Longford Town and the aim would be that it would be a home for at least two of the schoolboy soccer clubs within the town. The local authority and the members are being progressive about doing that. I agree with Mr. McDermott that it is unacceptable that people have had to fundraise to rent grounds for training. In regard to large-scale infrastructure-----

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Football Association of Ireland's Facility Investment Vision and Strategy, and Governance Issues: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: As regards the large-scale infrastructure funding, only three projects that were put forward within that are currently funded. It looks like that will be opened up next year. Where will the FAI prioritise what projects go into that next round of funding? Where is the FAI prioritising those to be located because the reality is that all the applications will not be taken at the one time?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Football Association of Ireland's Facility Investment Vision and Strategy, and Governance Issues: Discussion (13 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: That they are ultimately uncomfortable and open to a conversation does not instill confidence in me as a member here representing the taxpayer, to be quite honest. The reality is we have had poor leadership in the FAI over a long number of years. We questioned the lack of soccer infrastructure in the country. The reality is the leadership has not been there at the top to drive that...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Safety, Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the witnesses. I was watching for a while and apologise for being late, but I was at another meeting. First, my own view - and I have been quite vocal on it - is that we need to put minimum ages on access to social media accounts for children. The reality is that there have been various reports published which say that kids as young as eight or nine years of age have access and...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Safety, Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: That was why I tried to ask the questions in that way. There seem to be three different levels, to be honest, from what I am hearing. At the higher end of the scale, at Meta, it appears from what I have heard that politicians are treated differently. Even if a story has something to do with a person's private life, it is open season.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Online Safety, Online Disinformation and Media Literacy: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank the Chair and I apologise for coming in now; I had to go out to something else. I have a question about something I mentioned at the earlier meeting and that I feel very strongly about as a parent of young kids. It is children with access to social media accounts. When we discussed the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill, we discussed having a minimum age for social media...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Policy (28 Nov 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: The Minister of State is very welcome. I thank him for taking this Commencement matter, which relates to the voids programme. Under the Housing for All action plan, each local authority was targeted by the Department to reduce vacancy rates within its council housing stock. Longford County Council was given a target of reducing its 2021 vacancy rate of 7.2% to 3.5% in 2023. This was an...

Seanad: Sports Funding: Statements (21 Nov 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister of State. I concur with all other Senators that increased funding is needed for sporting facility infrastructure. It is well known that it is important for young people to be involved in sports and to keep active for their well-being, physical and mental health and the benefits in later life of having been involved in sport. There was a recent announcement regarding...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Heritage Sites (15 Nov 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: My matter relates to Corlea Trackway Visitor Centre in Keenagh, County Longford and the monastic site on Inchclearaun in Lough Ree. Corlea Trackway is a 2,000 year old Iron Age highway, which was uncovered in the bogs in south Longford. It has been developed into visitor site, managed by the OPW. Visitor numbers are quite low because it is not being promoted well enough. The range of...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Development of Local and Community Arts: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I apologise for being late. I was struck by the comment made about drama here in Leinster House. Some people think there is already a drama group here and we would not need to set one up. Regarding outdoor spaces, this is the way to go. During the Covid-19 pandemic, several community groups in County Longford, where I am from, bought into this approach. We now have several outdoor...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Development of Local and Community Arts: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Nov 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: Yes. There used to be the 1% arts fund for community or arts projects in the regions. It now seems to be gone. What are the views of the witnesses on this fund being brought back? Would it be something they would support? About ten years ago, I undertook a project at home myself under the auspices of that fund. Approximately 1% of the cost of a capital project was spent in an area and...

Seanad: Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Second Stage (14 Nov 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: ...of points I wish to bring up. I am speaking as an ex-smoker for a long number of years. I have been off them for 20 years, thank God. I was in a school in Longford, with the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, approximately 18 months ago, where a lady named Grace Kearney from the local family resource centre, Bridgeways in Ballymahon, spoke with first and second years about vapes. It...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Nov 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I thank my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy O’Donnell, for securing an additional €1.3 million for Longford County Council in 2024 to cover the loss in rates following the closure of Lough Ree power station. It means that we will not have to cut services. In future, though, I ask that the Department agree multi-annual funding for Longford County Council so that we do...

Seanad: Energy (Windfall Gains in the Energy Sector) (Cap on Market Revenues) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (9 Nov 2023)

Micheál Carrigy: I concur with the sentiments of both Senators Garvey and Murphy in congratulating the Minister, Deputy Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Smyth, with regard to putting this in place. As has been said, people said this would not happen; it is now happening.It is important to acknowledge the significant funding the Government has put aside over the last 12 to 15 months, from the energy...