Results 7,421-7,440 of 25,732 for speaker:Darragh O'Brien

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: Gabh mo leithscéal.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I will tell the Deputy what I will-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I will conclude. I have been interrupted repeatedly. I want to state that I encourage contact with the unions. There is contact and I encourage the unions to re-engage with the State's process and industrial relations, IR, process.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: If I can, I wish to reassure the House that I have given an absolute commitment that the public sector pay talks will begin in July-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: -----which is next month.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: What I will not do, though, is what the Deputy and his party are doing, which is trying to use this matter for their own political gain-----

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We saw what happened here today. The Deputy is shameless and people see through it.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter and for the manner in which she did so, because this is a serious issue. I reiterate that much progress has been made since January on many issues. This has been recognised by SIPTU. The report on the retained fire service received more than 1,000 submissions, many of them coming from firefighters. The main remaining issue is that of...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I commissioned that review. I started this process.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We are a way down the road and I believe we can get there.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I regularly speak to firefighters. I know many of them, right across the country. I have visited many fire stations in many counties. There are two retained fire services in my area of Fingal, in Skerries and in Balbriggan. I know there is a way through this situation. We need it to de-escalate it. What I have said repeatedly is that there has been agreement concerning most of the work...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Berry. He is correct. The schemes have worked well. We would like to see them expanded further across the country. We have added to them with the Croí Cónaithe vacancy and dereliction grants. We have had nearly 2,000 applications in this regard and these schemes are working well. Urban regeneration and development funding, URDF, is also available in our regional...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I thank Deputy Berry. I welcome Private Kedian's comrades who are here today. I had the pleasure and honour of meeting them earlier this morning. I thank the Deputy for his continued advocacy on behalf of our Defence Forces, both serving and retired. It is important that we all remember the sacrifice Private Kedian gave for his country and the UN on a peacekeeping mission in south...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I assure the Deputy that following his intervention and his question today, I will raise the matter personally and directly with the Tánaiste. I reiterate that he has asked the Chief of Staff to consider a review of the medals process, perhaps using the incidence of Private Kedian as an example of some other outstanding matters in relation to recognition of Defence Forces personnel. I...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: To get back to the matter at hand, I know many of the men and women in the retained fire service across the country. I commissioned the independent review. I was not asked to do it, I commissioned it, published it and brought it to Cabinet twice. All 13 recommendations were accepted by the Government. Much progress was made in this regard concerning rostering and minimum staffing levels...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: We have made substantial progress in delivering over 13,000 ha of rehabilitated peatlands in Bord na Móna ownership. The Climate Action Plan 2023 has committed to a further rehabilitation of 77,000 ha by 2030. There are many measures being undertaken and these are just examples. I attended the Committee on Environment and Climate Action this morning for my own Department of Housing,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I would not usually describe Deputy Barry as being happy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: I see the Deputy carried out that extensive research on the list of speakers at breakneck speed and I suggest that the research and the results thereof would probably require some independent verification so I am not going to take the results of his research as gospel here this morning, if he does not mind. As a Government and as a country, we are very conscious that since Russia’s...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: The nub of the Deputy’s comment is at the very end when he said that is why there will be protests at this forum. I am sure that Deputy Barry will be outside there in Cork himself with his megaphone and placards which is his right to so do if he wishes, and I respect that while I disagree with him. There is no stitch-up here. Even Deputy Barry must realise that the geopolitical...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (15 Jun 2023)

Darragh O'Brien: That is a good change in his outlook.