Results 61-80 of 1,565 for speaker:Michael Fitzmaurice in 'Dáil debates'

Financial Resolutions 2023 - Budget Statement 2024 (10 Oct 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: On other initiatives, have a look for rural Ireland. We need more transport but with joined-up thinking on how we operate it. Where is the budget for that or for the likes of road infrastructure from Galway to Donegal or the M20? We need balanced regional development in order to create opportunities for people. I welcome the childcare measures but, once again, I have found out from other...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Tánaiste speaks about Ireland having full employment, and about a surplus and a budget, but I ask that he spares a thought for a father with whom we have been dealing over the last nine or ten months. Unfortunately, some children with autism, including his child, are non-verbal. His two other siblings are also living in the house. The child is under the adult age at 17 but is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (28 Sep 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The Tánaiste is correct in saying that some people are able to live with a small bit of help, and that has tended to be what has happened over the last number of years, but what appears to have happened in this case is that the youngster has severe autism and is getting stronger, wrecking the house and breaking up cars. The father is looking after this child on his own and he cannot...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (5 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: The new agri-climate rural environment scheme, ACRES, was welcomed by many farmers. There was to be a system of a scorecard and an app that the Department had put together, especially for those in the commonage areas, for marking the different types of flowers and so on. This app has not worked properly and it was 23 days late in transferring the different portions of land across. The...

Nature Restoration Law: Motion [Private Members] (5 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank all the different speakers who have spoken, regardless of whether it was giving us stick or supporting us. I thank those who came to the House to speak in this debate. A few points need to be addressed. Let us be honest with the people out there. A regulation has no flexibility. I heard references to various areas of biodiversity loss. I have looked into the hedgerow part of...

Nature Restoration Law: Motion [Private Members] (5 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — while preventing further decline in the current state of biodiversity is an essential element in ensuring the resilience of our planet and our food production systems, we recognise that certain steps must be taken to improve the state of biodiversity across the Europe Union (EU); — the EU Biodiversity Strategy for 2030...

Nature Restoration Law: Motion [Private Members] (5 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I had understood it was to be the Minister of State, Deputy Noonan.

Nature Restoration Law: Motion [Private Members] (5 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: At least the Minister of State, Deputy Calleary, is well familiar with the area. I am grateful for the opportunity to bring this motion on the nature restoration law to the Dáil. At the outset I want to make it clear that those of us who signed this motion are not against nature. Every one of us lives in nature; we promote nature; we were brought up with nature. We come from the land...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (4 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: A total of €22 billion is being spent on health in this country. It is ironic that the Minister of State says that a sixth of the population is in that area, which covers one third of the country. It is a big area and we should try to bring the services as close as we can. These people were prepared to travel. There is no question of that.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (4 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: These people were prepared to travel 115 km each way. Yet, we did not have a service in the whole of the west of Ireland. We did not have it in Letterkenny, Sligo, Castlebar, Roscommon or Galway, which was to be the centre of excellence. It is a damning indictment of our country - and I come from the agricultural sector - that if that night I had an animal that lost part of its foot or was...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Services (4 Jul 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the Minister of State for coming in. It is a pity the Minister for Health is not present. I think an inquiry needs to be held into this. The child is 17 years of age. He had an accident. NoWDOC is in chaos in Carrick-on-Shannon. This child went to Sligo hospital but it does not have the facilities to deal with his situation. We are supposed to have so-called centres of...

Environmental Protection Agency Water Quality Report 2022: Statements (28 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this report. I agree with Deputy Murnane O’Connor about septic tanks. If one did not register, one had to pay a fiver to do so at a later date. If late registration costs €20 now, that is fine. However, we should look at water quality. I ask the Minister of State to do so because it is stupid for a county council to do the 5% they are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (22 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I thank the office of the Ceann Comhairle for facilitating Deputy Harkin, who was unavailable. The Deputy is seeking from the Minister for Transport an update on the provision of funding for the progression of the N17 Collooney to Claremorris upgrade for the years 2024 to 2028, inclusive.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (22 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Deputy Harkin, along with other Deputies in the area, has been to the forefront of this. I was in County Sligo for the launch with great fanfare of Project Ireland 2040, as were other Deputies. The upgrade of the N17 road was part of it. Small amounts of money are all that are needed for the coming years. The N17 is a major road. We are talking about having a greenway from Sligo to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Road Projects (22 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the provision of funding. I ask the Minister of State to prioritise this project later in the year. For all of its sins, during the time of the boom, a lot of great work was done in road infrastructure around the country. A few roads in that region, including in Letterkenny and the N17 to Galway, need development. The statistics show roads in the region are not getting the same...

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: If I may just say one thing to clarify this for the Ceann Comhairle. Probably nine to ten months ago, we asked the three Ministers to come in on the peat issue. One Minister said that if the other two came in that they would come in.

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Hold on. Now, we have asked them all to come in again and none of them will come in.

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this matter. There are some positives, including that the population has increased in rural Ireland. The Department has the town and village renewal scheme and all the different things that have helped many communities; there is no denying that. The local improvement schemes have been a huge help as well and that has to be recognised. I live in rural...

Our Rural Future Policy: Statements (14 Jun 2023)

Michael Fitzmaurice: Rural.