Results 61-80 of 184 for speaker:Peter Roche

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 Oct 2025)

Peter Roche: The issue that I want to shine a light on here today is in relation to wind and solar energy in east Galway. I know that it is outside of the Minister's area of responsibility. In east Galway, particularly in the Tuam-Athenry area, we are being bombarded with proposed developments for wind turbines towering 185 m high, a solar farm that is planning to take up 800 acres and a gas plant in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Management of Hospital Waiting Lists and Insourcing and Outsourcing of Treatment: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Peter Roche: I say to the Minister, Mr. Gloster and the team of departmental officials that it is heartening that, today, we again have access to so many people who matter to us in terms of managing our health services. I do not want to spoil the show now by asking my questions. I have two or three I want to put to the witnesses. One is about a PET scanner. We do not have a PET scanner for the west...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Management of Hospital Waiting Lists and Insourcing and Outsourcing of Treatment: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Peter Roche: In the few seconds I have left, I will register my thanks to the witnesses for being here and taking some quantity of time out of their busy schedules. Being informed matters to us and it matters to the general public to know that they are in safe hands.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I think all of us would have specific cases. Obviously, it would not be an avalanche by any manner of means, but we have people come to our constituency offices with those circumstances where they would be engaged full time in caring and their farm would be more of a financial burden than financially rewarding. They are doing the State a great service by providing care for their loved one....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I fully accept that cases have to be assessed and the criteria are strict. The cases that I mentioned, as I said, involve only a small of people who have come to my constituency office who would fall into that category where they are full time. In fact, in order to come to the constituency office, they would sometimes have to get somebody to stand in and do the caring while they were...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: 96. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will review the assessment criteria for social protection payments in cases where applicants and-or part-time farming applicants are not in paid employment outside the home but provide essential unpaid care and support within the household; and if he will consider allowing greater flexibility in recognising minimal or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Eligibility (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: Will the Minister consider reviewing the assessment criteria for social protection payments, especially in cases where applicants, including part-time farmers, are not in paid employment outside of the home but are providing unpaid care within the household? Could there be more flexibility in recognising minimal or subsistence-level farming activity, given the concerns that the current rigid...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: 62. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the supports his Department is putting in place to assist small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly those without dedicated HR capacity, to prepare for the introduction of the auto-enrolment pension scheme (details supplied); if he is aware that many SMEs in areas such as Galway east have reported receiving little to no...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: 139. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he will review the appeals process and criteria for carer's allowance and disability allowance, in light of cases where families providing full-time care have been refused supports despite clear evidence of need, particularly in rural areas where access to services is limited (details supplied); and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Small and Medium Enterprises (25 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: 248. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans to support Irish SMEs affected by the 10% tariffs now being applied to most exports to the United States; whether targeted measures are being developed to help these firms diversify into new markets or offset the increased costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [37630/25]

Use of Vapes and Nicotine Products by Young People and Adolescents: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I thank the Minister of State for bringing this debate to the Chamber. It is a very significant and important topic that we need to be honest about. If I remember the Minister of State's remarks, she mentioned vaping was both "lethal" and "addictive". Regrettably, many users of vaping products have no concept of those two words. I think they see it as cool and trendy to be using these...

Use of Vapes and Nicotine Products by Young People and Adolescents: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: Who is subsiding that? Who is policing all of that? What is coming out of this?

Auto-Enrolment: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I thank the Minister for his statement. Like others, I welcome the scheme, which is going to give greater security to people entering into retirement. It is an important and necessary ambition. Too many people, particularly those in the private sector, risk reaching retirement age with only the State pension to rely on. In principle, I think the concept is good. However, in my...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I thank our guests for their contributions and welcome them all here. I was somewhat concerned by Mr. Pike's opening statement when I heard that people felt excluded, unequal, unqualified and untrained and that they just did not fit in. That is a massive deficit. It really concerns me that this would be happening in today's world. I had the benefit and the pleasure of sitting on interview...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I love it when I hear people say they have found the job that they always craved as an SNA. I love to hear that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I thank the witnesses for attending. They are most welcome. We had an earlier session with Fórsa which gave us good insight regarding the SNAs feedback on how they are fitting in, so to speak, in schools and the kind of demands put on them in terms of additional work outside of their SNA role. Some of it was worrying, to say the least, but how and ever. I noted that witnesses stated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Update on Key Issues Relating to the Health Service: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I thank the Chair. I thank Mr. Watt and Mr. Gloster for their statements. Like all the other members I welcome them, along with their expert panel. While I have a national brief I am going to be a little parochial because the issue my colleague from Roscommon, Deputy Daly, raised earlier on, namely, Portiuncula hospital, is something I am really passionate about and concerned about....

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Embracing Ireland's Outdoors - National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: I apologise that I missed the presentation but I had a copy of the report in any event. First, the witnesses are very welcome. I live in rural east Galway and I would welcome any development that encourages people to get onto the trails and walkways, to be more aerobically fit and more healthy mentally and physically. Any investment like that is really needed. It behoves everyone who uses...

Joint Committee on Social Protection, Rural and Community Development: Embracing Ireland's Outdoors - National Outdoor Recreation Strategy 2023-2027: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Peter Roche: Not frequently but now and again, I would have reason to do those very trails. You will find from time to time that the vast majority of people are responsible and they respect where they are but there is a cohort that will not, and it is used for alternative uses. Illegal dumping and littering is another issue. Once you have all the stakeholders together and you give reassurance to the...