Results 801-820 of 3,113 for speaker:James O'Connor

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Legislative Measures (13 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: 508. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if he will address and clarify the concerns raised in correspondence (details supplied). [6456/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (13 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: 580. To ask the Minister for Health if he will address concerns relating to the delay in dental treatment of a child (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6275/24]

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: The Government is aware of the enormous damage done in my constituency last October by Storm Babet. Residential homes, businesses and public infrastructure were very heavily damaged, with the cost of road damage alone estimated to be approximately €50 million, according to Cork County Council. The Department of Transport has told the council it does not have the funding to cover this...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: I thank the Chairman and welcome everybody. The particular of facet of interest for me with GSOC rotates around the increase in the number of disciplinary investigations into members of An Garda Síochána. There are two facets to this and some of this has been discussed this morning. The first element is that some of these are handled by An Garda Síochána internally....

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: Is that significant? I am trying to get to the bottom of this. The current figure for those under disciplinary investigations is 220. The original figure I quoted was from 2017, when the figure was 115. Mr. Whelan has said the system is at absolute capacity.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: The digital forensics unit is interesting. Is it a unit within the special detective unit, SDU, in the Garda?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: It is internal. Does GSOC do its own internal checks for inbound new staff who are being vetted?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: In terms of the vetting process, what is involved in that? Is it a case of getting a simple Garda clearance certificate? Are there more forensic checks in the background in terms of the personnel that are coming in, in light of what was raised by Deputy Devlin?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: I want to ask what is, from my perspective, a genuinely interesting question which is worth asking. Those working in GSOC are dealing with critically sensitive information involving a range of issues around enforcement in the Garda. Do the witnesses believe the current system as it stands is fit for purpose? Does it need to be improved, in terms of whether we do background checks on people...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: I will return to the original line of questioning. I thank Mr. Whelan for his response and the information he provided. In light of the need for additional resources, has GSOC had a conversation with the Department of Justice?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: When was that business case lodged with the Department?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: It was lodged in July last year.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: The business case arrived in the Department in July last year. To deal with further issues relating to the backlog and getting waiting times down to their previous levels, have the witnesses estimates for the number of additional staff that will be required? Is it a case of filling the currently vacancies within the organisation?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (8 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: It is not palatable for members of the Garda for these backlogs to be as high as they are. Members who are under investigation are put under strain and stress. As I said, it is about differentiating between right and wrong and I accept the need for the work GSOC does. However, when a considerable number of gardaí are leaving the force, for financial and other reasons, delays should be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (7 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: 181. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for an update on a school (details supplied) that is seeking additional school accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5114/24]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Agriculture Schemes (7 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: 385. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the reason a person (details supplied) has not received their ACRES payment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5027/24]

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 38 - Health
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022
Chapter 18 - Health Service Executive Funding and Financial Reporting (1 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: The first question I want to ask relates to the HSE's policies on HSE-led development of primary care centres. Will Mr. O'Connell please outline the criteria that differentiates between a decision on pursuing an HSE-led project versus that of going through a private developer-led model, and how that decision is made within the organisation and in conjunction with the Department?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 38 - Health
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022
Chapter 18 - Health Service Executive Funding and Financial Reporting (1 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: I apologise for pausing Mr. O'Connell but my question is not being answered. When the HSE makes a decision to put a primary centre into a community, and I will give an example in a second, there is the HSE-led project by itself and then there is option of going down the private route. Where in that process does the HSE decide what is private and what is public?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 38 - Health
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022
Chapter 18 - Health Service Executive Funding and Financial Reporting (1 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: Please give me an example from the past two years where that might have happened.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2022
Vote 38 - Health
Report on the Accounts of the Public Services 2022
Chapter 18 - Health Service Executive Funding and Financial Reporting (1 Feb 2024)

James O'Connor: My bugbear with this relates to Youghal in east Cork. I do not mean to be parochial but it is a good example. There was a plan at St. Raphael's, which is a former psychiatric facility, and a section of it is still used for that purpose. The facility was heavily modernised. A state-of-the-art plan was rolled out for St. Raphael's to modernise it and make it into a start-of-the-art...