Results 821-840 of 10,460 for speaker:Gerry Horkan

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: This is probably because they drive on the same side of the road as we do here and they are English speaking and so on. I thank Mr. Walsh for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I would love to give the Deputy more time. I can give extra time at the end.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: It is a very good point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I thank Deputy Matthews. I would love to have given him more time but we are finishing at 3.30 p.m. I have just seen that a motorcyclist died this morning and another cyclist died in Dún Laoghaire at a junction I have cycled through many times and with which I am very familiar. I want to pass on my condolences and those of everyone on the committee to the families and friends of those...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Does Mr. Rowland wish to come in?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Relating to Road Safety: Road Safety Authority (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Okay. I thank Mr. Waide, chief executive, and his colleagues, Ms Kelly, Ms O'Connor, Mr. Walsh and Mr. Rowland, for all they are doing and for coming here today to share with us their thoughts on road safety and other aspects within their remit. I will suspend the meeting while we bring the representatives from Fórsa into the room.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: The purpose of this section of the meeting is to meet representatives of Fórsa to discuss issues affecting driver testers. On behalf of the committee, I am pleased to welcome Mr. Ruairí Creaney from Fórsa. I will read a note on privilege. Witnesses are reminded of the long-standing parliamentary practice that they should not criticise or make charges against any person or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: We have an update on that, but I will come in afterwards.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I thank Mr. Creaney. We received Fórsa's opening statement yesterday. We had the RSA in for the last two hours and towards the end of that session I teased out a couple of the points, advocated for by Fórsa, with the RSA. Am I right that Deputy Smith is under a time pressure and must be somewhere at 4 p.m.?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I will be very brief and then I will let the Deputy comment. First, I will clarify a couple of points that I asked the RSA delegation. In the RSA's background information that accompanied its opening statement, it referred to the fact that the waiting time was 15 weeks and, as of this morning, the waiting time is 14.9 weeks. I must rely on the information the RSA has given me. The waiting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Mr. Creaney can read the transcript and watch the broadcast to see the interaction and hear what was said.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: We can discuss that at our next private meeting. Anything we do will be done in agreement with committee members.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I will let the Deputy go to his briefing. Perhaps he could give my apologies at his briefing as I will be here. It makes more sense if we have more testers. If it is a short-term interim blip, I can understand why any business might recruit people on a short-term basis. However, it has been acknowledged that we have a large population that is increasing and is young. We have people...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I will stop the Deputy to let him know that I asked the RSA a number of questions based on the opening statement. It might be useful. First, the RSA clarified the waiting time is down from 24 weeks to just under 15 weeks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: It is looking for sanction. Without committing, the RSA said it expects it to have approximately 165 or 170 permanent testers, but it needs sanction from the Department. All of them would be permanent testers rather than 130 permanent and 30 or 40 continuing to roll over as temporary. That is the information I got from the RSA-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: -----at the end of the meeting. I do not think Deputy Kenny was here and I want him to know it before he starts on a particular tack.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: That comes from me on behalf of the committee as well, and on my own behalf. Mr. Creaney raised this issue clearly. Due to timing, the RSA appeared before Mr. Creaney, but I had read his opening statement. I put a few questions to it. Mr. Creaney is free to look back at what was said. It is up to him. However, I got the impression that the RSA is looking to increase the base and have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Affecting Driver Testers: Fórsa (24 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I thank Mr. Creaney. As we have all articulated, it is important, predominantly for young people and those getting into the system who have not applied for a driving licence before and are in the process. In many places in Ireland, public transport is not a viable option. People may not own a car but have the use of one. They want to be able to have a part-time job in the evening, travel...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: I welcome to the House, for the first time in his new role, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Patrick O’Donovan. He is very welcome back to the Seanad. I wish him well in his new role, as I am sure we all do.

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2024)

Gerry Horkan: Amendment No. 2 is a physical alternative to amendment No. 1 and amendments Nos. 4 and 5 are physical alternatives to amendment No. 3. Amendments Nos. 1 to 5, inclusive, are related and may be discussed together by agreement. Is that agreed? Agreed.