Results 881-900 of 5,587 for speaker:Kevin Humphreys

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: On the skills shortage in farming, has there been a geographic mapping of where the skills shortages are and in what type of areas? In social protection, the Intreo offices, as an employment agency, have done quite extensive research into the skills that people who attend those offices have. I always worry when people talk about the first option being bringing in foreign workers who need...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: There has been an expansion of farm assist beyond rural areas in the west. Has there been engagement other than the pilot scheme? We have to consider the unemployment figures in rural Ireland. Mr. Stapleton is saying there are job opportunities. There has to be a matching up of skills rather than the first option being to look for work permits for workers from outside the EU.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Is the IFA engaging with the Intreo offices?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Mr. McDonald's argument regarding work permits would be much stronger if he were to formally engage on a larger scale and show that people with the necessary skills are not available here and neither is their potential to employ such people here. The association has to engage on this on a larger scale other than a pilot project. The same applies to the argument regarding the expansion of a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (12 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: That was quite a mouthful.

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Fire Safety (7 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: The tragedy at Grenfell Tower was terrible, particularly in the context of the number of lives lost. We must learn lessons from what happened in London. There is a drive, especially under this Government's policy, towards higher-density and high-rise accommodation. In many instances, I do not disagree with that policy. However, we need to ensure that the necessary infrastructure is in...

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Fire Safety (7 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Minister of State. Maybe he could ask the officials to actually respond to the particular questions I raised in the first instance. I ask them to comment on the 91 residential buildings that were identified as having cladding similar to that used on Grenfell Tower. Is there a register in the fire stations so that the fire services actually know where those buildings are and do...

Seanad: Order of Business (7 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: Senator Lombard made a good point about the serious discussions and debates that are needed. The reality is that there will be far more of these storms in the future. The effects of such storms will extend beyond the telephone and electricity lines to the crops that are growing throughout this country. Senator Lombard is going to have to be realistic about these issues. We are part of the...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (6 Dec 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I will not read the Minister poetry, although I am being encouraged to do so. In all seriousness, when we enacted the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015, we set up the Climate Change Advisory Council. Its recent report clearly shows why it was set up, which was to give an early warning that we would not hit targets. It was built and designed on the model of the Irish Fiscal...

Seanad: Order of Business (30 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I wish to join in the tributes to my colleague, Senator Norris, and wish him good wishes from St. Andrew's resource centre. Senator Norris made Joyce accessible to many people from the inner city. People always looked forward to seeing Senator Norris at St. Andrew's on Bloomsday, which he did for many years. I have also been asked to convey the good wishes of Ger and Martha Siggins today....

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I was fairly shocked when listening to "Morning Ireland" this morning when I heard about the ban on overtime for members of the Garda in this city. Gardaí were sent home last night from stations after being told that there was no money to pay for them to work. There is an urgent need for a Supplementary Estimate. The Garda Representative Association, GRA, described it as an open door...

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: To the Order of Business, sorry.

Seanad: Order of Business (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I beg the Leas-Chathaoirleach's pardon. I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that the Minister for Justice and Equality should attend the House today to tell us how this city will be policed over the next four weeks. One hears from the GRA that the Garda does not have adequate numbers to police the city unless overtime is provided yet the Minister has been silent so far on the...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach, but I do not intend to use them all.

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I will move quickly with this Minister. The song "Simply the Best" ran through my mind throughout the contributions because we are actually simply the worst in terms of the environment. Our emissions have gone out of control. I will discuss a couple of points. I support the idea of developing solar energy, onshore and offshore wind, biomass and microgeneration. All of these are...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: The Minister, Deputy Ross, is welcome back to the Seanad. I hope he will visit much more often in future. I will continue on the subject of aviation emissions by posing a question on investment and expansion in the aviation area. We discussed improved connectivity, involving the connection of Dublin to an increasing number of American, European and Asian cities. Is achieving this on the...

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: It was a mistake.

Seanad: Ireland's Bid for European Banking Authority: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I very much echo the comments of Senator Richmond. I acknowledge the amount of work done on the bid by the Irish diplomatic corps and the Minister of State. It would be worthwhile to analyse what we did well. We did an awful lot of things really well. There were elements that we could do better, which we can learn from. One of the most important things that we must do now is acknowledge...

Seanad: Garda Overtime Budget: Statements (29 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: I welcome the Minister here this evening. I am grateful that he came in. This morning I thought it important to table the motion for the Minister to come in to debate this serious issue. Most people who listened to "Morning Ireland" this morning heard reports that there was no budget for overtime for gardaí until the end of December. That has been clarified during the day. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Cost of Doing Business in Ireland: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Nov 2017)

Kevin Humphreys: On the high cost of banking, have the representative organisations been able to compare charges in Ireland with those in other European countries? I am aware of the high transaction charges so what charges are levied with respect to the lodgement of cash and elements like that? It is a big deal in the competitiveness element. We have taken issue with insurance and costs in the motor and...