Results 901-920 of 5,566 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis na finnéithe as teacht os comhair an choiste. I appreciate that Mr. Conlon has come in to answer these questions post the decision-making, although he was not there. It can be difficult to answer for the actions of others but I appreciate that he has come before the committee. I want to start with the modular homes. Could he confirm to me what the...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Does he agree that it would not be 120%?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: The issue is that it was 120%. I want to get to the bottom of why that is the case. We had the LDA before the committee just two weeks ago. We found out that the production of non-modular units in Shanganagh cost €409,000, which seems like a huge sum of money, but we are talking about modular homes with a lifespan of 50 years to 60 years – rather than permanent structures...

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: We have all said there was an utter disregard of taxpayers' money in this instance. That is what people think. Could Mr. Conlon answer my question on that?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Then why were we told initially that it would be €200,000? It is a massive increase.

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Who was responsible for the underestimation? Was it the contractor?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Which teams?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Which teams?

Public Accounts Committee: Appropriation Accounts 2023
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: We have the public sector spending code for a reason. What I understand is that the Department of children and equality did not prepare a strategic assessment report or business case reports, preliminary and final, as required by the code for projects costing more than €100 million. Does that not seem strange?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: An issue came up with me recently is that of somebody in digs who, as part of their SUSI application, was asked to provide a utility bill. Obviously if a person is in digs, he or she will not have a utility bill. Because of the lack of regulation in the sector, some students are going to pay cash. It does not give them the details. Is that a further reason to have digs regulation? Have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Another big issue that comes up a great deal is independence and proof of independence. I am not exactly sure, to be totally frank, how to change that. However, the whole issue of independence and people trying but not being able to prove their independence to get a grant s probably one of the main issues that I come across when it comes to SUSI. Do witnesses agree that is an issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: There was not a massive amount of change in the SUSI grants in the budget. Some of the thresholds changed. I asked the Minister how many students that would impact. He said about 3,000. If I am not mistaken, there are 15,000 in Galway alone, so it is impacting a very small number of people. Has USI noticed more and more that while people might think at the start that they are able to go...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: It is huge. I was contacted by a PhD researcher. Researchers do not pay tax on their stipend and are not able to get the renter's tax credit. Has USI raised that with the Department of Finance?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: In the future, though it should be immediate, we need to figure out what exactly affordable student accommodation is. Everybody needs to come together. I know we are waiting on the student accommodation strategy, which USI has raised countless times with me and, I am sure, with the Minister. It is frustrating that we still do not have that. We need to bring USI, the Department, Irish...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: My time is up. I thank the witnesses. They do significant work, which is stressful because they are dealing with people in serious crisis situations. It is trying to figure out how to help them. In many cases, unfortunately, there is very little help for people. Fair play to USI. I look forward to joining the witnesses on their protest.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I am sorry that I was delayed. I have another committee meeting as well. The main issue that consistently comes up from students is accommodation. How many have dropped out at this point because they are unable to get accommodation? If they do not have the data for this year, are the numbers for last year available?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Financial Supports for Tertiary Level Students: Discussion (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Is USI going to compile it?

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Special Areas of Conservation (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 136. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if it is the intention of the Minister’s officials in the Inland Fisheries Division and senior management at Inland Fisheries Ireland to conduct retrospective appropriate assessment screenings on two bye-laws, namely the Pike Conservation Bye-Law (No. 809) and the Coarse Fish Conservation Bye-Law (No. 806) from...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Special Areas of Conservation (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 137. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the reason no appropriate assessment screening was conducted for the Conservation of Salmon and Sea Trout Ballysadare (Catch and Release) Bye-Law No. 1012, 2024 that covers multiple SACs, considering that other recent bye-laws legislating for salmon conservation in SACs have been screened for under the EU Habitats...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Special Areas of Conservation (22 Oct 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: 138. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the damaging anthropogenic introduction of highly invasive fish species such as perch and bream into rivers that feed The Gearagh Special Area of Conservation (SAC), a unique alluvial forest in County Cork, has been recently highlighted on RTÉ Radio One, if he and his officials in the Inland Fisheries Division...