Results 81-100 of 11,970 for speaker:Niall Collins

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: Sorry, I have the floor. Sinn Féin describes the problem and provides a commentary on the problem, which is fine and we are all well able to do that. What would Sinn Féin do differently? How would it resource it differently?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: Sinn Féin has never outlined a detailed proposal.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: It will not take An Coimisiún Pleanála two years to reach a decision on the second 96-unit block.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The delivery time for decisions through An Coimisiún Pleanála has drastically fallen, thankfully.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I passed UHL recently; it is a massive building site.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: There is huge investment going on there.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: A lot has been done and I accept that more needs to be done. It is incumbent on everybody to point out the positives of it as well.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: There are challenges there, but there are plenty of positives.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Policy (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: As I stated at the outset, the provision of amenities and services is a core element of the plan-making process and is key to promoting the development of balanced and sustainable communities. Section 10 of the Planning and Development Act 2000 sets out mandatory objectives which must be addressed by local authorities in their development plan, including objectives for the integration of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Hospital Overcrowding (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank Deputy Quinlivan for giving me the opportunity to address the House on capacity at University Hospital Limerick and provide an update on measures that are being taken to alleviate overcrowding. Reducing emergency department overcrowding and reducing waiting lists is a priority for this Government. Many patients are still waiting too long for hospital appointments and treatments....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Housing Policy (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I note he is raising it in conjunction with his two colleagues, who, unfortunately, are not here to partake. I recall that my Fianna Fáil colleague, the other TD in the area, Tom Brabazon, raised this issue at a Fianna Fáil party meeting recently when we were discussing the whole area of sustainable communities. In the first instance...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Fees (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank Senator Harmon for raising this important issue and for the opportunity it provides to discuss the Government’s ongoing work to make further and higher education more accessible and more affordable. The Minister, Deputy Lawless, is today at an informal meeting of EU researchers in Copenhagen so unfortunately he cannot be here to discuss this topic himself. The Government...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Fees (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I have been following and engaging in this debate for the last number of weeks, I think it is fair to say that this is just pure populism politics being playing by a lot of people in government and across the Opposition and I have no hesitation in saying that. When was there ever a budget announcement in July? The budget will be at the end of September or in October, the same as it has been...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disability Services (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The Minister would like to thank Senator Stephenson for raising this important issue and for offering her the opportunity to respond. Respite is a key priority area for the Department and the HSE and we have seen significant investment in respite services. Respite services can play a crucial role in delaying and-or preventing moves into full-time residential placements, preserving the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Disability Services (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The data the Senator wants to see flow from the audit is something we can alert the HSE on. There has been steady growth in respite since 2022 with 2024 seeing a significant increase in activity with nearly 10,000 additional overnight sessions and 20,000 day sessions delivered. This coincides with an increase in funding year-on-year. Great work is being done to identify the best use of our...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Students (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: I thank the Senator. Ireland has consistently condemned the ongoing Israeli military operations in Gaza and continues to urge all parties to do everything possible to support efforts under way to reach agreement on a new ceasefire and hostage release deal. The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, including Irish embassies and consulates worldwide, provides consular assistance to Irish...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Students (17 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has assisted 153 individuals in exiting Gaza. Where officials in the Department have received requests for assistance, they have reviewed each case within the context of the Department's consular assistance charter, which guides its overall consular assistance policy on the ongoing situation in Gaza and provides clear advice and guidance to these...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Departmental Correspondence (15 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: 281. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if a scheme can be extended (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38929/25]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (15 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: 598. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government for an update on the actions he has taken, and proposes to take, regarding the defective concrete block scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39489/25]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Peace Commissioners (15 Jul 2025)

Niall Collins: Peace Commissioners are appointed by the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, in accordance with section 88 of the Courts of Justice Act 1924, and the appointment of a Peace Commissioner is entirely at the discretion of the Minister. The fact that an applicant or nominee may be suitable for appointment does not in itself provide any entitlement to appointment as a Peace...