Results 11,421-11,440 of 32,547 for speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not aware of the status of that post. I will find out for the Deputy and I will write to her.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy Harkin. The Deputy heard my response on Sligo Garda station. I know where the building is. I have not been in it but clearly the kind of debate we are having about it here today would not be happening unless the building itself needed an awful lot of change. I heard what all of the Deputies had to say about that. Deputy Harkin referred to Jamestown. I am not in a position...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I imagine that if the Minister of State, Kevin Boxer Moran, is listening to this debate, he is listening rather ruefully given the amount of recognition he is receiving here this evening for all his great work. The interdepartmental group meets regularly. It was chaired by the Minister of State, Kevin Boxer Moran.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not know when it met last. It is a fair question to ask. I will find out and share that with the Deputy. I will get the OPW to write to her with that information. Are the minutes available for it? They are internal minutes and I imagine they are available in some format for the Deputy if she wishes to see them. The proof of how active that interdepartmental group has been is the...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: If the Deputy lists the particular road projects he is referring to and makes that information available to me, I will come back to him with an update. On Lough Funshinagh and the difficulties with turloughs, the OPW has provided funding to Roscommon County Council to explore whether any feasible engineering options are available. The OPW expects a final report from the county council on...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I will follow up with the OPW on that question. I am sure it has used the approach the Deputy has described on many occasions. I will share that information with her. The OPW tries to adopt a whole-of-government approach in many different areas and on many different challenges. The difficulty it has is in managing the issue of flooding and floodplains on which citizens live. Those...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not sure. In fact, I doubt the OPW has information that is so specific to the use of concrete in construction work it has done. I will certainly ask. I can guess where the Deputy is coming from but I am not sure the OPW will have that information.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his various questions. As he will be aware, the first public consultation for the Ballinasloe flood relief scheme took place in March and it is hoped to complete the feasibility study for this project and bring the scheme to public exhibition in the third quarter of next year. Subject to the consent process under the Arterial Drainage Acts, it is currently estimated...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his gracious comments regarding the Minister of State, Kevin Boxer Moran, which were echoed by a number of other Deputies this afternoon. He was an incredibly energetic and dedicated Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW. He made an enormous contribution to address the issue of flooding and in reducing the risk of flooding. Much of the progress we are...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I do not know the details of the planned consultation but I imagine the OPW will want to ensure the voice of the local community is heard. When the consultation is being designed the Deputy's point will be borne in mind. Where a local community is not aware of what is happening and does not have an opportunity to have its voice heard this creates difficulties further down the line.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for her questions. I know that all of the projects to which she referred have been a cause of much local debate within her constituency. The OPW does its best to get the balance right between facilitating public consultation and debate and delivering projects to reduce flooding and the risk of flooding. Both of those objectives also have public support. I know from...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I cannot confirm that the action has been completed but I know that work was undertaken to deliver it. I will write to the Deputy with a full answer to her question.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I am not aware that the OPW is looking to take any further action in respect of the Phoenix Park in the way the Deputy has described. In terms of the processes that are necessary for the OPW to go through in order to do the kinds of things the Deputy has noted, it is required to make everything public. Doing so can lead to better evaluation and scrutiny of what the OPW is looking to do....

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank the Deputy for his various questions. It is great to hear his acknowledgement of all the work being done by his local authority in dealing with the various flooding risks in his constituency. He detailed as well as I could all of the work that has been done to deal with the flood risks associated with the River Shannon. A great deal of funding and collaboration has gone into trying...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I have met the insurance sector. I met all of the CEOs of our insurance companies this year. I met Insurance Ireland a number of weeks ago. I had another meeting this morning with the Alliance for Insurance Reform. In those meetings, all of the focus was on the cost of insurance and some other policy areas. My understanding, though, is that there has been a definite increase in the cost...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I spoke to one of the OPW commissioners about this matter this morning. As the Deputy knows, given that we both represent a constituency adjacent to the Phoenix Park, the current state of play is that both main gates are open, which means the park is being used for access in the way the Deputy described. The OPW is considering a number of options where the gates and parking are...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I thank Deputy O'Rourke for his questions. The OPW remains committed to how we can mitigate the risk to our natural heritage and heritage sites by flooding that is arising now or that could happen in future. If Deputy O'Rourke has any particular sites or projects in mind, he should share them with me and we will give him an update on them. Deputy O'Rourke asked about the contribution of...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I will come back to the Deputy on the plan for Tara. I will ask the OPW to meet local authority officials and local representatives to discuss the linear cycleway in Ashbourne. I am aware of the project and I know there is considerable local support for it. It could be a great amenity. I will ask for that to happen.

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: I take the Deputy's point. A lot of work is under way on the retrofitting of Government buildings. As the Deputy said, if we have a need and a duty to retrofit, for example, housing for which the State has a responsibility, there is an equal need to retrofit other buildings for which we are responsible in order both to save money and to reduce the harm they could do to our environment. I...

Climate Action and Low Carbon Development: Statements (Resumed) (17 Jun 2020)

Paschal Donohoe: Perhaps in the time left to the Deputy he could restate the full list of projects on which he wants updates in terms of potential costings and timelines. I think we have them all noted, but if he could read them out again we would be very happy to share that information with him as well as the engagement the OPW has had with his local authority. I have seen at first hand the impact of...