Results 1,161-1,180 of 2,283 for speaker:Matt Shanahan

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Staff (12 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: 1036. To ask the Minister for Health the advertising, if any, to date that has taken place with respect to filling the vascular surgery post at University Hospital Waterford (details supplied); if he will provide a copy of the job specification as advertised or that will be advertised on foot of approval by the Consultant Applications Advisory Committee; and if he will make a statement on the...

Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (7 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: I will not speak to the Bill as I prefer to take this opportunity to flag several issues in regard to planning generally. The Minister has intimated there are further amendments to come, which will give us a chance to revisit the provisions. There is an obvious need for affordable housing, whether by way of private sector delivery or State-supported schemes. With the cost trajectory and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the Companies (Protection of Employees' Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the witnesses for attending. This is an important committee meeting. As somebody from Waterford, I have great sympathy for the position that Debenhams workers found themselves on. Deputy Bruton asked earlier whether assets were put beyond reach. I do not know whether they were but what was done to Debenhams workers was unacceptable. We cannot have a repeat of that in the State....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the Companies (Protection of Employees' Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: I thank Ms McElwee. Whether it is on a statutory footing or otherwise, is the collective agreement considered a hard debt within a business which is looking at an examinership process? That is what I am trying to figure out. If you are looking at examinership for a business and its total debt profile, where does the statutory agreement figure, not in the debt ranking but as an actual hard...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the Companies (Protection of Employees' Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: I am particularly interested in examinership but we will not go there. It is probably a little complicated and the ground may be uncertain at the moment. I refer to the idea of a stand-alone fund and a collective agreement for enhanced statutory redundancy. Would IBEC be looking at a situation where both employees and employers would look to pay into such a fund? Could that be established...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the Companies (Protection of Employees' Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: Going back to my point, could this be done on an individual basis for a company? It could essentially set up its own insurance fund to cover its own statutory requirements, which would not necessarily fall back onto the State.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Pre-legislative Scrutiny of the Companies (Protection of Employees' Rights in Liquidations) Bill 2021: Discussion (6 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: We all want to be sure that workers will not find themselves in such situations again. I also have concerns about competitiveness. I heard Deputy Barry talk about raising the ceiling for employers' PRSI payments. He might like to look across the Continent and say that we are paying a very low rate. This is about competitiveness. If those rates rise, it will reduce our international...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: That is why what we advertise counts.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: It might interest the Tánaiste to know that I asked the Library and Research Service, L&RS, to conduct a review for me last year. It told me that it could not do it because it did not have adequate transparency around data. That is something that the House needs to take up. I will digress to share my frustration about capital downgrades. This morning we heard about a downgrade...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: I have significant concerns regarding the absence of publicly available data on Government spending, a matter I raised previously with the Tánaiste. In particular, capital spending is a black hole. We see the money going in - some €87 billion this year, €12 billion of which is on capital projects with €165 billion heading out the door by 2030. We see bits and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Defective Building Materials (5 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: 208. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if he will outline in respect of the ongoing issue of pyrite and other contaminants appearing in cement and concrete blocks (details supplied), the enforcement measures that are taking place, directed by his Department, to ensure continuous and rigorous inspection of concrete block and cement product being offered to the...

Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022: Second Stage (1 Jul 2022)

Matt Shanahan: I welcome this Bill on the provision of education for children with special needs. I thank both Ministers for being in the House today. It has been well outlined that we have a significant problem with providing the educational pathway for children with special needs and disability. We all want to provide, inasmuch as it is possible, the opportunity for children to be offered education in...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (30 Jun 2022)

Matt Shanahan: During Leaders' Questions last week, the Taoiseach described to me improvements in foreign direct investment, FDI, job creation into the south-east region. I can find no reference to his data. What I can find shows national IDA Ireland jobs growth of 6% but lacklustre growth in the south-east region of just 1.6%. Despite having 9% of the population, the south east has just 5% of IDA...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2022)

Matt Shanahan: 4. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the present procurement schedule and timelines for a new build for a school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34954/22]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2022)

Matt Shanahan: My question is for the Minister. What are the present procurement schedule and timelines for a new build, Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge, Baile Gunnair?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2022)

Matt Shanahan: I thank the Minister most sincerely for her engagement with me on this process from the outset and her diligent attention to this school project, which is so badly needed in east Waterford and will do so much to improve the whole ecosystem of Irish in the region. We have an adjacent Gaelscoil as a feeder school to Gaelcholáiste Phort Láirge, which will take in almost 180 students...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2022)

Matt Shanahan: I sincerely thank Ms Cáit Ní Shé, the príomhoide, and the foireann iontach she has around her, especially the múinteoirí, tuismitheoirí and an bord bainistíochta. I will also raise the issue of site ownership. The Department has to buy that site and I ask that this be expedited. There are ongoing contracts that, hopefully, are to be exchanged. I...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2022)

Matt Shanahan: 24. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the latest Ombudsman’s report which details that her Department is trying to react to issues rather than pre-plan and that better strategic planning for places for children with special educational needs is required going forward; the new planning being carried out to address the issue; and if she will make a statement on...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2022)

Matt Shanahan: 29. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on the latest report from the Ombudsman for Children's office, which suggested her Department is failing children with special educational needs regarding the provision of suitable school places, (details supplied); the new plans that are being put into place to address the matter; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34956/22]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (30 Jun 2022)

Matt Shanahan: 32. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if her Department has put plans in place to review the contract process in relation to school building works and the contracts that support them given the increasing difficulty in trying to get a private builders to agree to the fixed terms and the lack of flexibility which is leaving many contracts not applied for or with pricing that is...