Results 1,161-1,180 of 3,777 for speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I will start as others have done and offer my condolences to Paul’s family. He is very much missed around the Houses of the Oireachtas. I am sure he is much more missed by his family and friends at home. I have a bunch of questions, but I will take them piecemeal as opposed to unleashing them all in one go. My first question is for Dr. Byrne. I want a sense of where we are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I am assuming that labour, as opposed to funding, is the main constraint. On the capacity issue that exists in terms of the labour force, are schemes in competition with each other? For example, are the people who are putting in for the 50% retrofit cutting across demand for the warmer homes scheme? From a contractor's point of view, what is more attractive? Dr. Byrne spoke about the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I have a slight concern about the demand-led versus a targeted approach. The SEAI is wearing the SDG's payments well. Dr. Byrne knows that one of the central aims is to try to reach the furthest behind first. I was out in Dungarvan recently at a place called Congress Villas, which was named after the Eucharistic congress that was held here in 1932 or 1933. The villas are nearly 100 years...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: But there is a big difference between an E- and a G-rated home, even within that banding.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is superb stuff, but we still have a way to go. Dungarvan has a sustainable energy community.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The housing estate that I referred to earlier would stand out on the BER map to which Ms Buggie referred. It is the same with places around Ballybricken and in towards the centre of Waterford city. They can all be seen because the map is colour-coded, is it not?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: They stand out as the red properties. When you go out and knock on doors, you find that the message is still not reaching people. I know that there is great work happening, but I guess we need to bed it in more. I have a simple brass-tacks question. The witnesses probably have ready-made examples so they can change my example. Let us take a three-bedroom E- or F-rated semi-detached...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I know. Perhaps-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I have an example from the Irish Cancer Society, which contacted me ahead of this session. It referenced people who are receiving palliative care at home. There is a very strong argument to be made that those people need something akin to a fuel allowance, because they are going to spend a lot of time at home. I realise it is difficult but it is essential to understand the importance of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is about how we try to capture this worth. We talk about energy costs on their own but we do not talk about the health benefits. If people are living in a healthier, better-ventilated and warmer home, their health costs will actually be much improved or reduced as a result. Very often, we do not do a good job of considering these things in the round. We tend to compartmentalise. I...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Yes. I know the Department of further and higher education is working on that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I just want to put one question to the St. Vincent de Paul. I have a bugbear about smart meters in that until people sign up to a plan, they do not get the information in a timely way. They should be able to access their own information on energy usage in real time. There also needs to be some sort of help for people to interpret the data. I know some people who are absolute energy nerds....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That is quite enough. I thank the Chair.

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 85. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment for statistics in relation to the average project duration timeframe from application date to completion date for the fully funded energy upgrade scheme administered by SEAI, broken down by either county boundary as indicated in the applicants address or by local authority area; over the last two years to date; and if...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 86. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of energy poverty upgrades under Programme B, Energy Expenditure, broken down by either county boundary or local authority area, over the past two years to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57021/23]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 87. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of new applications received for both the warmer homes scheme and warmth and wellbeing scheme; the number of completions of warmer homes scheme and warmth and wellbeing scheme projects, broken down by county boundary or local authority, over the last two years to date; and if he will make a statement on the...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Departmental Schemes (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 88. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of people with chronic respiratory conditions receiving energy efficiency upgrades under the warmth and wellbeing scheme, over the past two years to date and broken down, by county boundary or by local authority area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57023/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Transport Policy (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 209. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the current project stages and project deliverable timelines for each of the remaining two sections of the Cork to Waterford Inter-Urban Demonstrator Pathfinder, for completion in 2024 and 2025, as indicated in the reply to Parliamentary Question No. 48 of 30 November 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [57051/23]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 458. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the school transport review publication date; her views on the expansion of the criteria for access to transport in order to allay the significant transport costs borne by parents (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56282/23]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Teaching Qualifications (17 Jan 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 460. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding his Department’s view on funding for the awarding of incremental credit to post primary school teachers for relevant work experience gained in private schools outside of the EU; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56286/23]