Results 101-120 of 4,069 for and speaker:John Lahart

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (20 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: 163. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport what plans can be put in place to reduce the backlog for driving test appointments; if consideration is being given for appointments to be made available at weekends and evenings as a temporary measure to try to reduce the backlog; if the testers who were employed in 2023 are helping to reduce the backlog; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (20 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: 314. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her plans to provide additional post primary schools for the Knocklyon/Firhouse area; if she has any plans, or has she been requested to, expand the existing school (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8003/24]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (20 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: 367. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a progress report on the school meals programme and its successful expansion. [7554/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (20 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: 620. To ask the Minister for Health if St. John of God's Hospital received the Covid payment for front-line staff who worked through the pandemic; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8016/24]

Recent Developments in Northern Ireland: Statements (14 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: Like the last speaker, I am a member of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly and it is one of the most worthwhile and valuable things I have undertaken in my time in the Dáil. Like previous speakers, I want to generously congratulate Michelle O'Neill on her appointment and election as First Minister and Emma Little-Pengelly, as her deputy First Minister. It is almost an...

Road Traffic Bill 2024: Second Stage (13 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: I thank the Minister of State for his presence and for this Bill. I am old enough to remember that it was the late Séamus Brennan as Minister for Transport who introduced penalty points. He just got tired of people pussyfooting around the issue and putting obstacles in the way of bringing in something pragmatic. He went for it and introduced it. It had a dramatic impact on driver...

Road Traffic Bill 2024: Second Stage (13 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: Okay. As it is not in the briefing note I got, the Minister of State might come back to that in his answer. As a constituency TD, most of the complaints and requests I get for traffic-calming measures are for within residential estates, which means it is the residents in those estates who are speeding. It seems to be impossible for the Garda. I have never seen gardaí police speeding...

Road Traffic Bill 2024: Second Stage (13 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: ...we are not talking about the speed limits in Dublin being reduced to 30 km/h universally. The Minister of State might elaborate on what he has in mind there. The drugs measures, drink driving and penalty points have been mentioned. I did not mention them but I support them and there is no point in repeating them. The public wants more police in cars with cameras on secondary and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: System for Assisted Dying and Alternative Policies: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: I echo what colleagues said and thank the Chair for the manner in which he has chaired the public sessions. I commend the secretariat and support staff who have provided us with a huge amount of invaluable work and research and background assistance as we move into the final stage of this. I thank our witnesses for coming today. I take a different view from previous speakers. I think the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: System for Assisted Dying and Alternative Policies: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: That is one of the points I wanted to draw out and Dr. Twomey has done that, which is not to equate spirituality necessarily with an institutional faith or an institutional belief-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: System for Assisted Dying and Alternative Policies: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: ...I am quite happy to share it. The point I was trying to make was that there could equally be uproar if some members of the public thought the Department of Health or the HSE were tearing ahead and breaking ground on this when the committee has not come to a conclusion.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: System for Assisted Dying and Alternative Policies: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: ...Truce. I have a couple of questions. Senator Mullen has said something I am not sure about. I will have to reflect on it. He said that suicide is a permanent solution to a temporary problem, and that suicide and assisted suicide are part of the same conversation. Yet, the evidence we have heard is that, in some cases, assisted suicide is a permanent solution to a permanent problem,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: System for Assisted Dying and Alternative Policies: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: That is one of the points I want to make. We have heard evidence from Dr. Twomey, who is the national clinical lead for palliative care. There are clearly opposite views in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, where they face the same challenges but come up with different answers. It is important to put that on the record, too. I want to ask a question that has not been asked before in...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (8 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: I thank the Chair for the additional latitude, which I appreciate. Some of the items the Minister of State has brought to us are really good news. The first is that Transport Infrastructure Ireland is considering a Luas fleet renewal. It is not overdue, but it is welcome, as is the fact that it is looking at increasing the number of trams assigned to the Luas red line. I would encourage...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (8 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: I thank the Minister of State for being present to take this matter. As he knows, Citywest, which is in my constituency, was meant to be a planned and phased, mixed and relatively modest residential development area. In fact, an area plan was advised for it just over ten years ago. The decision by the previous government to introduce strategic housing development areas, which essentially...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Business Supports (8 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: 63. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the number of businesses in South County Dublin that are likely to qualify for the increased cost of business grant scheme; what discussions his Department has had with South Dublin County Council in relation to this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5450/24]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Co-operative Sector (8 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: 69. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment his plans for the development of the co-operative sector; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5451/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Health Needs of Persons with Dementia and the Services Available: Discussion (7 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: I thank the witnesses. I enjoyed reading their opening statements last night. From a political perspective, I have a few comments and some specific questions. I have always found that elections are good pulse-takers. One of the things I saw in 2009 fighting a local election was that two issues were beginning to appear on the radar and to be spoken about at doors that had not really...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Health Needs of Persons with Dementia and the Services Available: Discussion (7 Feb 2024)

John Lahart: I am a Government politician. It is welcome that the witnesses acknowledged the role of the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Butler, in this. A lot of this policy does not happen by accident, and it happens because we talk to the Minister of State. In any parliamentary party, this kind of stuff comes up again and again, and that is how policy happens in Ireland. I always say to people that...