Results 1,261-1,280 of 1,588 for speaker:Micheál Carrigy

Seanad: Defence (Restriction on Use of Certain Titles) Bill 2021: Second Stage (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome the Minister. I welcome the commitment from Government to support the Bill and to ensure it is robust and legal. I pay tribute also to Senators Malcolm Byrne and O’Loughlin for bringing it forward. When I think of Óglaigh na hÉireann, I think of General Seán Mac Eoin. I am from Ballinalee in County Longford. The blacksmith of Ballinalee served in the War...

Seanad: Defence (Restriction on Use of Certain Titles) Bill 2021: Second Stage (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: Yes, indeed, and I will meet you there. I proudly say that I think of Captain Marie Carrigy, my cousin, who read the Proclamation on Easter Sunday outside the GPO last year. As a family we were extremely proud of her serving in our Defence Forces and of the role she plays. I think of all our soldiers overseas, the 352 troops of the 119th Infantry Battalion who went to serve in the Lebanon...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome our witnesses. I have been involved with tourism in County Longford for over ten years. I compliment Paddy Mathews and Grainne Cornally in the Ireland's Hidden Heartlands team. They do excellent work and are very good to work with from our point of view in promoting our county. Mr. Kelly mentioned the numbers projected for this summer. I was looking at passenger figures for...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: As public representatives dealing with passports, it seems as though everybody is looking to get out of the country. A lot of the research by Fáilte Ireland shows that there are significant numbers. Should we have a concentrated marketing campaign? I know Fáilte Ireland had a staycation campaign last year. Should we look at rolling this out when people are making decisions to...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: With regard to the lack of staff across the sector, I know the team in Center Parcs in my county, which is a huge asset from an employment perspective. Like everyone else, it is suffering with regard to getting staff. Spain seems to be a market where there are people qualified within certain fields who are willing to come to Ireland. However, the problem is that they cannot find...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: Does the hotel sector think this legislation needs to a priority with regard to tourist accommodation?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I have a couple of points. In regard to skills shortages, would there be merit in a hospitality centre of excellence being developed somewhere in the country for chefs and so forth? We have seen the shortages. We would have one particular area and develop it.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I said this yesterday, when the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media, Deputy Catherine Martin, was in the Seanad and it should be taken on board by Government. The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Varadkar, supported the issue of a 9% VAT rate. It is important the Government should extend that into 2023, give the entire...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I have a question for Mr. Kelly. Fáilte Ireland is running a scheme. I was reading a note of the Minister's which contained an invitation for projects. The name of the scheme escapes me but Westport House was included.

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: Will that scheme be run again in the coming years? I know Fáilte Ireland received a significant number of applications for good-quality projects. Is there going to be an opportunity for more applications under that scheme?

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Working Conditions and Skills Shortages in Tourism and Hospitality Sector: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: An extension for the 9% VAT rate was among the proposals we put forward for the industry last year. It has to be a priority to extend that into 2023. I come back to the issue of a representative on the board of Fáilte Ireland. It is important that someone from hospitality is on that board. It was mentioned that the Department has to take on board that hospitality and tourism are...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I, too, want to be associated with the welcome for Senator Clonan. I welcome the announcement today by the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media of the basic income for artists. Members of the relevant Oireachtas joint committee prioritised this for the arts scene. Last Thursday, I attended the opening of the co:worx working hub in...

Seanad: Tourism: Statements (5 Apr 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: The Minister is very welcome. I compliment her on the work she has done in her Department. It is probably the busiest Government Department, but I compliment her on the way her Department has reacted and provided supports for the industry. I am chairman of County Longford tourism committee and have been since I went into local government ten years ago. I compliment the Hidden Heartlands...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (31 Mar 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I refer to a proposal I put forward approximately six weeks ago in respect of having a silent street for St. Patrick's Day parades. I know the Leader's office wrote to local authorities around the country to ask them to take part in that initiative. Several parades did so this year. I attended the parades in Longford and Athlone. I commend the organisers of the festival for taking this...

Seanad: Support to Ukraine: Motion (30 Mar 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: The Minister of State is very welcome. I fully support the motion. What we see unfolding on our television screens every night is something to behold. When, please God, all this is over, we will see that worse atrocities were carried out than those we are seeing on our television screens. In my county, Longford, we are willing to play our part in the national effort. A significant number...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Mar 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: Last weekend, I visited the Longford Arms Hotel to meet with a large group of more than 40 refugees from Ukraine who have come to our county in recent days. I compliment Orla Reynolds, another staff member, Aisling, and all the staff on the way they have looked after the group for the past week and a half. The people seeking refuge were very complimentary and appreciative of the staff for...

Seanad: Gambling (Prohibition of Advertising) Bill 2021: Second Stage (23 Mar 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: The Minister of State is welcome. I compliment him on the work he has done and I compliment the Labour Party and Senator Wall on bringing this forward. Senator Wall is extremely passionate about this issue and has been over the past 18 months that I have been a Member of this House. We are just after the Cheltenham Festival and we saw all the pictures in the newspaper and the great results...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Broadcasting Authority of Ireland: Discussion with Chairperson-Designate (23 Mar 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I welcome both our guests and wish them well in their positions. I was reading about Ms Curtis's experience. She is a very capable person to take on the job of chair and I wish her well in that position. Ms Curtis mentioned the report of the Future of Media Commission. It is ironic that the committee with the remit for the media has not yet had sight of the report whereas every...

Joint Committee on Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sport And Media: Broadcasting Authority of Ireland: Discussion with Chairperson-Designate (23 Mar 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: Complaints are also under the BAI remit. In its consideration of the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill this committee recommended there be an individual complaints mechanism. However, such a mechanism did not form part of the Bill. The Minister has put the legislation out for scrutiny for three months with regard to amendments. Such a mechanism should form an integral part of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Mar 2022)

Micheál Carrigy: I wish to raise a couple of issues, the first of which is July provision. In recent weeks, there has been a lot of discussion of the issue and a focus group including the Department, various parents' groups and so on has discussed the potential for a new programme of July provision. Looking at the figures from 2021, it can be seen that we set aside more than €40 million but not all...