Results 121-140 of 1,299 for at speaker:Michael McNamara

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Spinal Surgery Issues at Children's University Hospital Temple Street: Children's Health Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Michael McNamara: Dr. Goldman spoke about how important it was that there was a robust review and a report. The report stated: "The external review did not include an assessment of CHI at Temple Street’s facilities, physical space, equipment, instruments, sterile processes or other specific conditions or aspects present in the operating theatre." Given that infrastructure was a major complaint of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Spinal Surgery Issues at Children's University Hospital Temple Street: Children's Health Ireland (28 Sep 2023)

Michael McNamara: They did have a look at the facilities but they say, for the purposes of their report, that it did not include an assessment of the facilities, physical space, equipment, instruments, or other specific conditions. The other aspect of this is that there are two main and separate issues. One is the use of non-authorised equipment, that is, springs, and the other is negative patient outcomes,...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2023)

Michael McNamara: I am sorry; I thought he wanted to address me now. There are very few powers in that regard. Other than housing, what are the other big issues of the day? They are health and policing. The mayor has no powers with regard to health. Any local authority input in health has been removed. There is now a realisation that the removal of the health boards may have been a bad idea and it is...

Local Government (Mayor of Limerick) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2023)

Michael McNamara: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for the opportunity to speak on the Bill. I suppose the Ireland Canada Business Association will be presented with a view of Ireland which sounds remarkably less corrupt than the view portrayed by Deputy Ring. Listening to him, while one might question why there has been such little change in recent years, it is hard to disagree with him. I do not mean...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael McNamara: I thank the Minister for coming in. Looking at the EPA's report and the famous, or infamous, map on page 27 that points out areas identified as "Areas draining to [those] waterbodies that have met [or exceeded] the criteria specified by the Commission under Article 12, and will therefore require additional measures", and also looking at the 2022 derogation herd locations, information which...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael McNamara: I will go back to what the Minister said when he linked phosphorous emissions to urban waste. There is no apparent correlation between urban centres and phosphorous sediment in County Clare. The big urban centres in the county are Ennis where the River Fergus drains southwards towards the Shannon Estuary, and Shannon and Sixmilebridge in the south. They are the second and third biggest...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael McNamara: There is less intensive farming going on in Leitrim than there is in the Golden Vale. I think that is a fair comment, yet almost all of Leitrim is in the map. I do not want to mention the war, but there is also this stuff about Coillte engaging with private capital funds to buy land and try to buy existing forestry, and it is all Sitka spruce monoculture forestry that is having an effect....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Ireland's Water Quality and the Nitrates Derogation: Discussion (15 Sep 2023)

Michael McNamara: Obviously, Coillte is better at PR around the issue now, but I am not sure that the actual change in practice is as profound as the Minister has portrayed. However, I accept that Coillte is at least talking the talk at this stage. Perhaps the Minister will come back to us with the detail on what concrete changes there will be in forestry generally, and in Coillte in particular, in areas...

Health (Termination of Pregnancy Services) (Safe Access Zones) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: I respectfully disagree with the previous speaker. It is my belief that the stigma arises from a profound disagreement on when life begins, which is obviously informed by religious communities but not only by them. That disagreement goes a lot further than religious communities. The Bill has three particular provisions. The first is to outlaw engaging in conduct that is likely to obstruct...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (13 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: The Tánaiste is a proponent of the nature restoration law. I have reservations regarding who will pay for the measures that will inevitably be necessary. I will give two examples. The first relates to agriculture. It is essential to pay farmers properly for their produce if you want them to produce to high environmental standards. I proposed looking at the cost of production and...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (13 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: ...University Hospital Limerick, UHL, in Limerick. I wish to put it in context as well because, on 14 January 2014, then Deputy Micheál Martin raised the spectre of overcrowding in hospitals. He stated that the Minister had neglected it as a priority in government and that is why there were record numbers last week, and the Minister tried to get away with it but got caught. The then...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (13 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: The Sound and Vision scheme sounds great but we both know, and it is important to outline to the House, that in reality it provides funding for documentaries and one-off measures on local radio stations rather than their day-to-day news and current affairs output, which is of a very high quality, whereas RTÉ's news and current affairs output is funded continuously or was up to now...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Television Licence Fee (13 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: Public service broadcasting is indeed important but the question is how to define it. Public service broadcasting is not about telling people what to think. Sometimes one might look at the output of our national broadcaster and see a deliberate attempt to tell people how to think on major matters as opposed to reporting what happens. A lot of media - not just broadcast media - has moved...

Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: I move amendment No. 87: In page 252, after line 14, to insert the following: " 6. No. 19 of 1990 Industrial Relations Act 1990 Section 23(1D) and the Sixth Schedule. ".This amendment was discussed on Committee Stage. As I alluded to earlier, I was previously a Member of this House from 2011 to 2016. During that time, the European Committee of Social...

Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: The Minister said it would not be appropriate. It is an extraordinary proposition for a Minister for Justice to say that it would not be appropriate for Ireland to adhere to its international legal commitments. It is an extraordinary proposition that any Minister of any government of this State would say that it is inappropriate or not appropriate for Ireland to adhere to the international...

Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. There was no insinuation. There was a direct accusation that the Commissioner told the Minister that Phil Hogan had a mobile phone to his ear, that she brought it to Cabinet and that it helped to end his career at the European Commission. If there is oversight that would prevent it happening in future then show me where it is and I will be happy to...

Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: I move amendment No. 18: In page 44, to delete lines 31 and 32. This relates to the requirement on the Garda Commissioner to provide information to the Minister. I respectfully suggest that it tightens up the information that is to be provided to the Minister by the Commissioner. It needs to be tightened up because it is open to abuse, and I say that because it has been abused in the...

Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill 2023: Report and Final Stages (12 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: Indeed, and we hope that the Clare ladies will be in an All-Ireland final too. Mr. Shatter was able to say that Mr. Wallace had committed, I believe, a road traffic offence at the Five Lamps and was pulled over. This was information he had gleaned from the then Garda Commissioner. Equally worrying, or even more worrying in some respects, the House may recall that, in the lifetime of...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (12 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: 269. To ask the Minister for Health when a person (details supplied) in County Clare will receive an ultrasound appointment at UL Hospitals Group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34625/23]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: State Bodies (11 Jul 2023)

Michael McNamara: 337. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government to outline what progress has been made in relation to the proposed replacement of board members of An Bord Pleanála; to provide an update on the recruitment of additional overall staff resources at An Bord Pleanála given the huge delays in determining cases; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33456/23]