Results 141-160 of 164 for speaker:Johnny Guirke in 'Dáil debates'

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Dec 2020)

Johnny Guirke: I raise the question of poverty. There were 160,000 people who needed support from St. Vincent de Paul last year and 50,000 of those people were in food poverty. Food poverty means the most basic need is not met in this rich country, where politicians, judges and former taoisigh get regular pay rises. There is no doubt the figures will be worse this year. This is just one charity and...

Mental Health Policy: Motion [Private Members] (9 Dec 2020)

Johnny Guirke: First, I thank all the people working in mental health services. Mental health in Ireland has always been treated like a headache, the flu or something a chemist might fix but it is a much bigger issue than that and the signs have been apparent for years. Between 2009 and 2019, we had 5,426 people, 4,370 males and 1,066 females, die as a result of suicide. In fact, one person dies every 21...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Dec 2020)

Johnny Guirke: I want to tell the Tánaiste about a young boy from Navan in County Meath called Conor Jordan, who is six years old. In November of 2016, his parents were given the news that Conor has autism. Conor has had many obstacles thrown at him but his parents, Louise and Declan, said he has made much progress since starting school. This fun-loving child makes them laugh and smile every single...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (3 Dec 2020)

Johnny Guirke: It costs €10,000 to train a canine companion. As they do not receive any State funding, families go through the burden of trying to raise costs through GoFundMe pages. Were it not for the help of family and friends, we would see these beautiful kids growing up without a companion. I ask the Tánaiste to consider funding for the likes of My Canine Companion and other...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wind Energy Generation (19 Nov 2020)

Johnny Guirke: At the wind farm construction site in the Finn Valley in Ballybofey, County Donegal, there was a large-scale bog slide recently that, as Deputy Pringle mentioned, polluted a salmon and trout river and a fish farm. This happened because of the disturbance of lands during the wind farm's construction. In south Galway, the State has incurred fines of €10.5 million, and rising, because...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Wind Energy Generation (19 Nov 2020)

Johnny Guirke: We did not hear much from the Minister of State about other wind farms. I listened to the Taoiseach yesterday when he stated that the future of wind energy was offshore. I agree with him. If turbines need to be 180 m to 200 m tall, which is twice the height of the Spire in Dublin, to get the requisite wind speeds because of the low-lying nature of the lands in question, surely these...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Nov 2020)

Johnny Guirke: There is a nationwide dispute involving dentists. People with medical cards have been told that, as of 1 January, their cards will not be accepted as payment. Many of them cannot avail of dental treatment otherwise. Will the Tánaiste provide an update on the negotiations with the dentists and is the dispute close to being resolved?

Community Safety and Preventing Crime: Statements (18 Nov 2020)

Johnny Guirke: Community policing should be at the heart of every town and village in Ireland, with gardaí walking the streets, talking to local people and aware of what is happening on the ground. As the Minister will know, our own county of Meath has the lowest number of gardaí per head of population in the country. As Deputy Catherine Murphy noted, there is one garda for every 580 people....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (11 Nov 2020)

Johnny Guirke: I raise the issue of IDA Ireland site visits to my country of Meath and IDA Ireland grants. In 2018, the organisation's staff visited County Meath six times whereas they visited our neighbouring counties more than 20 times. In 2019, they visited our county three of four times and visited neighbouring counties more than 30 times. In 2014, there were zero IDA Ireland grants for Meath; 2015,...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (4 Nov 2020)

Johnny Guirke: What plan has been put in place for small-time retailers who may be opening sometime soon? While we promote, tell and encourage people to shop online, most of these small-time retailers in my constituency of Meath West do not trade online. Even if they did trade online, they could not compete with the corporations and big companies. I spoke to a small retailer in Oldcastle this morning who...

Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (22 Oct 2020)

Johnny Guirke: While I welcome this Bill, it does not go far enough. The least the Minister could have done would have been to give renters some certainty over Christmas and into the new year. We all know that most landlords will not evict tenants over the Christmas period but there will be a tsunami of notices to quit in the new year, as there is every year. It will be a lot worse this year, however, as...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (15 Oct 2020)

Johnny Guirke: Meath County Council has 3,300 units in its housing stock. The disabled persons improvement grant announced on 9 September was €260,363 and last year it was €269,500. It is a very small grant given the amount of housing stock Meath County Council is dealing with. Can it be increased? Local authorities must come up with 20% matched funding for grants with regard to older...

Bille na dTeangacha Oifigiúla (Leasú), 2019: An Dara Céim - Official Languages (Amendment) Bill 2019: Second Stage (8 Oct 2020)

Johnny Guirke: I wish to apologise for speaking on the Bill in English. I am not one of those who has any fluency in our native tongue and I regret that. Like many others, I am a product of an education system which did not help me to get a grasp of Gaeilge. I would love to be speaking as Gaeilge and am committed to learning and using the cúpla focal inside and outside the House. In my county,...

Covid-19 (Arts): Statements (6 Oct 2020)

Johnny Guirke: In my constituency, Meath West, I have spoken to many artists who have been affected by this pandemic. The arts and events industry has been shut down since March. I have listened to stories about how the affected have been dealing with the stress during this time and about how they do not see any future owing to the closure of their business. Musicians are being forced to sell instruments...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (30 Sep 2020)

Johnny Guirke: People in my constituency of Meath West have contacted me regarding the primary care medical certificate. They have applied to the HSE and have been told that they will not get the certificate pending a court case. The court case is not due before the courts until July 2021. These are some of the most vulnerable people. Some of them have no use of arms or legs and cannot get from A to B....

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (16 Sep 2020)

Johnny Guirke: Why must everyone with mental health and disabilities fight for everything tooth and nail? The programme for Government says Ireland should aim to become an international leader in support and care for people with mental health challenges. I agree. In 2019, 421 people died by suicide. Some 10% of the population suffers with some sort of mental health problem. At the end of June, there...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (23 Jul 2020)

Johnny Guirke: The programme for Government does not explicitly mention the Navan rail line but it does not mention a commitment to rail. Navan is the largest town in Ireland not serviced by rail. Before and during the general election campaign, all parties committed to delivering a rail line to Navan, including the three parties now in government. Will the Government deliver a rail line to Navan, as was...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Funding (23 Jul 2020)

Johnny Guirke: 12. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government the reason Meath County Council is historically the lowest funded local authority per head of population; and if he will bring funding for the local authority up to the national average. [17615/20]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Funding (23 Jul 2020)

Johnny Guirke: I congratulate the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Peter Burke, on their appointments and I wish them the best of luck. Why is Meath County Council historically the lowest funded local authority per head of population in the country? Will the Minister bring local government funding for the County of Meath up to the national average?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Local Authority Funding (23 Jul 2020)

Johnny Guirke: I thank the Minister for of State for his reply. I have a local government funding review here submitted by Meath County Council in 2018. The figures from that are that Meath County Council are losing out to the tune of €72 million per year by not getting its fair share of local government funding. At the moment we are getting 61% of the national average. According to figures from...