Results 161-180 of 2,061 for speaker:Richard O'Donoghue

Gender-Based Violence: Motion [Private Members] (3 Jul 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank Natasha O'Brien for coming here today. After what happened to her, the first phone call I got about it was from a man, Evan, who said he had spent time with Natasha in Lourdes on their school trip, where they went out to help people with disabilities around Lourdes. He said that she is a lovely girl and that he was absolutely disgusted by what happened to her. What followed on from...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (2 Jul 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: There are great pressures being put on people who have children in third level education needing accommodation. It has come to my attention that students who were previously paying for accommodation for the college year, which is approximately nine months, are now being forced to keep their accommodation for the whole 12 months. College students who wanted to earn a few euro for the...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) [Private Members] (2 Jul 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank the Minister of State. However, we must make sure it is done sooner rather than later. The arrangements must be in place in time for the next college year. We do not want this happening to students. They work long and hard when they are in college. They should not have to pay for their accommodation for 12 months of the year. It is one thing for the legislation to be introduced...

Courts, Civil Law, Criminal Law and Superannuation (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (2 Jul 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I welcome anything that will help tackle knife crime and other forms of armed crime. I welcome the appointment of more judges. I also welcome that gardaí, prison officers and members of the Defence Forces can stay on for an extra two years to 62 years of age. However, if we cannot keep them until they are 60 anyway, it begs the question of what is wrong. Some 98% of rank-and-file...

Primary School Funding: Motion [Private Members] (26 Jun 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank the teachers, SNAs, cleaners, communities, caretakers, parents and schoolchildren who go above and beyond to make sure their schools stay open. The work they do outside of what is funded by Government goes above and beyond. Look at what smaller schools have to do. They do not get the same funding as schools with more than 100 students. There are criteria whereby smaller schools -...

Affordable Electricity: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jun 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I echo the sentiments of Deputy Michael Healy-Rae. Sinn Féin is back here again with an election looming. After the last election, it realised the people of Ireland do not want it because again it is changing its stories over and over again after it voted for carbon tax. A person will get a grant for up to €2,100 for solar panels but in the last three years, the cost of the...

International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Motion (Resumed) (25 Jun 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: There must be an election looming again as Sinn Féin has done another U-turn. It now states it no longer wants open borders. It now wants to look at things differently. I am working with many nationalities in this country and always have done so. It is harder now to get into the country with paperwork than it is without paperwork in certain cases. I refer to people who come with...

Offences against the State (Amendment) Act 1998 and Criminal Justice (Amendment) Act 2009: Motions (25 Jun 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: At the outset, I want to address the lack of policing in this country. In the interim, would it not be possible for gardaí who have retired and who have left the Garda to be brought back on a part-time basis for a certain number of hours so that it would not interfere with their retirement packages? This would mean that specialists, who were trained in the field, could deal with...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (18 Jun 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: 34. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if extra funding can be provided by the Government for communities fundraising for the provision of a childcare after-school facility in their local area, due to the escalating cost of living people are faced with; and if he is aware that these facilities are a vital part of the community and school, and that...

Nature Restoration Law: Motion [Private Members] (12 Jun 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I am from a farming background and all my family, and generations before me, were farmers. What the nature restoration law is doing to farmers, especially small farmers, is making bad land very expensive. If a farmer is farming every piece of a small landholding, with all the laws that are there whereby farmers need to have certain lands for biodiversity and everything else that comes with...

Local Authority Housing Maintenance and Repair: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (28 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I have been in the construction business all my life. Is the Government facilitating a one-stop shop cartel? Will the Minister of State clarify why the registered independent BER assessors are not permitted to provide the home energy assessment required to apply for a loan under the home energy upgrade loan scheme as the energy assessment can only be conducted by an SEAI-registered one-stop...

Ireland's Recognition of the State of Palestine: Statements (28 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: What value is given to life? If recognising Palestine saves one life, is it not worth it? History is a funny thing when you look at it one way. When you look back it is something that is taken for granted. When Hitler was on his reign, the media said that humanity would never see something like this again. Then we had Rwanda when the Hutus and the Tutsis slaughtered one another and...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Eligibility (22 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: 113. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the household benefit package can be made available to all persons once they reach State pension age of 66 years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23258/24]

Housing for All: Statements (Resumed) (21 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: Housing for All is a miss because the Government is not providing houses for all. If it were, it would allow the people who want to provide their own houses to build them, and it could then provide more houses for the people who need them. What it is actually doing is pricing people who want to build their own houses out of the market. It is then allowing vulture funds to buy up housing in...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I am not a climate change denier. I know we need energy, but I also know that we need people to enjoy this country and have the opportunity to enjoy the future. Nobody should be left behind. New South Wales in Australia issued an energy noise guidance at 35 dB LA90. This is designed to protect people's health. The Government here continues to allow 45 dB LA90, or double the loudness....

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (21 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I am not against wind turbines. However, I am against wind turbines that do not allow people to have a night's sleep. I have been trying to think of a way to get through to those in government in order that they will understand how important it is that they listen to this. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, is alongside the Taoiseach. In addition to them, how many parents, grandparents and...

Delivering Universal Healthcare: Statements (15 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: I wish to share time with Deputies Michael Collins and Mattie McGrath.

Delivering Universal Healthcare: Statements (15 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: What we do not have in healthcare in Ireland is accountability. If we want to have proper healthcare, we need accountability. Since I first came to the House I have mentioned UHL. The previous speaker was involved in the appointment of the person who is over UHL. I have sought an investigation into that because of the ongoing crises there. It has been at the top of all the trolley lists...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (14 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: 121. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his views on whether BER assessors are more than qualified to provide the home energy assessment required for the home energy upgrade loans scheme, and that excluding domestic BER assessors that are not on the SEAI technical assessors panel is anti-competitive and restricts choice to the homeowner; and if he will make...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (14 May 2024)

Richard O'Donoghue: 122. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will change the policy preventing BER assessors that do not have a background in a few select professions from joining the SEAI technical assessors panel, and instruct the SEAI to immediately invite and approve applications to the technical assessor panel from those experienced BER assessors that are ten years...