Results 161-180 of 589 for in 'Dáil debates' speaker:Matt Shanahan

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: 20. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will clarify how his Department is carrying a nearly €100 million underspend in the first three months of the year; if there have been projects postponed or delayed which has led to the underspend; if so, if he will list those projects affected; if he will outline how he and his Department plan to address the situation; and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: On the underspend, how much of the cost is contracted and how much of it is in terms of profile? Is some of the difficulty here related to contracted price, in terms of evaluated prices moving on? BusConnects expenditure was mentioned earlier. There is ongoing discussion in Waterford about BusConnects. There is a proposal to completely change the route of a Waterford to Tramore bus...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I hope that when this strategy comes out, it will have a long-term focus and be the basis of planning for the next 25 or 30 years, not something looking at five or ten years because rail infrastructure development is a long-term goal. The Minister of State highlighted regional rebalancing and the interconnection of our cities. In our own area in the south east, I would like to see the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: 8. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will provide a timeframe in relation to the yet-to-be-published data relating to the proposed Irish rail review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29766/23]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: The Minister of State touched on it earlier, but could he provide a timeframe for the yet-to-be-published national rail strategy?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: Hopefully, we will get to see something within this rail strategy that points to better and more focused national and regional development right across the country, including in the midlands and the north west. As I stated earlier, we need to rebalance the distribution of infrastructure in this State. I already mentioned to the Minister of State, and he agreed, about the importance of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I hear a lot of discussion about the congestion in Dublin and capacity issues in Dublin Port. Last year the Port of Waterford saw €1.7 billion worth of goods imported and exported. There was a turnover of almost €400 million in the adjacent enterprise support area. Over 650 people are employed in that area. There is massive potential for expansion, not alone in respect of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I look forward to seeing both of those reviews which are going to be very important in signalling whether the Government and Departments have taken an active and positive look at how we could redistribute some of the activity that is going on. Dublin is creaking at the seams, there is no doubt, not alone Dublin Port. There is a massive opportunity for housing and office development on the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: 2. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if, assuming he is very much aware of the import and export benefit opportunity that has been developed as a result of the Ballina rail corridor that connects through Waterford Port, he can outline his Department’s position on developing a Ballina-type railhead in perhaps the Kildare area to connect to Waterford Port, which would...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Rail Network (22 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: My question relates to the Department's position on developing a Ballina-style railhead in Kildare to provide further connectivity into the Port of Waterford to take pressure off Dublin Port and the capital and give us a more sustainable and balanced regional transport network.

Youth Justice Strategy: Statements (21 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I am happy to support these statements on the youth justice strategy. There is an old saying that as the tree is bent so it grows. It is very apt. We know the difficulties of growing up in disadvantage and the effects it has on childhood development. The genesis of much of what the strategy speaks to can be found in the early childhood years. Early childhood may not come into contact...

Home Care and Support Services: Motion [Private Members] (21 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I welcome the presence of the two Ministers of State at the Department of Health here this morning to debate this motion. I thank Deputy Grealish for proposing the motion, which is very important. I also thank Cáit Nic Amhlaoibh in our office. The Ministers of State will be well aware that, in the Programme for Government: Our Shared Future, there is a plan to introduce a statutory...

Education Costs: Motion [Private Members] (20 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I wish to split my contribution between the primary and secondary sectors and the third level sector. I know the Minister had to leave. I thank her and her Department for the help and support she has offered to my Waterford office in relation to individual student cases and under the capital schools programme, which is very important to us in Waterford county and city. We are working on a...

LGBTQI+ Equality: Statements (20 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I am happy to speak on these statements. Ireland has a rich history of challenging adversity, as the Minister knows well, and fighting against injustice. Included in these struggles is our right to exist as an independent State and the recognition of our citizens' civil rights and protections. Since the foundation of our State, our country has embraced change. Part of this change has been...

Retained Fire Services: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (13 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I often hear people in this House speak about leadership and heroism in reference to ongoing national stories. Throughout the Covid crisis, we heard daily about the mission of people in our public service to save lives and the sacrifices made and the risks engaged in by public sector health workers. Unlike Covid, the emergency situation that faces our retained firefighters has not abated in...

Public Health (Tobacco and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill 2023: Second Stage (Resumed) (13 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: I do not think there are too many people in the House who will be objecting to the Public Health (Tobacco Products and Nicotine Inhaling Products) Bill. It is timely and required without a doubt, in particular some of the measures the Minister of State is proposing to introduce in terms of interacting with under-18s and particularly those who are seeking applications through licences, and...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: The Government recently announced the HSE capital infrastructure programme of €1.1 billion in spend. In the programme, the Government has given more than €90 million to each of the five Dublin hospitals, €55 million to Cork, €54 million to Limerick, and €64 million to Galway. To University Hospital Waterford, which is the busiest hospital in the country...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: The recent wave of data from the census shows the rude good health of Waterford city with the population thumping forward by 10% in the seven years since the last count. The other cities in our Republic are also advancing, Cork, Galway, Dublin and Limerick by 8%. The radical changes shown in Census 2022 demonstrate that the Ireland 2040 strategy needs a rethink. It is not credible now that...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (1 Jun 2023)

Matt Shanahan: The reason for looking for the extension to the boundary was to try to get more cohesive strategic planning within the city of Waterford and to give us proper access to develop the north side of the city. That has been a bugbear. I do recognise the greater integration and co-operative agreements between Waterford and Kilkenny local authorities. That is to be welcomed. I still think the...

Nature Restoration Law and Irish Agriculture: Statements (31 May 2023)

Matt Shanahan: Every Member can acknowledge the issue of global climate change. We can all agree it is a seismic challenge to the world order and future generations. While that must be acknowledged, the equitable distribution of responsibility across all countries must also be recognised. In our case, it is across our EU community. The latest census shows that there are 5.1 million people in Ireland....