Results 1-20 of 13,854 for speaker:David Stanton

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: Does the Tánaiste agree with me that many farmers are facing fodder shortages in the coming winter? Does he further agree with me that there is now a need to introduce a fodder production incentive scheme to encourage and support farmers to sow forage crops on their land, as happened in 2018?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: 83. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 330 of 21 May 2024 and 95 of 29 May 2024, and Topical Issue No. 4 of 2 July 2024, if she is aware of the situation pertaining to a school (details supplied); if she has decided to offer any support; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [30281/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: The Minister and I have had a number of discussions about Fermoy Educate Together National School. I visited the place and am sorry to bring it up again, but I am very concerned about the cramped conditions in the school. I am asking the Minister what progress has been made since I brought it up last. Have the officials in the Department examined this matter? Have they looked at possible...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: I thank the Minister for her response and her interest in this matter. Does she agree that things have moved on in the interim? Does she also agree that because of the popularity of the school, the professionalism of the teachers and the desire of more and more parents to send their children there, numbers are growing and that there is a need to look again at the agreement that was arrived...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: I appreciate that and agree with the Minister there was an agreement, but I also believe, and she might also, that things have moved on now and parental choice is coming in here in a big way. There is a big demand in the area for this particular school as it is a very successful and popular school. I again put it to the Minister that there is an interim solution available. The Department...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Accommodation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: Of course.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: 15. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment to report on developments pertaining to the Powering Prosperity strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30285/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: It seems the Opposition has abandoned the Dáil, which is strange. When we were in opposition, we never gave up and always had someone here. That is another story. With respect to Powering Prosperity, does he agree that it depends on infrastructure and on having ports with planning permission that are able to expand? That needs money. For example, the Port of Cork needs to expand...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: Powering Prosperity is a fantastic policy document and I commended the Minister on it when he was before the Oireachtas committee last week, as well as the people who put it together. However, it is going to be diluted unless the port infrastructure is expanded. Without having a place to do a thing, you cannot do the thing. We cannot assemble the turbines, maintain them or service them if...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: I thank the Minister of State for that positive response and encourage him to continue in that vein. Is he aware of the potential for the shared island fund to be used in conjunction with Cork and Belfast to maximise the development of infrastructure? Will he commit to going to the Department of the Taoiseach to support that initiative in order to maximise Powering Prosperity? This is what...

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: I thank the superintendent for being with us and for his work in this area. We visited Portugal a number of years ago and I met a lot of people there who were involved in this project and the policy, which was very impressive. We had a presentation earlier this week from police from Vancouver and someone from the United States about places where there was decriminalisation. It seemed to...

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: Would Mr. Leitão da Silva therefore recommend that if we were to bring in decriminalisation in Ireland that we treat it in a similar way to alcohol, meaning the use of drugs in a public place, as I described earlier, would not be permitted?

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: Okay. It seems in Vancouver and Oregon, the use of drugs in public places derailed the decriminalisation. That was what I understood from the presentation earlier in the week. People were very unsettled and upset. There was a description of people being at the beach with their children and somebody next door visibly using drugs.

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: That seems to have derailed the thing. When I was in Lisbon all those years ago, I made an inquiry with police officers at the time about how it often appears that if you walk down the street you are offered substances. People approach tourists and others and offer substances in small bags. I was told by the police at the time that a lot of that was bogus, fake and not real.

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: A person would not know whether it was or not, but the story here in Ireland is tourists and others are assailed on the streets of Lisbon and other cities with this behaviour. Will Mr. Leitão da Silva comment on that?

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: It gives a very poor picture of Lisbon and cities in Portugal for tourists and others here. When it reaches our airwaves, people talk about it and use it as a reason for not decriminalising. They blame decriminalisation for this, and a liberal approach.

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: That is fine. I cannot see the clock from here. I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach.

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: The Chair might tell me when my ten minutes are up, as I do not have access to a clock. I welcome our two guests and thank them very much for their thought-provoking and sincere presentations. Dr. Ó Concubhair mentioned the United Nations Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, which mandates signatory states to pursue a criminal justice-led response on drug use and drug markets. I...

Committee on Drugs Use: Decriminalisation, Depenalisation, Diversion and Legalisation: Discussion (Resumed) (11 Jul 2024)

David Stanton: I thank Dr. Ó Conchubhair. As I said earlier to our previous guest, one of the issues about which we learnt earlier this week was that when the use of drugs was decriminalised in British Columbia and Vancouver, and also in parts of the United States, it seemed to initially go too far in that it permitted people to use drugs publicly on the streets straight away, which led to a backlash...