Results 301-320 of 5,573 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Will Mr. Finnegan respond on RESS, floating offshore wind energy and the planning obstacles? I have actually thought of a question for the ESB in the area of public lighting. There seems to be an issue where it is contracted out, as it is in many local authorities. The contractor still needs the ESB to open the connection when there is an issue or fault. I do not know why it was ever...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: If I could interrupt for a second, you spoke mostly about local authorities. How many of these applications will go straight to An Bord Pleanála? There is a big backlog there. Some of the biggest delays in my experience, not only the area of energy, are with An Bord Pleanála.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: If they wish, the ESB and the CRU representatives may also have a comment to make on that stuff. I appreciate many of the points made about some of the issues being in train but it is a competitive field. There is concern about other countries racing ahead of us. This is particularly frustrating given the natural advantages we have. Will the ESB make a comment on the public lighting issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am not sure for what reason, in the instances I am thinking of, the ESB had to come into it but it certainly seemed to slow things down in terms of the contractor being able to do the job. It may seem a small enough issue in some ways but if there are three or four lights out on a street, it is a hazard for people walking from the shops. I know it is not the responsibility of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As it happens, I have just received an email on the issue I raised to state that as the ESB infrastructure in Togher and other areas is old, the ESB will upgrade the overhead lines and transformers which will affect the public lighting. We only find out about ESB work when the public lighting goes out. We might pick up on this issue at another stage. Before we finish up, do the witnesses...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I must cut off the discussion now.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am very glad for you.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Water and Energy Connections in Rural Areas: Discussion (6 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir. That concludes the business of the committee in public session. I propose that the committee go into private session to consider other business.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Assisted Decision-Making (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is not a criticism.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Assisted Decision-Making (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Not on this occasion.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Assisted Decision-Making (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I have been informed in the past, but to my knowledge I was not informed on this occasion.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Assisted Decision-Making (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I have no great gripe in regard to the Minister of State, Deputy Burke. I bring this case up partially in the context of having been contacted by a few individuals looking for assistance regarding applications. I am very conscious of one in particular. By way of context, the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act was passed several years ago. It is a good piece of legislation. It is one...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Assisted Decision-Making (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I note the point relating to the steering group. I am sure the Minister will not be able to commit to it on the floor of the House, but I might suggest that he request a meeting. The man to whom I have referred might have useful insights and if somebody from the steering group was in a position to speak to him, it might help. I have been contacted by a few others who are at the start of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Assisted Decision-Making (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This is similar to the last debate. I do appreciate the Minister of State making time to be here. I do not generally have an issue with Ministers of State taking Topical Issues, but is it is preferable when the Minister of State is in the relevant Department. Maybe it is a function of late night Topical Issues and the way the Dáil is structured at the minute, but I do not think-----

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Sports Funding (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: In the context of sport, perhaps our most unique sport is the game of hurling. There has been a fair bit of controversy in recent weeks in respect of the proposals relating to the counties where clubs do not have hurling teams. Does the Minister of State have concerns about the proposal that exists? If we are going to promote the game in those counties, the game generally needs to be...

Renters: Motion [Private Members] (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Last week's report from the RTB, as shocking as it was, was no great surprise. It only confirmed what we already knew, which is that there has been a shocking increase in rent across Cork and across the country on this Government's watch. We know this from the ever-increasing number of people calling to our constituency offices who simply cannot put a roof over their heads any longer....

Confidence in the Minister for Justice: Motion (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I agree with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, on gender-based violence. It is not a soft issue by any manner or means. It is an issue of crucial importance that all parties must tackle. I am aware that he was not referring to Sinn Féin in that regard but it is important to put that on the record nonetheless. Is minic a deirtear i dtaobh rúin mímhuiníne go bhfuil...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice: Motion (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: -----and the opponents it would dearly wish to have. It is beside the point.

Confidence in the Minister for Justice: Motion (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Government TDs are entitled to their characters. Some of them believe them and some, less honourably, do not. That is neither here nor there and is of no concern to communities on the ground. When we boil this down, there are now fewer gardaí on the streets and fewer Garda stations open than there were when Fine Gael took office. We are two years past the 2021 targets and in terms of...

Confidence in the Minister for Justice: Motion (5 Dec 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I believe the Minister, Deputy McEntee, is a decent woman who is committed to public service. I believe she has empathy but empathy will not put any additional Garda boots on the ground where we need them, on the streets. People have talked a lot about the spectre, as they see it, although the public and gardaí on the ground do not see it like that, of a Sinn Féin Minister for...