Results 221-240 of 884 for speaker:Frank O'Rourke

Money Advice and Budgeting Service and Citizens Information Centres: Motion (28 Mar 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the issue of the regionalisation of MABS and the Citizens Information service, CIS. Like my colleagues, I believe this is the wrong thing to do. There is no one here opposed to reform or achieving efficiencies in various areas, Departments or sectors. That is to be welcomed, providing it gives a better end result to the service users in the community....

Questions on Promised Legislation (29 Mar 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I wish to know the reason for the very long delay in the passage of the Companies (Accounting) Bill 2016. The Bill has passed all Stages in the Dáil and has been referred to the Seanad. The original target commencement date was December 2016 and a number of business people have contacted me about it. The relevant EU directive required transposition into law by July 2015. What is the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Catchment Areas (4 Apr 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: 268. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the policies pursued for school building capacity to cater for the increased demand for school places that is emerging, in view of the increase in the number of housing units being developed in the towns of Maynooth, Celbridge, Kilcock and Clane, County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16438/17]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects Status (4 Apr 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: 269. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of a letter of intent; if it been issued to the preferred bidder for the contracts for tender in respect of a school (details supplied); when construction is scheduled to begin; the anticipated completion date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16439/17]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government: Road Improvement Schemes (4 Apr 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: 326. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government his plans to provide funding to extend the Clane ring road in County Kildare, in view of the increased number of housing units being developed in the town; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16442/17]

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Review (5 Apr 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to discuss this matter with the Minister. I have met him and his officials regarding it a couple of times. I thank them for giving of their time over the past year or more. It was one of the first issues I raised when I first joined the Dáil. I did so because of the importance of such schemes to individuals and communities, not just in my constituency of...

Topical Issue Debate: Community Employment Schemes Review (5 Apr 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I thank the Minister for his reply. The Minister is correct that the motivation of these schemes is to help people back into full time employment and in that regard they are succeeding. However, currently there are many schemes with no participants. I would like to know the reason there are no participants on some schemes and what can be done to encourage greater participation in schemes....

Maternity Leave and Benefit: Motion [Private Members] (5 Apr 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I thank my colleague, Deputy Anne Rabbitte, for sharing her time with me this evening. I thank Deputy Catherine Martin for bringing forward this motion. It is a well-timed and very important motion for many families. I compliment the Deputy and her party on bringing it forward. I acknowledge all the families and people who spoke today in AV room. They gave very powerful speeches and...

Topical Issue Debate: Motor Insurance (3 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I want to use this as an opportunity to again raise the huge issue of motor insurance for individuals and companies. The difficulty is that while this is an issue that has been raised for some time and has been spoken about at length in this Chamber over the last 12 or 14 months, we are not seeing any positive impact happening on the ground. Apart from premiums being reduced, they are not...

Topical Issue Debate: Motor Insurance (3 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I took some notes while the Minister of State was speaking. One of the last things he mentioned, which is very welcome if it is the case, was that applications have been made by four other companies to operate in the insurance market in this country. If it is the case, it will hopefully help the issue we are speaking about and also help the people who need it badly. It is the...

Topical Issue Debate: Motor Insurance (3 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I can give the Minister of State the details of a plethora of individuals and businesses that have experienced increases in the region of 25% to 30% and he, the Department or the CSO office can ring them. Those increases are on individual premiums not to mention the business that, coincidentally, contacted me yesterday evening about 5 o'clock on this issue. I am not so sure how realistic...

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Garda Recruitment (3 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: 135. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will consider raising the age limit which is imposed on persons wishing to join An Garda Síochána whereby persons must be 18 years of age but not yet 35 years of age on midnight of the closing date for the competition; if she will consider extending recruitment to older persons by bringing the age limit in line with...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Facilities (3 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: 276. To ask the Minister for Health if he will consider issuing guidelines to Naas Hospital to provide free parking for persons undergoing cancer treatment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21108/17]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (9 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: 485. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons awaiting spinal surgery at Tallaght Hospital; the number of persons by waiting list (details supplied); the average waiting time on each list; the number of persons awaiting spinal surgery at Tallaght Hospital who have been referred from Naas Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22021/17]

Dublin Transport: Motion [Private Members] (10 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this motion and I commend Deputy Lahart on bringing it forward to the Dublin Transport Authority's advisory council. Kildare is a commuter county and I am a Deputy for Kildare North. A recent article in the Leinster Leaderreferred to the area as "a bed for the night" because at peak times on most weekday mornings, traffic is tailed back from Heuston...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - National Reform Programme: Discussion (10 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: I was not planning to contribute but it is disappointing to hear comments about bankrupting the country and what happened at the time. Fine Gael has forgotten that it was in opposition at the time and it was asking the Government of the day to borrow and spend more and all of that nonsense.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - National Reform Programme: Discussion (10 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: Now it is depending on the very same party it called "reckless". Fianna Fáil did the mature thing 15 months ago to allow a minority Government to exist.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - National Reform Programme: Discussion (10 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: This is opportunistic negative politics operating in a vacuum which I thought no longer existed. Deputy Brophy feels this is necessary, although he has spent many days in committee hearings discussing Irish Water, an entity that Fine Gael set up at a time the country was on its knees and cost the country hundreds of millions of euro. It presided over 20% pay increases for staff on an annual...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - National Reform Programme: Discussion (10 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: Perhaps the Deputy should play it back.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs: European Semester - National Reform Programme: Discussion (10 May 2017)

Frank O'Rourke: In an EU context, party politics was not necessary but it is unfortunate that Deputy Brophy feels that he has to drag it in.