Results 121-140 of 3,519 for speaker:Martin Kenny

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (27 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: On the numbers, will there be any strain on the resources to try to deal with the additional inspections? Mr. Gannon stated that once it comes under this regime it will hopefully be less onerous to try to achieve the level of safety required but more inspections will need to be done. I am interested to know whether we are in a system where we have absolute assurance that this can happen...

Healthcare Provision in Rural Communities: Motion [Private Members] (21 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Rural Independents for bringing forward this motion. Rural healthcare, and particularly GP services, is in crisis across every constituency. Certainly across my constituency, we continually have people contacting our office. These are people who have moved into the area or who have moved from Dublin or abroad but they cannot get a GP. All of the GPs are full. That is the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank Ms Harte for her comprehensive opening statement. It is clear there is a sector here that has not been covered by the safety regulations and that is where this proposed legislation comes from. This is welcome and it is appropriate that we are examining t that. I can see there are also little technical issues being closed off as well where there were some small mistakes or...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: It is likely they may, if the remit is being expanded. Ms Harte mentioned a licence fee of €200. Will that be adequate to cover the cost? I understand if the witnesses do not have an answer to that question now. That is fine, but it is just something I think that we need to look at in the future. Ms Harte also mentions in her opening statement that this is not coming as a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: Of course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: General Scheme of the Gas Safety (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (20 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank Ms Harte.

Commissions of Investigation (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (15 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: The commission of investigation process has huge merit and can deliver. Everyone hoped it would deliver. From previous forms of investigations and tribunals that cost a lot of money, ran on for years and so on, we know that this was an alternative way of doing it that would be more succinct, that would hopefully get to the point more quickly and that would cost less. It held all that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Chair and I thank the Minister for his opening statement and his remarks. I wish to address the issue of investment in key infrastructure, particularly in public transport and rail infrastructure. The all-Ireland rail review took place recently and it has a number of recommendation, as the Minister is aware. Some of these recommendations fit into the national development plan...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Minister. I hope this opportunity will be recognised, particularly with the electrification of lines, with battery power and new technology and developments. I also wish to understand the level of ambition there is around developing more bus links in urban areas in particular. I know there are issues in Dublin with BusConnects and so forth. I am sure the Minister hears about...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the Minister. Transport Infrastructure Ireland appeared before the transport committee yesterday. As the Minister is aware, it has seven stages when it looks to a project. The first four stages are around planning, working it all out and how it will proceed, whether it is building a road or something else. The last three stages are the actual construction and moving things...

Recent Developments in Northern Ireland: Statements (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: Long awaited comes at last, and this has certainly been the case with the executive in the North. We all extend our congratulations and our best wishes to the success of that executive. It comes as one of the key factors of the Good Friday Agreement in the hope that it offered of a co-operative Government that would work together for the benefit of everyone and to build a society that would...

Recent Developments in Northern Ireland: Statements (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: No, not a chance.

Recent Developments in Northern Ireland: Statements (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: The difficulties that lay ahead were spoken about. While there is great hope and a great sense of opportunity in all of this, there are real difficulties. Reference was made to the public servants who had been out on strike. The difficulty in the health service in the North is one of the really terrible issues and particularly at the Fermanagh and Enniskillen hospitals. The A3 road...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: I raise the issue of damage to power lines, particularly in recent storms. In County Leitrim, there are large areas of afforestation. Where there is afforestation, power lines go through it. As part of licence conditions, forestry is supposed to be kept 10 m back from the power lines. Often, that does not happen and it is not being enforced. There are cases of trees coming down on top of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: I thank the witnesses for their presentation and the detail on all the major projects that are progressing. I have questions on some of those. The appendix to the opening statement sets out a number of projects that are moving ahead with some pace and projects approaching planning approval. It mentions in particular the Slane bypass and the Donegal TEN-T improvements. At what point is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: Okay, so the Department of Transport is the hold-up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: We will not call it a hold-up. We will say it is under consideration, but it is a lengthy consideration.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: That is one of the issues that I have raised numerous times. The phasing of projects of course has to happen. However, we seem to have this situation where it is difficult to move ahead while waiting for approval for phase 2, which has to be completed before one can move ahead to get funding for the next phase, and so on. I believe that is one of the things that is causing delays and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: Of course.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Large-scale Capital Projects: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (14 Feb 2024)

Martin Kenny: If a sound proposal is put forward and is going to roll forward, waiting for six to eight months for it to get the nod when there is no change or serious questions to be asked about it seems a little bit frustrating.