Results 41-60 of 1,874 for speaker:Richard O'Donoghue

Reopening of Schools and Summer Provision 2020: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I realise that the Department has had a difficult time trying to work out a programme for schools in September and the transition from the pre-Covid period to now. It is safe to say that schools cannot eliminate the risk of infection but will try to mitigate it in line with whatever guidelines are given to them. Schools are awaiting the issuance of the new template. The one issue about...

Covid-19 (Measures to Protect Victims of Domestic Violence): Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I am sharing time with Deputy Mattie McGrath. There has been a 25% increase in domestic violence since the start of Covid-19 from the Garda figures. The figure from the national helpline of Safe Ireland is 39%. Safe Ireland has stated that the Department of Justice and Equality and the Garda were phenomenal during the Covid crisis and I commend them on that. They are now dealing with an...

Emergency Bed Capacity: Statements (24 Jun 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I congratulate Deputy Butler on her elevation. I congratulate the front-line staff who put the patient at the heart of everything that was done during the Covid-19 crisis. Having contacted the press office today in our area, I am delighted to say that the 68 emergency beds did not need to be used due to the early control of Covid-19. As we have just heard, however, some 38 people were on...

Ceapachán an Taoisigh agus Ainmniú Chomhaltaí an Rialtais: Tairiscint - Appointment of Taoiseach and Nomination of Members of Government: Motion (27 Jun 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I acknowledge the work of the outgoing Taoiseach and the former Minister for Health during the pandemic. I congratulate the new Taoiseach, Deputy Micheál Martin, and the new Ministers. I have listened today to Members in this Chamber talk out of both sides of their mouths. We met Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael, the Green Party and Sinn Féin but the only parties that wanted to...

Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2020: Second Stage (Resumed) (8 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: The importance of the Bill cannot be underestimated. Some 1.5 million people in Ireland are employed by the SME sector, which needs monetary help in order to remain viable. I understand the priority that needs to be given to increasing this fund. Compensation needs to be provided for the rebate of fixed costs and the losses endured by SMEs during the Covid-19 shutdown. The system needs to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: Who bears the responsibility for policing the wearing of masks on school transport? Whose responsibility is it?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: Bus Éireann put out the bus transport system to tender. It is usually private bus owners who run the scheme. In the rural setting in which I live, the same bus carries both primary school kids and secondary school kids. It is a double run. The buses are at capacity. If social distancing is to be implemented, and if primary schoolchildren must be separated from secondary...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: My next question is just one example of the concerns about which I have contacted by different ethnic minorities. Some 40% of students in a classroom in a Rathkeale school come from Traveller families. The other 60% come from the settled community. Both communities have concerns because members of some families in the area work abroad and are travelling in and out of the country, including...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I thank the witnesses for their work and for attending. I thank Ms McGinley for contacting my office about migrants in factories. In my area, it seems that migrants are treated well in those factories that we have spoken to, but it is difficult to get information about migrants and how they are managed in factories. The witnesses cited a statistic of 60% or 70% of migrant workers in...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I will not cite anyone out of character.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I am just saying that I spoke to that ABP plant and asked it about what it had done for its employees. I am giving the basis for what we are saying. MCRI has spoken to migrant workers. Are there pockets around the country that are experiencing issues? In the context of previous contributions to the committee, is there a problem with management in factories not carrying out work properly...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: This goes back to what a previous speaker said: the Department has given us one set of figures to show that it has no concerns but the witnesses have given us another side showing they have concerns. In order to help we must have co-operation so that we can know if there are pockets or cases of people not stepping up to the mark. It is the only way we can help. We are going through the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I am disheartened to hear that people would have no access to payments, especially if they have been coming from the likes of Poland and becoming self-employed here. I am self-employed. I do not have any migrant workers. Every one of our workers is considered to be a team member. I would hate to see that anyone is treated with such disrespect and that anyone who has worked, and especially...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: At the start of the session the witnesses were asked about agencies. The first speaker said he did not know what agencies we were referring to, and now Mr. Healy has said there are very few agency workers. Some 30% of the workforce are Irish. Another 50% are from the EU and when added to the Irish that gives us 80%, and 20% of workers are migrants. There were 1,100 outbreaks in the meat...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: Mr. Healy should know because it is his job to know. The witnesses have come in with their statistics, and we heard statistics earlier from Ms Edel McGinley that completely contradict every single thing the representatives of Meat Industry Ireland have said here today. The witnesses have stonewalled and gone around in circles. I am from a farming background myself and now I am in the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I understand, but it is a process and I am disgusted with the way farmers were treated. I am also disgusted with the way a lot of the employees in the meat sector are being treated. It is the job of the witnesses to know about the agencies and how many of the workers are on contracts. It is their job to know whether they have a safe place to live and if they are coming back into a safe...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: More broadly. I want a full breakdown.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: To make it formal, I propose that the witnesses provide the following information in the format I seek. I want a breakdown of the 1,100 cases that broke out. I want it done on the basis of the 30% of Irish, 50% of EU and 20% of migrant.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: I also want a breakdown throughout the country where the pockets or outbreaks were. There are only 50 outlets and I want a map to show where the outbreaks were. Lastly, I also want a breakdown on the number of those cases who were able to avail of the Covid payment on the same basis - Irish, EU nationals and migrants - because I believe that many of the migrants may be on self-employed...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Congregated Settings: Meat Plants (Resumed) (10 Jul 2020)

Richard O'Donoghue: On the temporary wage subsidy scheme, I want to know how many of them were able to do so, in the percentages, as I have given. I would like to have that seconded.