Results 61-80 of 5,746 for speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I am interested in the strength of those teams and the vacancies there as it relates to the huge demand for services.

Petrol and Diesel Excise Rate Increases: Motion [Private Members] (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: The planned increases on taxing fuel are not sensible or fair. Fuel prices have risen a staggering 30% over the past three years. If the Government proceeds with its proposals, these tax hikes will result in Irish households paying among the highest prices for fuel in Europe. Once again, Ireland is an outlier for all the wrong reasons and the Government has done absolutely nothing to get...

Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Second Stage (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: The scourge of institutional abuse is a stain on our collective history. As former Bethany Home resident, Patrick Anderson McQuoid quoted in The Journal yesterday said, it is the "shame" of Ireland. It is also shameful that Patrick will be denied redress by the Minister. Under the auspices of the State, thousands endured pain, abuse, trauma and neglect. This suffering produced a lasting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: On the deposit return scheme, the Minister of State said the machines were 86% operational and he was hoping to get it to 95%. How does he intend to do that? Is 95% the target for the number of machines working 86% of the time or-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: What about the performance of the machines themselves? There were initial teething problems with reading barcodes, largely to do with the database. Has the database been updated? Is the Minister of State satisfied that there is no longer a significant problem and that there have been improvements?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: The points about accessibility have been well made. I would also raise the issue of language. The signage is only in English. Gaeltacht areas, of which I have two in my county, have reasonably raised the question of the Irish language. I will leave this matter with the Minister of State. I believe colleagues have-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: There are gaps there. I just wanted to bring that to the Minister of State's attention. It is something we would all like to see progress on. I will jump to another area, that of illegal dumping and littering. Does the Minister of State have an assessment of the extent of the problem? Is it worsening? Is it getting better? What are the underlying causes? I am thankful that there has...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: We will have different opinions on the root causes. The Minister of State will be aware it has been argued that, because of our waste collection model and the costs associated with it, people are avoiding their bin charges by dumping illegally. Others might argue a different point. It is very difficult when we do not have good information. That would be helpful. Food waste is one of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy: Discussion (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: The Minister of State will find that the French example, and it is welcome that model is being looked at as regards packaging, also has a piece in respect of obligations around minimising food waste. It is to be hoped the Minister of State will turn that up and have a look at it when he is looking at that model.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child Protection (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 96. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide a breakdown of the number of children deemed at risk who have not been allocated a social worker in County Meath in 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19188/24]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 168. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide a breakdown of the number of heat pumps installed broken down, by scheme, to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19193/24]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Energy Conservation (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 169. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment to provide a breakdown of overall number of heat pumps installed to date in 2024, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19194/24]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 172. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on the National Broadband Plan and its roll-out; if there will be further works in the Ashbourne LEA areas of Kentstown and Skryne; what plans there are to improve broadband access to those households who have not yet been covered by the scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19278/24]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 173. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment his Department’s preparations for the switch-off of copper based broad band services; the measures he is taking to ensure that all services have migrated to fibre based networks in advance of the switch off; the percentage of households currently still use copper based services; the percentage of businesses...

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Broadband Infrastructure (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 176. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will report on connectivity blackspots in terms of Ireland’s broadband network; the breakdown of postcodes that are not included in the national roll-out nor commercially available; his plans to address these blackspots; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19395/24]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Renewable Energy Generation (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 179. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the measures he is planning to introduce to reduce the amount of renewable energy that is wasted; if he plans to introduce measures to redirect more surplus renewable energy to those living in energy poverty (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19458/24]

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Broadband Infrastructure (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 277. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if digital innovation vouchers can be used to help businesses migrate from a copper broadband connection to a fibre broadband connection; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19405/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 327. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills her views on teacher shortages; her plans to address them; if she plans to collate data on the number of unfulfilled teaching positions overall as well as across various different types of roles such as permanent, fixed-term and maternity leave positions; if not, the measures she will deploy in order to effectively access the scale of the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 328. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reasons data is not collated on unfulfilled teaching positions; how the lack of collated data impacts on her ability to assess the impact of shortages on the provision of education; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19258/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Staff (30 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: 329. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills to report on unqualified teachers currently working in the education system; the reasons her Department does not collate data on the number currently active in the teaching professions; how she assesses the impact of unqualified teachers working in the education system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19259/24]