Results 1-20 of 87 for likes to work speaker:Darren O'Rourke

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Mental Health Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) (19 Sep 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: Colleagues, led by Deputy Mark Ward, will cover the Sinn Féin position on this issue and they will continue to engage with it. I want to focus on the issue of implementation and capacity within the system. In the first instance, I will stay local and draw attention to a response to a parliamentary question I got regarding east Meath and Ashbourne CAMHS services. It states that A...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Waste Management (11 Jul 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this Topical Issue. Much has been said on waste management services, bin collections and the services that are provided. There are very significant issues with them, including complications, contradictions, inefficiencies, and side-by-side collection. A huge number of people do not have a bin service. We have a significant challenge and problem...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (11 Jul 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: This morning, the Climate Change Advisory Council published its built environment annual review 2024. It wants to see the ambition and rate of upgrades to social homes doubled. It highlights the need for special measures to support older people to achieve warmer, more comfortable, healthier homes. It highlights that many of the worst performing homes are likely to be owned by older people...

Affordable Electricity: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jun 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: ...expensive electricity prices in the European Union (EU), two-thirds higher than the average, with the typical Irish household paying nearly €700 more per year; regrets that: — the Government refused to apply a stronger, more effective windfall tax which tackled profits when they were at their peak post the Russian invasion of Ukraine; — decades of successive Fianna...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Energy Policy (22 May 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this issue and I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, for being here to take it. I raised the issue very briefly with him on Priority Questions last week but I am glad to have some extra time here to focus on it. I am concerned that people, who are isolated, have exorbitant bills related to heat pump use. I have spoken to members...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Challenges Facing the Bus and Coach Industry: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: ...the 105X service with Mr. Kent before. It is very popular. There is a demand from the community for increased frequency. It largely runs at peak hours and is an express direct route from Ratoath into the city. I raise the 109A to DCU regularly with Bus Éireann and the NTA. I also raise direct routes from Ashbourne or Ratoath to the M3 parkway linking bus and rail. How do those...

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

Darren O'Rourke: ...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 the areas the Minister of State touched on in his opening statement. What are his priorities in that regard? There are really good groups like FoodCloud working in this area. Are there plans to expand community...

Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Motion (18 Apr 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the climate committee's consideration of the landmarks citizens' assembly on biodiversity loss. I thank the witnesses who presented before the committee. I also thank the secretariat, the other committee members, a number of whom are in the Chamber, and the Chair of the committee for his chairing of proceedings. Like others, I most of all want to thank...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (20 Feb 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Ceann Comhairle for selecting this important issue for the debate. There are many who will make the case for their local school building project to be progressed. That is understandable but it comes with the risk that all cases are heard at the same and all cases are treated the same. I am here to make the case that all cases are not the same. I believe the case of Lismullen...

Report of Joint Committee on Social Protection, Community and Rural Development and the Islands: Motion (1 Feb 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on this report. I commend the committee on its work on it and commend the Cathaoirleach, the members and all the witnesses who presented. It is probably an exercise that could be replicated by other committees. The Sustainable Development Goals, significantly, are the only universally agreed framework with the aim of meeting everyone's needs without...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens' Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Nov 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the witnesses for their contributions so far and for their presentation. We are here to discuss the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Biodiversity Loss. One of many substantial proposals focused on structure, governance, individual Departments and a new national independent agency. We heard at previous sessions about the challenge of almost contradictory...

Energy Charter Treaty: Statements (9 Nov 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to address the statements on the Energy Charter Treaty. I acknowledge my colleague Senator Boylan who has done a significant amount of work on the Energy Charter Treaty, including a master's thesis, which very much informs our party policy and these statements. For a long time we have been advocates of withdrawal from the Energy Charter Treaty. It is a relic of...

Road Safety: Statements (26 Oct 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: Continuing on the theme of encouraging people onto public transport and making it safe for them, I have to raise the deteriorating standard of public bus services in County Meath. We are at a crisis point in my county. On the 103 service, which services big and busy towns like Ashbourne and Ratoath, 20% of services were cancelled on Monday, more than 10% were cancelled on Tuesday and 15% of...

Gas (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (27 Sep 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Gas (Amendment) Bill. It is a short, technical Bill that provides for the transfer of all functions for the national gas infrastructure from the current company, Ervia, to a new publicly-owned entity, called Gas Networks Ireland, GNI. When it comes to the gas market or the energy market more generally, the Government needs to do a whole lot more...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Citizens Assembly Report on Biodiversity Loss: Discussion (19 Sep 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank all the witnesses for their work on the comprehensive document and report, which is very well articulated. To continue in a similar vein, it is now about taking the great work of the assembly and putting it into a complicated and messy political system that pulls in a pile of different directions. I have said before that we could raise questions about the representativeness of this...

Progress on the National Parks and Wildlife Service: Statements (6 Jul 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the progress of the National Parks and Wildlife Service and on the interconnected issue of Ireland's biodiversity crisis. Until recently, successive Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael-led Governments failed to take these issues seriously. Decades of their paralysis have landed us in the situation we are now in, which is way behind where we once had the...

Forestry Strategy: Statements (26 Jan 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to contribute on this subject again. I also spoke during Sinn Féin's Private Members' motion, which made three concrete proposals. Deputy Carthy has touched on a number of them, those being, licensing and how the State can get itself off the hook in the Coillte deal. In my comments, I will focus on the forestry strategy. Sinn Féin's Private Members'...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Dublin Airport Authority (18 Jan 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: ...for being here. I am sorry I missed the opening statement but I was in the Dáil Chamber. We have heard a lot in recent times about the expansion of, and vision for, Dublin Airport. I want to focus on recent expansion and the DAA's approach to and delivery of it. I refer specifically to the north runway. I am the Sinn Féin spokesperson on transport but I am also a Deputy for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Energy Conservation (15 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I ask the Minister to have a clear line of sight on who applies for the grants and who is getting the work done. We have seen in other schemes where many of the 500,000 B2 rated premises are the relatively warm homes of relatively wealthy people who can afford solar. They get solar PV installed, it takes the building up to a B2 rating and one of the 500,000 target premises is met. We need...

Current Issues Affecting the Health Services: Motion [Private Members] (13 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I welcome the opportunity to speak on the Sinn Féin motion. I commend Deputy Cullinane on bringing it forward. We have recruitment and retention challenges across our health service, and this Government, like previous ones, has not done enough to address them. The motion states that there is a widely held belief among the public that the current Minister is incapable of addressing the...