Results 341-360 of 3,614 for speaker:Duncan Smith

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: Testing in meat plants, schools and direct provision centres has been referenced and I thank the witnesses for their answers. Have there been further discussions with the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, on testing at our airports?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank Mr. Reid.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank Dr. Glynn and Professor Nolan for coming today, but also for all the work they are doing day in, day out to try to keep the country safe. It is very much appreciated. They have the toughest job in the country and it is not going unnoticed. My first question is to Dr. Glynn. I have been in regular communication with my colleague, Senator Wall, and, indeed, residents from Kildare....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank Dr. Glynn. As Dr. Glynn stated recently, and as Mr. Paul Reid said in the first session this morning, we will be living with this virus for a time to come and we will have to come to terms with how we will deal with that. What work is NPHET doing in relation to the restrictions on air travel at present? I speak as someone who represents a constituency with many airport workers who...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: I and others have made calls over the last months for testing at airports and ports. If this was to be implemented would it be useful in any way in changing the advice or is a person just as well getting a test at a local test centre as opposed to the airport?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: I have just one more question, if I can squeeze it in. Is NPHET aware of, or does it have any understanding of, the worries of many pregnant women around the public health advice and messaging for Covid-19 and its impact on women in pregnancy?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank the witnesses.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: I am perplexed as to what is happening in this session. When we asked the Minister to come to the committee a few weeks ago, he was unable to do so. He is here now. I am not sure if he is aware of this but he is the main event today, not just for the committee but for the people of Ireland who want to see a plan and some certainty. The committee received a three-page opening statement,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: State Response to Recent Spike in Covid-19 Cases (Resumed) (26 Aug 2020)

Duncan Smith: The budget is in six or seven weeks. The pandemic is happening now, and the Minister has been mentioning this roadmap for weeks. The schools are back today. I am not here just to make a scene. I am genuinely worried and perplexed as to why we do not have more detail. I am genuine about this issue and this is not for show.

Criminal Justice (Enforcement Powers) (Covid-19) Bill 2020: Second Stage (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: I am sharing time with Deputy Sherlock. Something quite significant happened at last week's meeting of the Special Committee on Covid-19 Response that we are now seeing play out. When asked about the strategy we would pursue, and whether we would try to eliminate or suppress the virus, the acting Chief Medical Officer said that we would be living with the virus for the foreseeable future....

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank the witnesses for their work and the work of their members. Education has suffered from what I consider to be poor leadership at Government level in the months of this crisis. However, trade union members in schools have done an amazing job in maintaining a thread of calm, first by finishing the previous school year and then through the leaving certificate and into the period of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: Related to isolation rooms, it was brought to my attention that there is a school in south County Dublin that was attempting to construct an awning over an outdoor handwashing system they had, through work with the parents, put in during the summer. However, it was subject to planning permission and did not have a planning exemption as a piece of Covid infrastructure. Are ASTI members...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank Ms Magner. I will finish with a comment for Mr. Boyle. He may not have time to respond to it. I am concerned by what he said on advice being given by medical practitioners to teachers who are pregnant about returning to work. We have raised this a number of times in this committee and Dr. Ronan Glynn said last week that pregnant women are not more susceptible to Covid than anyone...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: I thank the Minister and her officials for attending. I will use the short time I have to focus on school transport. There is great concern across the country, including in my constituency of Dublin Fingal, regarding the provision of school transport and its future, and, indeed, if we will have sufficient school transport for the entire academic year of 2020-2021. My first question...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: How has it been agreed with parents? There are parents who have paid money. Some money still remains with Bus Éireann and they do not know if they are going to get a service. Other parents who have paid, I believe, under €175, have had their money sent back to them, so they are wondering if they will get a service at all this year. Can Ms Conduit make a commitment and give a...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: Some 400 out of a total of 2,100 of post-primary services are in a position to operate at 50% capacity at the start of the academic year 2020-2021, so when is that number likely to increase, how is it going to increase, and will the 2,100 post-primary services number be met at all?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: What sort of time-----

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: Sorry, what sort of timeline? Are we talking about a week, two weeks or a month?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Covid-19: Review of the Reopening of Schools (Resumed) (2 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: I am out of time. I appreciate the response, but I do not think it is going to provide much comfort to parents and to students throughout the country.

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Sep 2020)

Duncan Smith: I make an official request of the Ceann Comhairle that he call a special meeting of the Business Committee within seven days. Deputy Carthy said it would meet tonight but all groups need a few days to put their proposals forward. There is no point in having a shortened version of the meeting we had at the end of July. Each group should have a few days to put forward proposals to return to...