Results 1-20 of 3,882 for speaker:Dara Calleary in 'Dáil debates'

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment Report on Offshore Renewable Energy is comprehensive and forward-thinking. I thank the Chair, the members and the secretariat for their work on it. We had a very good and comprehensive debate on it some weeks ago in the Chamber. I will briefly respond to the recommendations set out in the report. On recommendation 1, the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Renewable Energy Generation (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Regarding the first part of the question, we are engaging with Foras on that at the moment. On the issue of the ports, the Department of Transport, as the Deputy is probably aware, is currently awaiting the results of the 2003 connecting Europe facility funding call. We expect to have those results by July of this year. The Department of Transport, along with the Irish Maritime Development...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: We are very aware of the need for physical infrastructure. We have outlined in the strategy that will be a demonstrator site as well as an offshore wind centre of excellence. There are three marine test centres currently in Ireland, namely the Lir National Ocean Test Facility in Cork, the SmartBay Test Site for marine and renewable energy in Galway and the Atlantic Marine Energy Test Site,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I absolutely agree with the Deputy that we need an all-of-government approach. The Minister of State, Deputy Burke, has made that very clear since he came to the Department. If a request is made by the Port of Cork to IDA Ireland, I would ask it to engage with the latter directly. Anything we can do to support the development of offshore wind energy, not just in Cork - I am conscious that...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Export Controls (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as an gceist. Our Department is the national competent authority with responsibility for export controls, including those relating to defence-related exports and the export of dual-use goods. Controls on the export of dual-use items are administered by my Department in accordance with Regulation No. 2021/821 of the European Parliament and of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Export Controls (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I agree with the Deputy. We are crystal clear that nothing we do will support the war that is under way. That is why we have such rigorous criteria. If the Deputy believes that those criteria have let things slip through, he should let me know and I will absolutely follow up on the matter. Applications for dual-use licences in respect of exports to Israel are assessed rigorously on a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Export Controls (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I assure the Deputy I am not asking him to do my job, nor will I do so. We have a rigorous process. The Deputy is insinuating that said process is allowing things to slip through. If he has backup to that insinuation, he should provide it to us and I will be able to give him relevant and accurate information. We have a rigorous process that involves our Department and the Department of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Export Controls (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I am confident in standing over that process. As Ministers in the Department, Deputies Burke and Higgins and I regularly challenge our officials to make sure it is rigorous, particularly in respect of Israel.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Industrial Development (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputy for his question. I absolutely agree with its premise and his ambition. It is the core ambition of Powering Prosperity: Ireland's Offshore Wind Industrial Strategy, published by our Department last March. The strategy ensures that Ireland maximises the economic benefits associated with our climate and offshore renewable energy, ORE, targets. I commend Deputy Coveney,...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputy. Our Department is taking action on three fronts to increase the number of Irish businesses using big data, the cloud and AI. First, we are engaging with experts. I chair the newly refreshed enterprise digital advisory forum, which comprises industry and expert representatives and provides valuable advice and perspectives on how we can best help businesses to digitalise...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I agree with the Deputy. We tend to monitor them. We work with the EU so that there is independent monitoring. We are one of the most advanced EU member states in that context. The EU digital economic and society index, known as DESI, published as part of the report on the digital decade, shows that Ireland has a leading position in the EU in terms of SMEs, with a basic level of digital...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Programmes (23 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Absolutely, but we already are a world leading digital economy. I want us to stay there and grow that in our indigenous enterprise space. We are there because of policy decisions taken by successive governments to invest in this space. We want to grow it by expanding the confidence of businesses to take the journey. That is why we expanded the trading online voucher and are investing in...

Report of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Motion (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I covered all the main issues in my opening remarks. I thank the Deputies. Deputy Boyd Barrett's remarks are probably outside the scope of the report in terms of the enterprise opportunities. MARA has been established for offshore planning and has responsibilities there. To Deputy Stanton's point on skills, that is something we are focused on. Working with the Minister, Deputy...

Report of the Joint Committee on Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Motion (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Before he goes, I thank, the chair of the joint committee, Deputy Quinlivan, the clerk, the secretariat and all the members for this comprehensive and forward-thinking report. The report set out recommendations on diverse, but connected, topics. For instance, it recommends: planning and consideration of sites for offshore renewable energy, a more integrated approach to delivering it and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Prison Service (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Justice. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, had the opportunity to attend the Prison Officers Association conference last week and spent time with the association talking about the important work prison officers do in our prisons. As the Deputy will be aware, prison environments can be very challenging but...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Prison Service (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: The Deputy will appreciate we are in very challenging circumstances at the moment and the Irish Prison Service is doing everything it can to manage the prison population in a fair and equitable manner that continues to support the rehabilitation of those in custody. To ensure we have the capacity needed to provide that safe and secure custody, we have modernised the Mountjoy complex,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Business Supports (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank Deputy Andrews for raising this issue, which relates to the proposed Planning and Development (Street Furniture Fees) Regulations 2024. First, I must state that under section 30 of the Planning and Development Act 2000, as amended, the Minister with responsibility for planning is specifically precluded from exercising any power or control in respect of any particular planning...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Business Supports (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I can confirm that the power with regard to this fee falls under section 262(4) of the Act, which relates to the fees payable for street furniture, which amount to €125. I would also point out that this was done in 2021, 2022 and 2023, in non-election years. The Minister will sign the regulation at the earliest opportunity. We have just completed a range of supports for small...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Teachta as ceist Scoil Chiaráin a ardú inniu. As the Deputy said, a major building project to provide new accommodation for the students of Scoil Chiaráin is included in the Department of Education’s construction programme being delivered under the National Development Plan, NDP, as part of Project Ireland 2040. The major building project...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I did not mention 2026 in my remarks.