Results 1-20 of 53 for speaker:Noel O'Donovan

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó – Order of Business (15 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I echo my colleagues' disappointment in learning of the motion of no confidence in our party leader, the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris. Let us be straight here: the dogs in the street know the exact reason the motion is being put down. It is because we have a presidential election next week. It is the greatest form of populist politics - I would call it pathetic politics. I hope the...

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad: Road Projects (14 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Buttimer, for staying with us. For more than 40 years, the people of west Cork have listened to politicians talk about upgrading the N71, but very little has changed in those 40 years. The N71 remains a national route in name only. In reality, it is a narrow, twisting and crumbling stretch of road that has seen little investment since the 1970s. Those...

Seanad: Gnó an tSeanaid - Business of Seanad: Road Projects (14 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I thank the Minister of State for his comments. I acknowledge the work he has committed to in engaging with me and listening to further suggestions, and the time he gave recently in west Cork looking at various stretches of road.The majority of the response from the Department and TII refers to projects in other parts of the county. I asked clearly for a co-ordinated corridor plan for west...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I want to raise the issue of the serious challenges facing the fishing community. On Saturday I spent some time in Castletownbere with a friend of the Cathaoirleach's, and a former Deputy, Noel Harrington. We engaged with many in the fishing community. To say that there is a sense of shock and fear about what lies on the horizon is an understatement. We Senators speak passionately in...

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements (14 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I thank the Senator for his kind offering. Like other speakers, I want to commend the Minister on his work on this budget. It is a prudent budget and what we have come to expect from the Minister, Deputy Paschal Donohoe. The Minister said in his contribution that there are 2.82 million people in work. When I left college in 2011, the jobs market was quite bleak. We can never forget where...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I want to speak briefly on two aspects of the budget. As a newbie Senator, this is the first opportunity I have had to witness and see how the budgetary process works. As a member of a party that is in government, I also had an opportunity to see how the issues we raised formed part of the budgetary process. Regarding the 9% VAT rate, I put on record the appreciation of the many...

Seanad: Agricultural Sector: Motion (1 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I welcome the Minister of State. I broadly welcome the cross-party support for the motion. The essence of it is to highlight the positive impact that agriculture has within our communities but also the issues the sector is facing. Agriculture is the lifeblood of many rural communities across the country, including those in west Cork. It is not only the foundation of our local economy;...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: We are having an important debate. As many of my colleagues know, I come from a rural constituency in west Cork. As we are having this debate, I think of the current farmers, the farmers from the older generation who are leaving the sector, and those in their 20s and 30s thinking about pursuing a career in farming. All of us are here because we want to see emissions reduced and to protect...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I also had a question on a plan B.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: The Department could do a little more in terms of advising and informing farmers of how the process works regarding slurry storage and management and importation and exportation of slurry. There is still fear in the farming community that taking extra will lead to being tarnished or some other impact. There is work that can be done in that regard in preparing the document and showing it to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I am conscious of the messaging from this committee, as I said. It would be helpful to have a comment from the Department directly to farmers on the work done in the past number of years in terms of reducing emissions and where the farming community needs to go. When the news was coming out about derogation and the new habitats directive, people I represent in west Cork were, rightly,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I thank the Chair. I will try not to repeat anything Deputy Kenny and Senator Brady said, but I agree with their contributions. I met members of the IFA in west Cork some months ago at an environmental discussion with farmers. For the benefit of the other members of the committee, everything they are saying here today was explained to farmers. Oftentimes, there were tough questions in the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I am sorry to cut across Ms O’Sullivan, but I am just conscious of time. I want to go back to Deputy Ó Cearúil's points on the additives because we hear a lot about them and they seem to be the white smoke at the end of the tunnel that will reduce emissions. Is this initiative Department-led or private-sector led? I am referring to both these types of additives.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Discussion (Resumed) (1 Oct 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: Is any EU country currently using these additives? Is any government within the EU supporting the agricultural sector to use these technologies?

Seanad: Pension Auto-Enrolment: Statements (30 Sep 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I thank the Cathaoirleach for his kind words on my marriage. I got a new job in recent weeks and have probably the most important work of my life ahead. I also thank colleagues for their kind wishes. On a sadder note, this is my first time back in the Chamber since my colleague Councillor Patrick Gerard Murphy passed away in west Cork. I want to put on record my appreciation for the work...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Electricity Sector (16 Jul 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I thank all the participants. They have all been knowledgeable and the level of expertise in their sectors is evident in their passion. If I am honest, I am fearful of the grid situation at present. I live in west Cork where we have many towns and villages constrained by Uisce Éireann development. It is tough to deal with young families who can no longer build in their towns and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Electricity Sector (16 Jul 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: Staying on this point, in Uisce Éireann's delivery process, the big projects can take five to seven years to deliver. That is a fear in terms of timelines. If the level of funding required to solve these 30 areas or additional areas comes through in the national development plan, what is the delivery process timeline for ensuring those 30 areas are covered by electricity?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Electricity Sector (16 Jul 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: In my last ten seconds, I will note that, with Uisce Éireann infrastructure, preparatory work was not done for that consultation with local authorities and national bodies with regard to funding. I do not want the same situation to arise with our electricity infrastructure because it is our communities and our young people who will suffer. I am delighted to hear that it is a priority...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Electricity Sector (16 Jul 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: I want to come back to Mr. Cunniffe and our offshore energy potential. I represent coastal and rural communities and the potential is enormous. Will Mr. Cunniffe detail the barriers? He mentioned earlier that he does not see us achieving the 2030 targets given our strategic approach. What are the barriers? What countries has he visited or seen which do offshore energy well? How do they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy: Climate Change Targets 2026-2030: Electricity Sector (16 Jul 2025)

Noel O'Donovan: Can we reverse the current trend if Mr. Cunniffe's fear is not making 2030? Can we make changes to policy?