Results 1-20 of 1,258 for at speaker:Alan Farrell

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (14 May 2024)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Minister of State for his response. I am pleased to hear there may be scope for the sort of machines to which I referred to be introduced by local authorities. That would be good. To refer to some of the remarks made by Deputy O'Sullivan regarding accessibility, it is an issue. Will the Minister of State investigate whether, as standard practice, these machines could be a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Recycling Policy (14 May 2024)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Minister of State for his response. Like every new scheme, there are bound to be teething problems and there were a few along the way in the last few weeks. Like my colleague, I broadly welcome the success rate that has been illustrated. I note with appreciation the amount of time that the Minister of State gave to the Oireachtas joint committee recently where he went through...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Library Services (9 May 2024)

Alan Farrell: .... The Minister has been very consistent in investment across Fingal, as she rightly mentioned. A huge wonderful project is being delivered in Swords and a project is being delivered in Donabate among others. It goes to show that where a little money is spent, it can have such a positive benefit for communities that in 2024, when everyone is going digital and looking at doing studies...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (9 May 2024)

Alan Farrell: ...villages. I commend the Ministers on their significant work and investment across the country, including in my constituency, Dublin Fingal, as it currently exists. I had the privilege of not that long ago attending with the Ministers the opening of a building in Lusk, which is an illustration of the effectiveness of the town and village renewal scheme. As the previous speaker alluded...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Schemes (9 May 2024)

Alan Farrell: I completely agree with what the Minister said. As she well knows, vibrant communities have people living in the middle of them. Especially in northern Fingal, the success of the national broadband project has meant that more and more people have the capacity to work from home, particularly in a post-Covid environment. Any public representative knows there are just as many people at home...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (23 Apr 2024)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Minister. I do not have much to add other than it would be helpful for us to have another conversation about this in the autumn regarding the uptake, to make sure the scheme is operating as effectively and efficiently as possible, and perhaps then to determine whether an ongoing fund could be provided to it year on year as part of the annual Vote for the Department of Justice....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Closed-Circuit Television Systems (23 Apr 2024)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Minister. I alluded to the fact that these schemes are just so important. They provide people with peace of mind that if there is an incident, it can be looked back at. If there is an event, for instance, like the concerts that take place in Malahide Castle every summer, it is important that there is the opportunity for An Garda Síochána to engage with the local...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Alan Farrell: Perhaps we can all look back at the time since 2008 with regard to exceptional circumstances that might arise, which the Minister has mentioned several times, particularly in terms of an influx of migrants and the associated financial difficulties in which a State might find itself, as we did after 2008. Is the Minister confident the solidarity pool will work effectively, particularly in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: EU Regulations and Directive on International Protection, Asylum and Migration: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Alan Farrell: I wish to make a statement first. This is the migration and asylum pact, not the asylum pact. I wish to make that point clear, and it will become clear as to why now. We talk about sovereignty, which is an issue that has come up in the approximately 50 emails I received in recent weeks on this issue from people demanding a referendum. I agree with what was said; I do not agree that a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (29 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: I am encouraged by that answer, and it is very good to hear. If I look at CAMHS in my constituency - and again, I appreciate the cross-departmental view but disability support is critical - our numbers are moving in the right direction. As the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman will be aware, Fingal, with the youngest, fastest-growing community in Ireland, has acute needs, and those needs are...

Recent Arson Attacks: Statements (27 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: I welcome the opportunity to discuss this worrying trend across Ireland, which is an illustration of ignorance and hatred that cannot be allowed to take hold or accepted as normal, or, indeed, a consequence of doing what is right. It must be investigated with the appropriate vigour by An Garda Síochána. I thank Deputy Murphy for making clear earlier that there was no legislative...

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (21 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: ...health services. The first of the proposed changes includes the all-important change to income earned from the rent-a-room relief scheme being disregarded for the purposes of a means test as it relates to applying for a medical card or GP visit card. This is an important step in removing a barrier to people engaging with the rent-a-room relief scheme. Individuals can currently rent out...

Second Anniversary of War in Ukraine: Statements (20 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: I welcome the opportunity to mark the second anniversary of the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation. I would like to take this opportunity to welcome the Ukrainian ambassador, Larysa Gerasko. I thank her for her presence here and for her significant contribution to keeping this issue on the agenda of many of my colleagues and of the Government. It is critically important that we...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: EU Meetings (20 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: 30. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his engagements at the special meeting of the European Council on Ukraine and the EU budget; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6369/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: I thank the Chair and the Minister for coming before the committee, for his opening statement and answers to questions thus far. I had a technical problem in my office, so I came down to the committee room. It is better to do this in person, anyway. I have a couple of areas that I wish to cover with the Minister. First, public transport projects are an area that Senator McGahon and the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Review of Climate Action Plan 2023: Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform (15 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: I wanted to point out that I was very pleased to hear the Minister's reference to pipeline projects. I have seen so many projects fall by the wayside, particularly in the 2008 to 2010 period, when my own local authority did not progress with bringing projects up to the point where they could shelve them as "Awaiting funding". Unfortunately a lot of projects were simply stopped dead in the...

Road Traffic Bill 2024: Second Stage (13 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: I agree with Deputy Murphy on the location of GoSafe vans, Garda cars or whatever it might be. They tend to be in the very last place you would want them, unfortunately. I am not sure they promote road safety for the vast majority of drivers because they probably should be in the tough-to-reach locations. All that said, just before Christmas on the new M9, I passed a Garda car and a couple...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: System for Assisted Dying and Alternative Policies: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: Good morning. I thank the witnesses for coming before us in our final meeting, or so I read on RTE.ie this morning. I only have a couple of questions, and my first one is a point rather than a question. With respect to the Department - this is not really a criticism; just an expression of disappointment - we have been aware that this committee was to be formed since 2020, and for the...

Financial Services and Pensions Ombudsman (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage (8 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to the debate on this Bill which, as has been repeatedly mentioned, will provide better protection for consumers and existing consumers of financial service providers that have left the market. As the Minister outlined, it will ensure that consumers in the latter group will continue to have access to services provided by the office of the Financial...

Death of Former Taoiseach: Expressions of Sympathy (7 Feb 2024)

Alan Farrell: Briefly, I wish to add to the collective sympathies offered to the Bruton family, to Finola, her children, her grandchildren and, of course, my dear colleague Richard and his sister, on their profound loss. I did not overlap with John's term here from 1969 through to 2005. When I was first elected in 2004, there was another member of the class of the Government of 1994 through to 1997 and...