Results 1-20 of 11,804 for at speaker:Richard Bruton

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I congratulate the Minister on her initiative of bringing in a pension for those on carer's allowance, but I would like to see progress on two other programme for Government commitments. I refer to the proposal to extend free GP care to those on the carer's support grant and to develop a carer's guarantee that will provide a core basket of services across the country. I ask the Minister to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. Ms O'Meara said that at national level we face a choice between seizing unprecedented opportunities and addressing the risks of these technologies. This is hopefully not so stark as having to choose between the two, although that is certainly where much of my anxiety arises about how we are going to manage this. Another concern regarding what...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: Is there anyone blazing a trail that we should be looking at in the context of the educational dimensions of this?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: The point is not money. My sense is that, when one looks at An Bord Pleanála, for example, it has struggled to get the people who can process offshore. The MARA has had to set up and develop a whole new capability from scratch. Demapping has had to occur. They are competing in a highly competitive international field for scarce enough capability. It is not a money issue. It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I will ask a question very quickly. Does Dr. Coates have the overall figures for the number of businesses that are born and die each year? I think it runs to several thousand, if not tens of thousands. Against that background, while SCARP has clearly hit an excellent point in that it is much cheaper than an examinership and it is working well, are there other international examples of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Operation of the Health and Safety Authority: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I thank Mr. O'Brien for the presentation. To explore a little further the farming side, there seems to be some fairly clear indicators there under vehicles, livestock and falls. Has the HSA ever considered, rather than just the inspection which can potentially be quite a hostile environment, something like an NCT and that every five years things would have to be looked at by some partner?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Operation of the Health and Safety Authority: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: Has something like that every been looked at which could be done on a wider scale rather than an inspection regime that essentially the HSA has to fund and staff?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Role and Operation of the Health and Safety Authority: Discussion (1 May 2024)

Richard Bruton: I would be interested to explore a bit more what Mr. O'Brien is referencing with remote working and the broader concept of mental health stress and well-being in the workplace. On remote working, I presume it is quite a change in employers' responsibilities in not having a site that they can see every day and be conscious of the different things. Has the HSA developed codes of practice at...

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

Richard Bruton: I welcome the work the Minister of State has undertaken since the passage of the Act. I must say, however, that his Department continues to view the circular economy through the very narrow lens of waste and levies on waste materials. That is evidenced in his own presentation but also in the plan which he recently presented, where the ambition is zero growth in waste per head of population...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Agriculture Industry (25 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: First, I welcome what the Minister of State has said, but so long as there is no clear picture of what a revenue stream from sound environmental farming will mean in ten or 20 years' time, this uncertainty and unease will continue. We know, for example, that raising water levels on certain lands has huge carbon dividends. We know that benchmarking and reducing emissions by sequestration or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: The Minister will have often heard the phrase "a stitch in time saves nine". Does the Minister agree that setting up a commission on care is already too late in the cycle? The reality is that if people stay connected and active after they retire, they will have many years of good health and not come into the caring system at all. As Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan just asked about, the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Departmental Programmes (25 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: We are missing a beat here. We are too siloed in the way we think of this. We see people who are over a certain age as a caring problem, and not as an opportunity. Activation should be just as relevant to someone who has left the workforce as it is to someone who is aged 64 and wants to work for another year. It can be activation throughout the community in all sorts of unpaid positions...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (25 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I have a good deal of experience of dealing with cases. What often happens is that the medical certification does not deal with the fact that a person must be unable to work for 12 months or more. Doctors often think that by listing illnesses, they have fulfilled their requirement. It would be useful if a message could clarify to medical professionals the exact form of certification...

Acknowledgement and Apology to the Families and to the Victims of the Stardust Tragedy: Statements (23 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: As the Taoiseach and the two Ministers have said, this has been a tragedy of harrowing proportions for the families. It was a Valentine's night that turned to anguish. You can only imagine the panic of people experiencing the chains and padlocks blocking their exits, the lights failing and the darkness as that tragedy ensued. The initial determination of arson was seen as a further slap in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I thank the witnesses for their presentation. The overall picture is encouraging in my view as they are saying this is necessary, achievable and worthwhile. The key missing ingredient is for us to be able to make it something like a question of national pride that we deliver this. This is where we are struggling. It is getting everyone on the same page to understand that all of our...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Ireland's Climate Change Assessment Report: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: If we had a circular strategy for food we would be inviting everyone in, and farmers, producers and retailers would be sitting around the table. We would be looking at the entire food chain and food waste. Would this be an environment in which we could get a more collective collaborative approach? I feel it would be but perhaps I am naive.

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

Richard Bruton: I welcome the debate. I welcome all the work that Deputy Brian Leddin and the committee put in, including Deputies Darren O'Rourke, Paul Murphy and others who have left the Chamber. It has been a very valuable debate with a lot of insight. Globally, we are using materials from nature each year that are double the capacity of nature to replenish. That is heading in the wrong direction and...

Automatic Enrolment Retirement Savings System Bill 2024: Second Stage (Resumed) (17 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: There is a great need. I have not seen the most up-to-date figures but from recollection I believe that about 40% of people in the workforce do not have any pension cover. That applies to both men and women although it is probably more acute with women, so there is a huge gap. The legislation begins to address some of the anomalies concerning how we treat pensions provision. We have a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Offshore Wind Energy Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (17 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: I welcome this framework. It is an important document, and it is important that we start to create a consistent approach. I would be interested to get a few benchmarks as to where we are at. We have had a number of approved offshore energy projects. What is Mr. Tobin's estimate of the likely Irish content in the supply chain in that first wave, and what is the Department's target for an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Offshore Wind Energy Strategy: Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (17 Apr 2024)

Richard Bruton: My question concerns the date at which we might have that excess supply. Is it near term, long term or-----