Results 41-60 of 213 for long speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Climate Action Plan 2023: Statements (18 Jan 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: ...and domestic renewables. We must empower our strong State agencies. It is great to have them. We must empower communities. We must see the guidelines updated that have been on the books for far too long. If we are to deliver on the ambition for onshore and offshore wind, we need to have community buy-in. We can achieve this if we take a particular approach. We need investment in...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Equality Issues (18 Jan 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: 276. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if his attention has been drawn to the long delays for persons with a disability accessing driving lessons; the way that he intends to address these long delays to ensure that persons with a disability can access driving lessons in a timely manner; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1827/23]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Driver Test (18 Jan 2023)

Darren O'Rourke: 296. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the wait times for each driving test centre; the actions that he is taking to reduce the long waiting times being experienced to access driving tests; the number of driving instructors whose contracts expire within the next three months; if he has engaged with the RSA in relation to retaining these instructors to help alleviate the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: That is short haul. I suppose the numbers for long haul are smaller.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Aer Lingus (Resumed) (14 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: It will give them a long enough horizon. Was there a concern that they did not have a long enough horizon?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: National Aviation Policy: Minister for Transport and Minister of State at the Department of Transport (7 Dec 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...Minister and the Minister of State for their time. I will ask about an issue that seems to be an anomaly, namely, the way in which environmental taxes are raised, for example, short-haul versus long-haul and connecting flights. This is an issue that was raised with the committee and is recognised at national and European level. Are there plans to address it? It seems it would place a...

Toll Charge Increases: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (29 Nov 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...partnership, PPP, companies that they must ensure this measure is in place for 1 January. However, as we have said, the Minister needs to go further than that. The period of six months is not long enough. During that time, I encourage the Minister to look at the funding mechanism for our national roads network. We have heard from TII that we invest approximately 2% of the value of...

COP27: Statements (29 Nov 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...Glasgow last year. Their agenda is clear: to delay the transition from fossil fuels and greenwash ineffective actions in order to protect their profit and keep a business-as-usual approach for as long as they can. Fossil fuel lobbyists have no place at the UN conference. We would not invite big tobacco lobbyists to a lung cancer conference, so we should apply the same standard here....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Motorway Toll Charges: Transport Infrastructure Ireland (29 Nov 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...good one. There are arguments in its favour, including that it is off-balance sheet and becomes the responsibility of the private sector. However, the other perspective is that we pay more in the long term and there are significant returns. No one will argue against funding the essential maintenance of our road network. Debt repayment is an obligation, but many of these companies...

Energy Regulations: Motion [Private Members] (16 Nov 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...and community ownership of our national resources. That is not stated in the motion, but it should be. The market is broken, and the Government has stood steadfast against reforms for far too long. Colleagues of mine here and at European level have advocated for market reform for many years. That became a very apparent necessity as far back as summer 2021. The Government, in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Car Test (10 Nov 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 1. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the steps that he is taking to reduce the long waiting times for NCT appointments; if the private company operating the NCT service has faced any sanction under its contract due to these long delays; if the staff which it has temporarily transferred from Spain are qualified to the same standard as their Irish counterparts; and if he will...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: National Car Test (10 Nov 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I ask the Minister of State to set out the steps she is taking to reduce the long waiting times for national car test, NCT, appointments. Has the private company operating the NCT service faced any sanction under its contract due to these long delays? Are the staff who have been temporarily transferred from Spain qualified to the same standard as their Irish counterparts?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Policy (8 Nov 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: It was about a long-term strategy.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Environmental Policy (8 Nov 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...quality, but it was said the quantity is a different story. I will be happy to send those figures from Christian Aid and Trócaire to the Minister. Regarding Ireland's requirement to submit its long-term strategy to the European Commission, has this been done with regard to setting out a plan to 2050? What about the commitment to a fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty? Will the...

Energy Security: Statements (27 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...us a huge opportunity to raise significant revenue for reinvestment in climate action. I had the opportunity recently to travel to the Moray East offshore wind farm off the coast of Aberdeen alongside colleagues from the climate action committee. This wind farm alone will produce enough electricity to power 1 million homes. It is a remarkable feat of engineering and highlights the...

Development (Emergency Electricity Generation) Bill 2022: Second Stage (26 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...choices that contributed to the current situation. Another contributory factor to this current situation was the Government’s failure to develop our offshore wind over the past decade. Along with others, I was in Scotland recently, visiting the Moray East offshore wind farm and I witnessed at first hand how far ahead of us they are, specifically due to choices they made in recent...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: COP27: Discussion (25 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...and what infrastructure might be needed in the future in Ireland, what are Mr. McEvilly's thoughts on how all of that can be squared? The energy security review came with a short list and a long list of options.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2022 (Supplementary)
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (18 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...up until a couple of weeks ago. According to reports, it involved €600 million on household bills over a decade. Where is that accounted for? When was it lifted? Why was it in place for so long? Will the Minister give us an update on that?

Electricity Costs (Domestic Electricity Accounts) Emergency Measures and Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...Bill seek to prevent disconnections of pay-as-you-go customers. The Government has been caught asleep at the wheel on this issue. Despite 346,000 households using prepay meters, the Government has no plan and seems to be making it up as it goes along. The Taoiseach went on national radio a couple of weeks ago and assured people they would not be disconnected this winter, but the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Retrofitting Schemes: Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (11 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ..., in the homes of people who can afford it and in already warm homes that get solar panels. At the same time, people living in poverty, energy poverty and colder homes are being left behind on long lists. There is the low-hanging fruit of shallow retrofits and technologies. The change is not happening at the pace and scale we need it to, particularly at a time of energy crisis. What do...