Results 61-80 of 213 for long speaker:Darren O'Rourke

Communications Regulation Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (6 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...Federation Ireland. I understand that an industry-led task force, facilitated by ComReg, has been established to identify and recommend practical interventions that might be taken by operators in the short, medium and long terms to combat nuisance communications. The Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, might provide an update on this work. The Minister of State will be aware that the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Energy Prices: Discussion (4 Oct 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...during that period? Can the witnesses speak to that charge? It seems very strange to me. For example, one cannot get work done before 9 o'clock in the morning or in the winter months. Are these long-standing practices appropriate at this time?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Transport (22 Sep 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...potential and opportunity. This will require additional funding and a different approach to speed up the process. I appreciate that the process is bottom-up and involved but it will take far too long to deliver at the current rate. There is a need to look at that.

Energy Security: Motion [Private Members] (21 Sep 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...delivering 7 GW of offshore wind energy generation by 2030. It is not going to happen under this Government, and this is of deep concern. It is the same with the energy security review, which has been long-awaited and was published earlier this week. It is a waste of money because it was very clear to anybody observing this area for any length of time that we needed to address the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Energy Prices (20 Sep 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...reforms. The Iberian countries of Portugal and Spain moved for the decoupling and a form of windfall tax on non-gas forms of electricity. Why has the Government resisted those changes for so long and does the Minister acknowledge it was a mistake to do so?

National Retrofit Plan: Motion [Private Members] (20 Sep 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...of wealthy people. We need to take that resource, because we do not have enough of those workers and contractors, and we need to put them where they are needed and, in the first instance, to address the long waiting lists and to expand those schemes. Our approach is one that is efficient and effective. It is about identifying the needs with the SEAI and local authorities and then...

Water Services (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2022: Second Stage (15 Sep 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...there are leakages, contamination or environmental harm or damage. They will spot it straightaway. I find so often that they are not adequately supported in that role. Kells wastewater treatment plant is on a long list of projects due a network upgrade but it needs to be advanced. We have seen from various Environmental Protection Agency, EPA, reports over the years that this is a...

An Bord Pleanála: Statements (15 Sep 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...as it has an important role in this State realising its renewable potential, in particular at this time its offshore wind potential. We know that we have a great resource in this State and there is a long-term potential of 70 GW of ocean energy opportunity from wind, wave and tidal sources. Unfortunately, decades of under-ambition and painfully slow regulatory advancement has suffocated...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Issues Impacting the Taxi Industry: Discussion (14 Sep 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...to see reform in the time ahead. I encourage the witnesses to develop their own thinking and proposals on what an alternative to the TAC would look like. In the context of a number of comments, a long-standing proposal is included in the programme for Government for a public transport forum. Is that something that the witnesses would like to see and what might that look like? The...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Sports Facilities (7 Jul 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...ahead. The arrangement it had in place, a rental agreement with Gormanston Park, has been terminated. This is a sore point because Gormanston Park uses the facility of the former Gormanston College, a long-time Franciscan private school with grounds. It received significant State funding over the years and Gormanston College will receive significant State funding in the time ahead for a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Greater Dublin Area Transport Strategy 2022-2042: National Transport Authority (28 Jun 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...steps? Does the NTA make a decision? Does Irish Rail? Does it fall to the Department or the Minister? How will it move from the draft to making its way through the planning process, however long that may take?

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Water Services (16 Jun 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...on that. My understanding is that works will not commence before the end of the year and that it will be quarter four of 2024 before they will be completed. The Minister of State knows that is a long time away with the current rate of in the region of one outage per month. The impact of these outages is significant. It is a densely populated area with a young and growing population....

Annual Transition Statement: Statements (15 Jun 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...required 4.8% as per the Climate Change Advisory Council’s carbon budgets. In addition, earlier this year, the head of the EPA said emissions are again unlikely to fall in 2022. Either way, it is a long way off where we need to be. I am not highlighting these failures to try to score political points. We are serious about these matters. We want to meet our targets because it is...

Energy Security: Motion [Private Members] (15 Jun 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...centres. There is no mention that we have become more dependent, not less, on fossil fuels in recent years thanks to a complete failure of policy. There is no mention of the Government's failure, along with the ESB and the CRU, to deliver on committed capacity. Capacity is committed and there is failure to deliver on it. There is no mention of the failure to deliver on our offshore...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (14 Jun 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: 1489. To ask the Minister for Health the estimated cost of making dexcoms or similar continuous glucose monitors available on the long-term Illness scheme for all those living with type 1 diabetes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29414/22]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Cost of Living Issues (2 Jun 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: There were price rises again yesterday and we can expect the future to look the same. The Minister knows better than most that the price of a therm of gas was approximately 40 cent for a long time but there is a new normal upon us now, and estimations are that it will level off somewhere in the region of €2.50. There is a huge difference between 40 cent and €2.50. While there...

Circular Economy, Waste Management (Amendment) and Minerals Development (Amendment) Bill 2022: Report and Final Stages (1 Jun 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: I acknowledge the Minister and the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, for their inclusion of these amendments, which were discussed on Committee Stage. This is a long-standing issue with regard to supports for people with medical-associated additional waste needs. It is very unfair and is one of those things that frustrates people. It affects a small number of people, is cruel and...

Transport, Accelerating Sustainable Mobility: Statements (31 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...normality was hoped for and thankfully that is now materialising. Unfortunately, our main State airport failed to read the signs of recovery over the past year and was completely ill-prepared for the long-awaited rebound. During the pandemic, the Dublin Airport Authority, DAA, slashed employee numbers. It cut 1,000 staff. That was completely excessive, short-sighted and highlighted a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (19 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...with an eye to interests there and pharmaceutical interests in Ireland. That is what it has been about. There has been fudge and the use of language to kick the ball down the road. If we wait long enough, supply will not be an issue. What we wanted from the Government was urgent action and intervention. We wanted it to show leadership and be brave in this regard. These are the brave...

Just Transition: Statements (18 May 2022)

Darren O'Rourke: ...concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification - broke records in 2021. The WMO said this is another clear sign that human activities are causing planetary scale changes with long-lasting ramifications for sustainable development and ecosystems. The findings and statistics in this report and the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, findings will...