Results 1-20 of 474 for speaker:Paul Donnelly in 'Dáil debates'

Progressing Special Education Provision: Statements (9 May 2024)

Paul Donnelly: There is a serious lack of school places in Dublin West. At a recent meeting, the NCSE admitted that there are 13 children it knows of who do not have places for September. It knows and admitted that there will be more. We have children transferring to post-primary who have no school places, and even in one school, one child transferring from junior school has been told there is no place...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (9 May 2024)

Paul Donnelly: 1. To ask the Minister for Rural and Community Development to report on the community centres investment fund; who has received funding; what stage each project is at; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20937/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (9 May 2024)

Paul Donnelly: Will the Minister report on the community centres investment fund, who has received funding and what stage each project is at, and will she make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (9 May 2024)

Paul Donnelly: I welcome that 600 projects have been completed or are at completion stage. Previously, I raised with the Minister the matter of some centres that had encountered unexpected difficulties, so an opportunity for them to continue accessing the fund is important. When the fund was originally proposed, applications amounted to approximately €70 million. While funding has already been...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Development Projects (9 May 2024)

Paul Donnelly: It is under way. My wife is on the board now, so I am kept abreast of exactly what is happening in the centre. The board is brilliant and has done incredible work. The fund has been important to the centre. I welcome that we are considering the fund’s future and that it will not just be a one-off. As the Minister said, we do not just do our houses up once and then leave them...

Affordable Housing: Motion [Private Members] (8 May 2024)

Paul Donnelly: Despite the Taoiseach’s bluster this afternoon, the Minister has failed to deliver truly affordable homes. Either he is involved in a massive smokescreen of misinformation or is so completely out of touch that he genuinely believes he is delivering affordable housing for people who are so desperate that they will jump on any of his schemes, not to get on the property ladder but to own...

European Union Migration and Asylum Pact: Motion [Private Members] (1 May 2024)

Paul Donnelly: Irish people are good, decent and caring people. There are thousands of examples of where we have welcomed people seeking asylum into our country. That needs to be acknowledged. I broadly welcome the movement today of migrants who have been living in tents along Mount Street. The situation is not tenable due to the appalling conditions for the migrants and the serious disruptions to the...

Petrol and Diesel Excise Rate Increases: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members] (30 Apr 2024)

Paul Donnelly: I call on the Minister of State to scrap the plan to increase the cost of petrol and diesel in August and again in October. It is inconceivable that the Government would increase costs for people twice this year at a time when they are still experiencing the cost-of-living crisis. Many of my constituents do not have an opportunity to use public transport to get to work for many reasons....

Gambling Regulation Bill 2022: Report Stage (24 Apr 2024)

Paul Donnelly: I also appeal to the Minister of State not to proceed with this because it will have major implications for the organisations referred to by others. Gambling is a serious problem and is something that needs to be addressed. I absolutely agree with that, 100%. There is no argument whatsoever in relation to that. I want to give the Minister of State a couple of examples of organisations that...

Road Safety: Statements (17 Apr 2024)

Paul Donnelly: I welcome the recent Garda action against scramblers and quads in Tallaght, Ballymun and Limerick. However, it is just a drop in the ocean in terms of the problems and dangers on the roads that these vehicles, which mostly young people drive, pose. Two weeks ago, I was cycling up Dame Street and watched as three scramblers came down the street on one wheel. That is one of the main streets...

Disability Justice: Motion [Private Members] (17 Apr 2024)

Paul Donnelly: I welcome the U-turn, flip-flop or withdrawal or whatever word the Minister wants to use with regard to this Green Paper. First and foremost, the biggest congratulations must go to the disability activists who, from the very start, feared the direction of this Green Paper. For me, it really brought up the old saying, "When England sneezes, Ireland catches a cold." With this, we can say...

National Cancer Strategy: Motion [Private Members] (16 Apr 2024)

Paul Donnelly: This Government needs to end the recruitment embargo and implement a workforce plan for the health service. People shake their heads in disbelief at the recruitment embargo. The Government needs to train more radiation therapists and hire the staff needed to utilise all radiotherapy equipment. It is a scandal that expensive life-saving equipment is lying idle due to staff shortages. The...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (6 Mar 2024)

Paul Donnelly: I would like to raise the deep concern I and many others have on the success of the vaping ban in relation to children. I see evidence every single day of children in school uniforms vaping. We are not seeing any sanctions on those clearly breaking the law. The environmental health service stated that there has been one prosecution to date. The issue of the abuse of fast gas is a huge...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Legislative Process (5 Mar 2024)

Paul Donnelly: Will the Minister update the House on the Charities (Amendment) Bill 2023?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Legislative Process (5 Mar 2024)

Paul Donnelly: I will not delay. I look forward to this Bill coming before the committee in April.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Costs (5 Mar 2024)

Paul Donnelly: Will the Minister address the challenges rural communities are facing in relation to increased costs in transport?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Transport Costs (5 Mar 2024)

Paul Donnelly: While acknowledging that, the Government should also acknowledge that rural communities face increases in costs and a fairly patchy, unintegrated rural network that is not accessible or a flexible. It is important to develop initiatives and resource areas that are further from the major urban areas and improve and expand public services in remote rural areas. The additional money required...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Control of Dogs (5 Mar 2024)

Paul Donnelly: What efforts are being made by her Department to ensure that local authorities are enforcing the legislation to collect fines under dog control regulations?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Control of Dogs (5 Mar 2024)

Paul Donnelly: There were 240 attacks by dogs on livestock and 180 on other animals across the State in the past two years. There were 1,500 dog attacks in the same period with 430 of them on people. Despite this, some local authorities have failed to issue any fines in the past four years. It is estimated that there is one dog warden for every 3,000 dogs in Ireland. According to the Irish Independent,...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Control of Dogs (5 Mar 2024)

Paul Donnelly: As a dog owner, I am aware that there are far more responsible dog owners than there are irresponsible ones but, like in every other area, there needs to be enforcement of the rules and the legislation. My local authority is Fingal County Council and it is an example of best practice in respect of the number of dog wardens and the level of enforcement. I see dog wardens regularly in my...