Results 21-40 of 1,065,700 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' speaker:Catherine Byrne

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Mattie McGrath: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for allowing me to share time with my colleague in south Tipperary, Deputy Michael Murphy, on this issue as it is of concern to both of us. Management of the Tipperary ETB shared devastating news with the local training initiative co-ordinators, LTIs, at four centres in south Tipperary. It informed them that due to budgetary constraints from...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Michael Murphy: I agree with Deputy McGrath. This decision by the ETB to cut vital local training initiative programmes across Tipperary should be urgently reversed. I acknowledge the critical role played by these programmes in our communities, particularly those delivered at the Spafield Family Resource Centre in Cashel, the Knockanrawley Resource Centre in Tipperary town, the Littleton community...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy, and I can hear that this is an issue of real concern for her and the people involved. I thank her for raising the matter. I wish to assure the Deputy that the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is kept under review. The issue is to ensure it continues to support those most in need of assistance. The delivery of crucial community welfare services to meet the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (1 Jul 2025)

Renewable Energy Generation

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (1 Jul 2025)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Minister of State for being here but I have to start by saying the tradition of Topical Issues being dealt with by the appropriate Departments and Ministers needs to come back. It is not fair on the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin. She is not in that Department. It is a retrograde step that any time there are Topical Issues here, the chances of having a Minister from the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Deputy Kelly, and I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister. I am sure the Deputy, as a former Minister, will know the calls on Ministers and in some cases they cannot be here. In that context, I am happy to be here. What the Deputy said is right. Biomethane will play a crucial role in Ireland reaching its decarbonisation targets and security of energy supply, and Ireland...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (1 Jul 2025)

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (1 Jul 2025)

Social Welfare Payments

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (1 Jul 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this Topical Issue matter. I will use an individual case, but I will not say the woman's full name. I am raising the case on behalf of a person to highlight the issue I have, which is about the limitations of the supplementary welfare allowance and the manner in which it is applied. It often seems that a decision is made by the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The Deputy will recognise that I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Calleary, and I hope she will recognise that I cannot answer on a specific individual. It is not because it is not important. It is. It is absolutely crucial and I would never say in response that it is tough. However, it is a specific case and will have to be...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (1 Jul 2025)

Louise O'Reilly: I appreciate that the Minister of State is here. She listed the qualities of the scheme, including flexibility and so forth. However, here is the thing: ESB Networks considers Diane to be a vulnerable customer. It has put her in the category of a person who should not have her electricity cut off because she is a vulnerable customer and person, not due to any wrongdoing on her part. It is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Construction Industry (1 Jul 2025)

James Browne: I agree. It is simply taking too long to get certification for the use of modular builds in this country. The Minister of State, Deputy Cummins, is engaging with his counterpart in the Department of enterprise. We are determined to get to a situation where we can get certification done at a much quicker pace. We need it done. We have an ageing workforce. It is getting more difficult to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

Planning Issues

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

Shane Moynihan: 16. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if new EE-zoned land will be identified in tandem with industrial land rezonings for housing to enable relocation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35806/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

Shane Moynihan: Will the Department issue guidance on the need for enterprise and employment zoned land to be identified in tandem with the industrial land rezonings that are being rezoned to enable further provision of housing and if that will then be used to enable relocation?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

John Cummins: The zoning of land is an exercise undertaken by planning authorities as part of their development plan process. The making of a development plan is a reserved function of the elected members of each planning authority who are required by legislation to be consistent with the established statutory national and regional planning policy and legislation, including, as identified in the national...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

Shane Moynihan: I thank the Minister of State for that reply. The context for this question is in the fact the Dublin local authorities are advancing development frameworks that involve the rezoning of existing industrial land to residential or mixed use to meet housing supply targets. As the Minister of State said in his reply, that is a function of the local authority but done under the auspices of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

John Cummins: It is the requirement of local authorities and the reserved function of members to decide what locations and what specific zoning objectives they determine for each land bank. They are required to include mandatory objectives regarding regeneration and to provide zoning for residential, commercial, employment and enterprise, industrial and other uses to such extent as the proper planning and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

Shane Moynihan: One of the reasons I am raising this is the shortage of land. If we want to promote compact growth, or initiatives like 15-minute cities, it is important with large-scale housing developments we have adequate amounts of industrial and commercial land there as well. While I fully take the point that planning authorities do set their own development plans, we are also familiar with instances...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Planning Issues (1 Jul 2025)

John Cummins: I appreciate the comments the Deputy made. It is not just for residential purposes; it is for industrial and commercial. While we do not instruct local authorities on specific areas, it is obviously a requirement to forward planning teams to look at the overall picture within a local authority area and determine where they feel residential, commercial, industrial zoning is appropriate and...