Results 181-200 of 1,172,358 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív57 OR speaker:Cathal Berry OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív04 OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív42 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Niamh Smyth OR speaker:Jack Chambers OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív61 OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív19 OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh22 OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh24 OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Noel Grealish OR speaker:Michael Collins OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh09 OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív14 OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh8 OR speaker:Richard Bruton OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Gerald Nash) in 'Committee meetings'

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Jennifer Whitmore: I am delighted to hear that because it is really important. With regard to maternity leave for Oireachtas Members that is also very welcome and something we have been waiting a long time for. To date we have expected women either not to serve as politicians or to hide when they get pregnant and not go back to work. We made it very difficult for them. Enabling this is something I hope...

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: Deputy Sherlock is most welcome. I thank the Minister and welcome this important legislation. It is clear the Minister was very adamant this was done and passed and that we would move swiftly to do so. I commend him in this regard. This legislation has important elements. I welcome them and acknowledge all the Minister's work in this regard. Allowing the postponement of maternity leave...

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Jim O'Callaghan: I welcome the opportunity to speak in this debate. I commend the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, on bringing forward this legislation into these sittings of the Oireachtas. It may be recalled that on 20 March this year, I introduced the Maternity Protection (Amendment) Bill 2024. It sought, in effect, to do exactly the same as the Minister is seeking to do in this legislation. Obviously, I am...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: Today's meeting has been convened to consider the Supplementary Estimate for Vote 29 as it relates to programmes A and B. I welcome the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and his officials. I will read the note on privilege. I remind members of the long-standing parliamentary practice to the effect that they should not comment on, criticise or...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank the Minister for his opening statement. We will first consider subhead A11. Do any members wish to come in on this very much technical one? It relates to the just transition fund of €440,000 and an overpayment by the European Commission. I will move on to subhead B5, which is the energy-efficiency programmes. This relates to the SEAI and HSE pathfinder programme. It was...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Richard Bruton: I commend the Minister on the work he has done in the Department. He has made a real mark. We now have legislation and a framework for implementing our climate ambition. We have made significant progress and many good initiatives have been rolled out, such as the loan scheme that was recently put in place. It would be churlish not to recognise the effort, commitment and progress that the...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I thank the Minister for that. There are no other questions on subhead B5. We will move on to subhead B11, which is the electricity credit. Do colleagues wish to come in on this one? Deputy O'Rourke is muted on our end. We will try to resolve this if the Deputy gives us a moment. He is back and we can hear him now.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Richard Bruton: I commend the progress made on this by the Department. As the Minister rightly alluded, we had a considerable battle to get this approved, and I was gratified about a year ago to see the Minister's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Ossian Smyth, issue a reply indicating that the present calculation of the benefits was double the benefits estimated at the time it was approved. That...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: I will add to Deputy Bruton's point if I may. It is a really important one about how often our projections are conservative and we do not decide to make these investments. We spoke about this in respect of the Minister's transport portfolio in the Dáil earlier. If we were conservative in doing our business case, analysis and feasibility, we might not make the investments. We might...

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Richard Bruton: I also advocated for the "disruptive technologies" programme, where €500 million-----

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Richard Bruton: We have medical device companies and ICT companies; we have wonderful resources. We are probably better placed than almost any state to think about a transformative programme in this area. It would be a low-cost toe in the water. It would be harder to integrate the State, as the Minister said, but it would be a good first step.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Richard Bruton: Now that the Minister may have a little more time on his hands, he should listen to "The Rest is Politics - Leading", a podcast with Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, and the interview they did with Audrey Tang, the digital Minister in Taiwan. What Taiwan did around the co-designing of solutions is well worth a listen. It is amazing what was achieved in a relatively short period.

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications (Supplementary) (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: It is the first time I have heard the quadruple helix mentioned in the committee but hopefully not the last. It sounds very important. We have reached the end of our consideration of the Supplementary Estimates. I thank members for their questions, the Minister for his answers and the officials for attending. The last day the Minister was here I said my goodbyes so I will not repeat them....

Select Committee on Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Message to the Dáil (17 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: In accordance with Standing Order 101, the following message will be sent to the Dáil: The Select Committee on Environment and Climate Action has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimates for public services for the year ending 31 December 2024: Vote 29 - Environment, Climate and Communications. Under Standing Order 100(2), the message is deemed to be the...

Visit of Czech Delegation (17 Oct 2024)

Visit of Czech Delegation (17 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Before we begin I very much welcome our parliamentary colleagues from the Czech Republic who have joined us in the Distinguished Visitors' Gallery, and ask Members to join me in extending a céad míle fáilte to them. I welcome Jiří Růžička, leader of the delegation from the committee on education, science, culture, human rights and petitions of the...

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Maternity Protection Bill 2024 [Seanad]: Second Stage (17 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." I am delighted to have the opportunity to speak on Second Stage of this important legislation. It is incredibly worthwhile legislation, which will have a very real impact on women at a very important juncture in their lives. The Bill provides for two main areas of reform. The first is to allow a pause in maternity leave for treatment...