Results 481-500 of 3,777 for speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (18 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I wish to raise the issue of post offices. They are a vital piece of community infrastructure. Postmasters are falling between two stools at the moment. They are suffering from cost-of-living increases. Many of them have missed out on the increased cost of business scheme, ICOB. As many as 50% cannot avail of it. They have funding out to 2025 but will have to negotiate a new seven-year...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Nursing Homes (18 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 325. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the recent ESRI report entitled "Changes and challenges facing the Irish long-term residential care sector since COVID-19"; his plans to address the disparity between funding for public and private nursing home providers; his plans for Budget 2025; if increases to Fair Deal funding are needed to match inflation; and if he...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medical Aids and Appliances (18 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 340. To ask the Minister for Health his views on the requirement of an individual’s eye report for each application for reimbursement for low vision aids and the change in support for one magnifier and one pair of cocoons every year to every three years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25971/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Projects (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 43. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the work his Department is undertaking in the current year on precision fermentation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19394/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Projects (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: 55. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the position regarding the results of his Department's thematic research call in 2023; if any successful projects are included that relate in any aspect to precision fermentation; if so, to detail the specific research projects; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19393/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Projects (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Both of these questions refer to precision fermentation. Question No. 43 is more general, namely, to ask what research work the Department is doing and the horizon scanning that is taking place in the Department on this issue. Question No. 55 is a more specific question that relates to the Department’s thematic research goal in 2023. The Minister will know I have tabled a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Projects (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I tabled these questions and it would be expected that a Green Party Member's primary interest would be in emissions reduction in the production of our food, but in this case it is not. In this case it is in horizon scanning. The Minister will remember when our sugar market was deregulated. There was a situation where we were not allowed to import raw cane sugar and we had a sugar beet...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Departmental Projects (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We do produce the highest quality of dairy, but I am concerned. I have seen farmers across the south east make huge investments in their milking parlours. They are investing a quarter of a million and essentially have a mortgage repayment on it. Slurry storage is another very expensive area. I know a farmer who put half a million into his slurry storage, and the repayments on those loans...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the witnesses for their opening presentations and for the materials provided. I will start with the issue of rapid-build modular housing for Ukrainians, people arriving under the temporary protection directive. I do not know if people remember the kind of mini press furore when Passport Express was renamed Post Passport. It did not do the Deputy involved in that story any harm....

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I understand modern methods of construction, MMC.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: My issue is that I do not believe these units were brought to sites anywhere close to quick enough considering the crisis we face.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I understand that. I have an awareness of particular sites where there was difficulty doing this. I have an issue around the entire process whereby various organs of the State were asked for sites and the OPW had to pass up 78% of those offered.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That gives me a very clear indication of what kinds of sites were offered to the OPW. I am not really going to go any further than that because I will just get cross and I do not think I will learn anything from doing that.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I wish to return to the question of the anticipated cost per unit.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It will be €350,000.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I will ask a general question before we get into the specifics. I understand there are challenges around undertaking this endeavour. Mr. Conlon is saying that the average cost per unit is going to come out at approximately €350,000. Do we have a market valuation per unit? I ask this question because these units are supposedly here for the long haul and built to last 60 years. If...

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Well, they are going to be here for 60 years.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: We know the temporary protection directive was extended for one year.

Public Accounts Committee: 2022 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (13 Jun 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: These units, therefore, will be emergency accommodation for Ukrainians until April 2026. We do not know exactly when, but this accommodation will then have a 60-year lifespan after that time. At some point, therefore, these houses are going to feature, in one way or another, in the market.