Results 701-720 of 1,060,665 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Patrick O'Donovan OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte) in 'Committee meetings'

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla (Atógáil) - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Public Transport (6 Nov 2024)

James Browne: On behalf of the Minister for Transport, I thank Deputy Whitmore for raising the important issue of public transport for Wicklow. Improving public transport services and infrastructure is central to improving citizens’ quality of life and addressing our climate action challenge, and this Government is committed to a fundamental change in the nature of transport in Ireland. The...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome the delegation this morning. I thank them for coming along and thank them for the important work that they do in providing a important linkage between Government the people who are affected by addictions. We all have in our respective constituencies various rehabilitation centres, etc. It is important at this stage to recognise that we are coming from a long way back. We have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: Mr. Doherty makes an important point. Co-ordination is hugely important. Constant monitoring is required. We need to know where we are going and how fast we are going in a particular direction. Whether the situation is good or bad, we in the community at large need to be alerted. Mr. Doherty mentioned the various entities that are part and parcel of this and need to be at the table. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: We should make it our recommendation that it be a priority for the next committee, whoever is in it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I welcome the Minister of State. I know he is not familiar with this territory, but it is not so long since he left so he will have a certain familiarity with the problem which will be useful and it is likewise for his officials. What we learned about the task forces from the last group that appeared before the committee - and it was not for the first time - is that the money does not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: The ravages of crack cocaine throughout the community were mentioned. Mention was made of deprived communities, not necessarily unemployment, but if there is a serious drug problem in a community, it has an economic impact as well and tends to make the individuals living and attempting to work and survive in such areas do so under a cloud. That is not healthy. We all have to deal with the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: If I might come in for a second again, there is a feeling as well that we have not succeeded so far. We have not succeeded in stopping the problem; there is no doubt about that. The challenges continue. We need to intervene in some way to intercept the flow of drugs towards the community in a way that entices the people away. That means a task force needs to be funded with the right to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I will conclude with this. There is a tendency to believe we should almost legalise the administration of drugs generally. I was a member of the task force previously. I visited the Zurich experiment once upon a time in the company of the late Tony Gregory. I visited the Amsterdam experience and incidentally reference was made earlier on to Portugal. None of those things worked. They...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: They do not, actually.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: They do not. They just continue-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: Wait a second. I did not interrupt anybody else.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health: Local Drug and Alcohol Task Forces: Discussion (6 Nov 2024)

Bernard Durkan: If we embark on a plan to continue and support drug addiction, we are going to give the people the wrong impression.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (6 Nov 2024)

Mattie McGrath: I am extremely disappointed to hear the Minister of State read out another waffle from the Department. The Department is currently assessing the options. Just imagine that. I have a document here from December 2022, when the Department promised 12 modular classrooms to deal with the accommodation. In February 2023 the Department of Education changed it and listed five modular classrooms,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Accommodation (6 Nov 2024)

James Browne: I thank the Deputies for raising this issue and giving me an opportunity to outline the position of the school. The Department of Education continues to provide very significant funding in support of the education of children with special educational needs, which is a priority for this Government, with over a quarter of the entire education budget dedicated to special education in recent...

Estimates for Public Services 2024: Message from Select Committee (6 Nov 2024)

Estimates for Public Services 2024: Message from Select Committee (6 Nov 2024)

Catherine Connolly: The Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach has completed its consideration of the following Supplementary Estimates for Public Services for the service of the year ending on 31 December 2024: Votes 4 to 6, inclusive, 9, 11, 12, 14 and 17 to 19, inclusive.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla (Atógáil) - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed) (6 Nov 2024)

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla (Atógáil) - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2024)

Schools Building Projects

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla (Atógáil) - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: I thank the Minister of State for being here. I accept that the senior Minister is not here. I did say that we really want to get behind what we have here in responses to written questions. We have detail but what the parents and local school community want are clear indications particularly on timelines. I had indicated that in my response to the Minister. I hope this can be a fruitful...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla (Atógáil) - Topical Issue Debate (Resumed): Schools Building Projects (6 Nov 2024)

James Browne: I thank Deputy Darren O'Rourke for raising the issue of plans and timeline for delivery of a new school building for Dunshaughlin Community National School, Dunshaughlin, County Meath. The school building project for Dunshaughlin Community National School is part of the Department’s construction programme and will be delivered as part of a campus project that will provide a new...