Results 961-980 of 1,073,067 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Máiría Cahill OR speaker:Thomas Byrne OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Sorca Clarke OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Damien English OR speaker:John Paul Phelan)

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Supplementary)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Supplementary)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

John McGuinness: It is very worthwhile because of the association between that document and the company in Kilkenny.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Supplementary)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Supplementary)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

John McGuinness: You are welcome, Deputy O'Connor. The Minister, Deputy Donohoe, has been before this committee many times when we have spoken about report 42 and the payment to public servants under that category. This was progressed with the Workplace Relations Commission. Agreement was reached that these retired people from the HSE would be paid but they are not being paid. It has been stalled within...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Supplementary)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Supplementary)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

John McGuinness: It is important for polling day.

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Supplementary)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Supplementary)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

John McGuinness: There is a similar situation with section 38 and section 39 workers. Pensioners being paid by those organisations are reliant on the HSE, presumably, to process increases in their pensions. That is not happening either. When I ask about former SOS employees in Kilkenny who were employed under one of these sections, it is up to the employer to pay them but the employer is reliant on the...

Select Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 11 - Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform (Supplementary)
Vote 12 - Superannuation and Retired Allowances (Supplementary)
Vote 13 - Office of Public Works (Supplementary)
Vote 14 - State Laboratory (Supplementary)
Vote 17 - Public Appointments Service (Supplementary)
Vote 18 - National Shared Services Office (Supplementary)
Vote 19 - Office of the Ombudsman (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

John McGuinness: I welcome the Minister, Deputy Donohoe, and the Minister of State, Deputy O'Donnell, who are here to present the Estimates. I remind them of the note we receive on privilege. I remind members not to name or identify anyone outside of the Houses. They are covered by full privilege if they are here on the campus of Leinster House. If they are not, they may only be entitled to...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: This is my second time appearing before the committee. I took a Bill through Committee Stage recently. I would have liked a greater opportunity to engage with this committee, as it is a good one that does important work, but I have engaged with each of the members individually on transport issues in the short time I have had this brief and I thank them for their diligence and interest in...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: That is an important question. As the Deputy said, I am very familiar with it, representing Kildare North in my role as a TD. I also know the Deputy’s area. Councillor Caroline O’Reilly has been very vocal on those issues as well - bus services to Ratoath and Ashbourne, the ones the Deputy mentioned - and I met with her on that recently. The Deputy is right that there are...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: I am very familiar with the issues the Deputy has raised, both as a Minister of State and as a TD. I see them in my constituency as well as seeing them across the country. We will be introducing revised contracts from 1 December. We are a month away from that. Key performance metrics will be included as part of the criteria for those contracts to outsourced services and will be a...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: There is one other point that is related. I have asked my Department and the NTA, and will be asking the NTA again today, to ensure that the TFI real-time app is improved. It is a source of frustration for people when they are waiting for a bus. I have done it myself. You go onto the app to see if the bus is due and it says it is, but actually it is a ghost bus that does not turn up. I...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: It is not an item relating to the Estimates but I am happy to give a short comment on it. I do not think there is any aviation estimate in the current pack but given it is a very topical issue, I am happy to briefly engage with the Deputy on it. On yesterday's decision, and I have said this many times but it is useful to say it on the public record, the passenger cap at Dublin Airport is...

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: Absolutely. If it was not for the imminent election that we all expect to be called in the next couple of days, it is a topic that I may have well invited the committee to have a dedicated session on. It would have been helpful. It is a pity we did not have it. Time is ahead of us and all that.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: Sure.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: The young adult card is a scheme that is being rolled out to private operators as well as the public operators. That has been very popular. It has had a great take-up. The 20% fare reduction has not been applied to private operators to date and it is not envisaged it will be in the current year either.

Select Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 31 - Transport (Supplementary) (5 Nov 2024)

James Lawless: This is a bit wider than the Estimates and is more a policy decision but I am quite happy to engage on it. It is important. In the first instance, before I get into the fares piece, I have always had a very strong view that public transport should be the primary default choice of commuters or travellers for whatever reason. It should not be the car first and people saying "Oh maybe there...