Results 21-40 of 2,787 for speaker:Marian Harkin

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

Marian Harkin: Ireland is recognised as having one of the greatest potentials for biomethane in Europe per capita due to our substantial agricultural sector. The Government's target of producing 5.7 TWh of indigenous biomethane by 2030, which is a little over 10% of our current natural gas use, will remain a Government commitment. The Deputy will know that an Irish anaerobic digestion and methane sector...

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)

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: 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (24 Jun 2025)

Marian Harkin: I am committed to providing opportunities for lifelong learning, so that those in the workforce are armed with the skills they need to leverage the opportunities presented by the ever changing world of work. In that context, Further Education and Training (FET) is well suited to those who wish to change their career paths and move to vocational or labour market focused employment. According...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (18 Jun 2025)

Marian Harkin: I assure the Deputy, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Lawless, that we are committed to responding proactively to future workforce requirements, including dentists and all other professionals required within the oral healthcare sector. We are working in strong partnership with the Department of Health, the HEA and the higher education providers to ensure our education and training system...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Dental Services (18 Jun 2025)

Marian Harkin: I sincerely thank Deputy Burke for raising this important issue. This is his second time to raise it in a number of weeks. It relates to the availability of dental training places in Ireland. The Government is committed to ensuring that our healthcare system is supported by a steady and sustainable pipeline of highly skilled graduates. In fact, my Department has just progressed an...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Further and Higher Education (17 Jun 2025)

Marian Harkin: In her original question, Deputy Cummins raised the fact that some CTCs have a clerical officer scale on which the first two points fall below the minimum wage. In May, SOLAS informed IACTO that the Department had no objection to points below the minimum wage being removed. I am happy to see that. In fact, I would be really disappointed if that had not happened. To come back to the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Further and Higher Education (17 Jun 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I think it might be useful at the outset for Members to understand the context of what is being raised here. Community training centres were established in 1977 as community training workshops to support young, unemployed people aged 16 to 25. Since 1988, they have been delivering the Youthreach programme. I agree with the Deputy that they do...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Apprenticeship Programmes (17 Jun 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Senator Nelson Murray for her question on this important issue for my Department. I thank the Senator for what she said about furniture making in Navan. People of my generation are very aware of how important that was and still is. To answer the Senator's question, under our action plan for apprenticeships 2021 to 2025 a key objective is to ensure that apprenticeships will be...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Inquiries (17 Jun 2025)

Marian Harkin: My Department is firmly committed to ensuring equitable access for all learners to Further Education and Training (FET), particularly for those from underrepresented backgrounds. The 2020–2024 FET Strategy placed ‘Fostering Inclusion’ as one of its three core pillars, identifying under-represented cohorts to receive additional support to engage in FET. This commitment...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (11 Jun 2025)

Marian Harkin: My officials are looking into this matter for the Deputy and I will follow up with him directly.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Deputy Farrelly for raising this important issue and giving me the opportunity to respond on behalf of the Minister. Improving access to quality and affordable early learning and childcare is a key priority of the Government. I heard what the Deputy said about County Kildare and the specifics of the age profile in the county. In fact, at one point, I was privileged to represent...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Childcare Services (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy and I hear what he has said. He spoke about vision. What I can say is that the Government is committed to building an affordable, high-quality and accessible early learning and childcare system. Although the Deputy said it is not enough, the programme for Government commits for the first time to provide capital investment to build or purchase State-owned early learning...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Procurement Contracts (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: Deputy Gogarty raised a number of issues in response, some of which I do not have any information on here. I know he appreciates that. One of the points he raises is the discretion of local authorities. For clarity, I will reiterate the discretionary exclusionary grounds that contracting authorities may choose to apply in cases of procurement. I am aware that I used the word "may", which...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Procurement Contracts (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Deputy Gogarty for raising this matter and I am responding on behalf of the Minister. Public procurement is governed by EU and national rules. The aim of these rules is to promote an open, competitive and non-discriminatory public procurement regime which delivers transparency and value for money outcomes, which the Deputy referred to. With respect to public works, the capital...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Further and Higher Education (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: With regard to the Deputy's question on the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, I will have to look for further information on that. I only have the information in front of me, which I have already presented to him. I will ask the Minister to follow up with the Deputy on that specific question. With regard to the dental workforce, the Deputy quoted some figures but I can only quote...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Further and Higher Education (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter regarding the availability of dental training places, which I will take on behalf of the Minister. This Government is firmly committed to ensuring our healthcare system is supported by a steady and sustainable pipeline of highly skilled graduates. The Department, in collaboration with the Department of Health, the Higher Education...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Appeals (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Deputy McGrath. I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister. The social welfare appeals office is an office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in relation to social welfare entitlements. Appeals officers are independent in their decision-making functions. The overall average processing time for all...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Appeals (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Deputy McGrath. I listened with interest to the points he has made. I thank him for highlighting this issue. It is important the appeals process not only works quickly but with due regard to ensuring each case is properly considered. In the first instance, each appeal is referred back to the relevant claim area of the Department which reviews the appeal, including taking account...