Results 421-440 of 6,541 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Scoileanna DEIS (10 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 173. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 181 of 24 September 2024, when the 2022 census findings in relation to classifying schools for DEIS status will be taken into account and implemented given a school in County Louth (details supplied) would qualify for DEIS status if the 2022 census findings were applied; and if she will make a statement on...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Reports (10 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 196. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if the report on renters’ deposit protection systems will be published; if the recommendations of the report will be enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40813/24]

Electricity Costs (Emergency Measures) Domestic Accounts Bill 2024: Second Stage (9 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I do not think there is anybody out there who will not welcome some element of help regarding payments. I accept there is a significant number of people who will not need this, but any of us who knock on doors have come across people in last while who are under severe pressure. The Government is talking about €250 as a one-off payment, whereas we should be talking about €450...

Planning and Development (An Taisce) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (9 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: As many of my colleagues have said, we are dealing with an absolute lack in respect of planning in rural Ireland, and services that are not up to scratch at all levels of infrastructure. We know all the issues regarding water, GPs and school transport, and deal with them from year to year. We are even seeing issues in places across urban and rural Ireland that never had problems with roads....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: It seems that those numbers have dropped off from an earlier parliamentary question I asked. We are now talking about 98, which is the figure the group I met were spoken to about, whereas there was a plan for 101. Three classes have now dropped off. I would like to think everything will be done to make sure that is delivered because we are dealing with a lack of provision. I think the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I also spoke to the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, about Shelagh National School, a primary school, to make sure it has contact. It is about building autism units already planned. That is another issue across the board.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We need to see the school inclusion model across the board so parents can get therapies.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I thank the Minister of State for taking this question. I realise she is not the Minister of State responsible for this area but, in fairness, she is well aware of the issues we are dealing with when we are specifically talking about kids with disabilities and kids with autism. We know there are huge synergies with her own work and, obviously, the piece of work that needs to be done in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: To follow on from Deputy Durkan, I recently visited the Advanced Manufacturing Training Centre of Excellence, Dundalk. We have the robotics and automation apprenticeship which, obviously, is an absolute necessity. We know the idea behind cybersecurity. We have 3D concrete printing. There is also huge interaction between industry and the advanced manufacturing centre, which is followed up...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I welcome that information about those who will benefit. As I stated previously, there is a large number of people who still do not benefit and are under severe pressure. We have to deal with the whole issue right through from the cost of living to the huge cost of accommodation. At times some students are under pressure. The USI produced a survey showing that some students are having to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The provision of student accommodation has become incredibly bad in the time of this Government and the previous one. The Minister of State outlined that it is proposed to spend €100 million on student accommodation over three years. He also outlined some of the measures that have been delivered. He referred to the fact that 30% of what will be delivered will be provided at below...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I thank the Minister of State. I am well aware of the technological university sector. The Minister and I have spoken before about the fact that Dundalk Institute of Technology, DkIT, is not in that box at the moment, but we hope the relationship with Maynooth will be successfully concluded. Across the board, we must make sure that places like Dundalk and the other TUs will have the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Could I ask the Minister of State about the changes to the SUSI thresholds, as per budget 2025? Could he provide an estimate for the additional number of students who will now qualify for the grant? That is the information we seek. We are all well aware that students are struggling with the cost of living and the cost of accommodation, as per the previous question. If more people can...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Third Level Education (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We all know from people who approach us in our offices, that some miss out on the basis of what are sometimes very small amounts. We are talking about people that do not necessarily earn spectacular amounts of money, and who are under severe pressure. It would make a great difference to increase the number of those availing of a SUSI grant, or to provide an increased level of grant. I...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We all know there have been major backlogs in the apprenticeship system. We all know of the necessity of apprenticeships across the board and particularly craft apprenticeships. It is not uncommon for apprentices wait for up to 18 months to be called for the relevant phase of their off-the-job training, whether in a technical university, TU, or education and training board, ETB. There has...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. I welcome that information. We need to see this happen quicker and better. It is as simple as that. Some of the difficulty with the backlog and filling the spaces is that some of these qualified tradespeople can earn more on site than in the classroom. In its alternative budget, Sinn Féin set out €4.4 million in financial...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Student Accommodation (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I ask the Minister of State to outline the funding that will go to each university for the delivery of student accommodation beds. Will he provide a timeline for when construction will begin? We all understand that the price of accommodation at third level is an enormous issue for students and, in many cases, for their families. A considerable number of people will miss out on their...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Apprenticeship Programmes (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: How many craft apprentice instructors have been hired to date since the launch of the recruitment campaign? Will the Minister provide a breakdown by type of craft instruction? We know of the huge backlogs of apprentices that exist, so that sort of detail would be useful.

Spending of Public Funds by the Government: Motion [Private Members] (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The reason people are absolutely shocked by the spending of €9 million on mobile phone pouches, which is almost hard to put into words, is because I am assuming everyone here is constantly contacted by parents and families of those with disabilities and autism who are dealing with the fact that there are not enough places at either primary or secondary level. We do not have enough...

Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (8 Oct 2024)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: As my colleagues have said, Sinn Féin has no issue and neither does the AHB sector with the proposed changes to the registration regime. While we are not opposed to the operation of cost rental, we do not believe the changes go far enough. We have some concerns, which we will deal with. I raised the issue of housing adaptation grants with the Minister of State in the past while....