Results 961-980 of 5,828 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The issue I raise today is housing. Housing is very complex and we deal with it daily in this House and in the Dáil. A particular cohort of people have been forgotten about. I have raised this matter previously with the Minister but I want to have time devoted to it. The cohort in question is the tenants of approved housing bodies, colloquially known as co-operative schemes. A very...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State. The families and individuals I am talking about are being sent from pillar to post. They are not being given adequate responses from anyone. They are not being shown the respect they deserve. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has been in contact with residents and told them that the decision to sell homes to residents is one for...

Seanad: Companies (Rescue Process for Small and Micro Companies) Bill 2021: Second Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I welcome the Minister of State. As he embarks on another collaboration this week, I wish him and Aideen the best of good health and happiness in the times ahead. The Bill is extremely welcome. As the Minister of State indicated, the purpose of it is to save companies and protect jobs, which is hugely important. Kildare County Council, together with the local enterprise office, LEO, and...

Seanad: Finance (Covid-19 and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2021: Second Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I welcome the Minister of State and thank him for his work on insurance. We have seen payouts come down by 50%, which will surely lead to a situation where people's premiums come down. I know he will keep a watchful eye on that. Over recent years, we have all seen issues, especially in the area of leisure and amenity, where children's playgrounds and play areas had huge insurance bills....

Seanad: Workplace Relations (Miscellaneous Provisions Bill) 2021: Second Stage (12 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Minister of State is welcome to the House. The Bill is important and urgent, in light of the decision of the Supreme Court of April last regarding the Zalewski case. It is important that when a constitutional question mark is placed over the State's system for resolving workplace disputes, it has to be resolved. The Bill will give clarity to our legal system for dealing with workplace...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I second the Order of Business. Members will remember my raising in the House the case of Mr. Pat Tinsley and his very difficult and debilitating disease, amyloidosis. I called for a debate on how the extra €50 million in the budget for battling rare diseases is being spent. This morning, Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan is launching a Bill that would address this matter. It is very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2021: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Good afternoon to our distinguished guests, most of whom I have had the privilege of meeting and engaging with before. It has been very interesting to listen to them talk about gender equality. Councillor Hoade is the first female president of the AILG. That should be noted and remarked on, and I congratulate her on the difficult year the AILG is having because of Covid. Councillor Hoade...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2021: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: What about bringing a regional and rural voice to the governing bodies? Will Councillor Hoade elaborate on that a little? I am thinking of University College Dublin in particular because so many from rural areas come to Dublin to go to UCD. If we do not have the voices of people representing those areas, it could be a loss. Will Councillor Hoade tell us her views on that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2021: Discussion (6 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I know my time is up. I believe Councillor Hoade has made a strong case for the retention of councillors on the governing bodies.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: It is lovely to see Senator Flynn in the Chair. As we are approaching the recess, I wish her the very best of luck with her impending arrival in September. I, too, welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to the House. When she was last here to address another Commencement matter I tabled on this issue, I was delighted. I noted at the time that July provision was to become summer...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for the response. As I said, I was delighted to note the increase in funding. I agree with the Minister of State on the need to remove barriers to encourage schools to take part and also in regard to the need for children to maintain connectivity with their places of education. However, at this point we need to move from the opt-in, opt-out model of summer...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Conservation (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: As we know, the just transition objective is to fund innovative projects that contribute to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of those especially impacted by the move away from carbon. My county is impacted both with regard to employment and those who used the bog as a source of fuel for their homes. We were happy when Kildare was one of the counties where the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Conservation (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for his response. He mentioned the delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which are completely understandable. I accept his Department will engage with Kildare County Council on the matter. The Minister of State mentioned the 750 local authority homes in the midlands across the eight counties included in the programme. If a third of participants have dropped...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on the first anniversary of his election as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. He has served and represented all of us with great dignity. He has brought in innovative practices, in as much as he could during the Covid-19 period. I congratulate him on that and wish him well in the time ahead.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: You are welcome. Kon'nichiwa. For those non-Japanese speakers of which I am one, that is basically “Hello, how are you?” in Japanese. That is to mark today which is the last day of the leaving certificate in 2021. Japanese is the last exam subject to be taken. It has been a difficult and arduous year for those leaving certificate students. They have shown terrific...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Traveller Education: Discussion (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: It is good to see Ms Joyce and Mr. Joyce again, both of whom I have had the pleasure of engaging with many times before, and it is nice to meet Ms Reilly for the first time, albeit virtually. I will take this opportunity to congratulate Ms Reilly and Mr. Joyce on their educational and academic achievements. I take my hat off to them and say "Well done". May it bring them many other great...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (28 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I say "Well done" to Senator Ruane. She is feeling the love. Senator Martin mentioned John Lonergan, who had a very enlightened view with regard to how we treat crime and prisoners. We need more voices such as his and, indeed, that of Senator Ruane.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Solar Panels for Public Buildings, Schools, Homes and Other Premises) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (28 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: It is a great pleasure to support this very worthy Bill. When we think of solar energy and the impact of having it in our schools throughout the country, what greater lesson and what greater leadership can we give our young people who, as we know, are often leaders in this area. It is a very strong statement in any community when we see public buildings, be they schools, Garda barracks,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The issue I bring to the attention of the Minister of State relates to the Teaching Council. A friend of mine contacted me about a month ago because of issues she was having registering with the Teaching Council. We had an interesting conversation. She then reached out to her peers and asked them to contact me about their experiences. To say that I was inundated with correspondence from...