Results 161-180 of 5,894 for speaker:James Lawless

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Irish Language (3 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Our higher education system plays an important role in supporting and promoting the use of the Irish language. The Higher Education Authority Act 2022 highlights the importance of the Irish language by placing a responsibility on the Higher Education Authority (HEA) to ensure that higher education institutions (HEIs) promote and use the language. My Department, through the HEA, also...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Further and Higher Education (2 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: As was announced in 2024, a Veterinary Medicine degree in South East Technological University (SETU) has been recommended for progression under the HEA Expression of Interest process. It is anticipated that this programme will have its first intake in September 2026, with up to 40 students expected to enrol. Engagement with the Veterinary Council of Ireland is ongoing in relation to...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Tourism Industry (2 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: In line with the Programme for Governments commitment with the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sports and Media to develop long term, sustainable, well paid careers in the tourism industry, officials in my Department have contacted SOLAS who advise that there were 268 Further and Education Courses in the area of tourism and hospitality nationally in 2024. Of these courses,...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Departmental Meetings (2 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I have held no formal Ministerial Management Board meetings to date. However, since taking up office, I have held numerous briefing sessions and meetings with Management Board members on issues under their purview, on an almost weekly basis. I am also in constant communication with the Secretary General on the important work of the Department and on any issues as and when they arise. I...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Ag insint bréag.

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: That is why the Deputy is in opposition.

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: We stand on a precipice. The world is burning and the barbarians are at the gate. We face multiple existential crises. We have instability in the Middle East, war in Ukraine and climate change. Trade wars will start tomorrow, with tariffs posing threats to the global economy.

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Tomorrow, we will see the threats becoming real. In this House, we watched aghast as Boris Johnson and the Brexiteers prorogued parliament, when they suspended the people's assembly, denying that parliamentary procedure could take place. We watched in horror on 6 January 2021 when the Capitol rioters stormed Washington DC to stop the election results being ratified. We never thought we...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: We are talking about eight minutes of speaking time.

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Across the floor, we see three groups. We see the "Shout 'em down Shinners", yet again agitating, barracking anybody or anything that stands in their way. I fundamentally believe they cannot accept the outcome of the election. They could not accept the outcome of the one before that either-----

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: -----because, in 2020, they went on a world tour proclaiming that they had actually won the election despite the fact that they did not command a majority of the House. They lost the next election in 2024. The "most effective Opposition history the State" - it was certainly the most hyped Opposition history of State - also had the greatest drop in support in the history the State of any...

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: We move on to Sinn Féin's junior partners on the benches beside it and we will look at the Labour Party-----

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: -----which is once again in thrall to a militant tendency that has retaken the Labour Party,-----

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: -----a party that was rooted in principle but ran away from government. At the first opportunity before an RTÉ microphone when the last votes were still being counted, the Labour Party declared it wanted nothing to do with government.

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: What is the point in going before the people with the manifesto if you have no interest in implementing it?

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Then we have the "Social Media Democrats". As its own recently resigned member-----

Confidence in the Ceann Comhairle: Motion (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: As its own recently resigned member, David McGinn, said recently, it is a fundamentally unserious party. Those are not my words, but his. This is a serious crisis and we need serious players. The Government provides that seriousness.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Further and Higher Education (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Seanadóir Ryan and thank her for raising this issue with me today. I will set out the context around the query before answering as Members may not be familiar with the issue that arises and the surrounding circumstances, so it might be helpful to the debate. A locally devised assessment, LDA, refers to an assessment created by a further education and...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Further and Higher Education (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: I thank the Senator. That is helpful. I was not aware there was an issue in Macroom. We will look into that in a little more detail. There are variances across the sector, as I said, and certain historical practices have developed over and above what was perhaps the design or intention of those facilities. Perhaps that needs to be looked at as well, as to whether it is appropriate or...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Schools Building Projects (1 Apr 2025)

James Lawless: Louth Meath ETB (LMETB) have been supported by SOLAS in developing their Preliminary Business Case (PBC) proposal for Dunboyne under the FET College of the Future Major Projects fund. The development of a robust PBC is fundamental to the requirements of the Infrastructure Guidelines. The proposal put forward by LMETB relates to the development of a new fit for purpose facility on a green...