Results 2,041-2,060 of 2,060 for speaker:Sharon Keogan

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: I am afraid the Cathaoirleach is going to have to keep going because this is my first round. I welcome all the witnesses and thank them for all the work they have done to date on this legislation. I will get straight on to the question for Ms Barry and Mr. Bowes. FLAC argues that the rising levels of discrimination require stronger legislation, yet Ireland's equality laws have expanded...

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: Is Ms Barry saying that the current laws suffice but people do not know those protections are in place?

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: If there was an education policy in respect of employment law in this country and people knew exactly what they were entitled to, does FLAC think the law, as it currently stands, would deal with the issues?

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: I know that.

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: I will now ask Mr. Joyce some questions. As a trade union confederation, ICTU's core mission is to protect workers' rights in areas such as pay, conditions and job security. Will Mr. Joyce explain why ICTU is advocating for the inclusion of gender identity, gender expression and sex characteristics in the equality legislation? How does this align with the organisation's mandate to...

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: This question is for Ms Walsh. She argued that the burden of enforcing equality law should not rest on individuals and that civil society organisations should be empowered to take cases on their behalf. However, does this not risk turning the legal process into a tool for activist litigation, potentially disconnected from the actual experience or wishes of those affected? How does she...

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: It is systemic.

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: I thank Ms Walsh very much. The Add the 10th Alliance proposed a definition of social economic status that includes factors like accent, address and education level. However, given the broad and sometimes subjective nature of these indicators, how does it ensure this does not create legal uncertainty or open a door to overly expansive claims that are difficult to adjudicate fairly? For...

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: I see that in the submission now. The witnesses have taken care in aligning their recommendations to international best practice. I commend them on that. Have they researched the outcomes in other European countries? For example, in France and Britain, the socioeconomic background protections have not significantly reduced educational or employment disparities.

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: I do not have time for the last question. I have to leave as I have to go to another meeting. I thank the witnesses. I will listen to all the other contributions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: Perhaps this question has been answered already, but it has to do with the remote area grant. Many people do not know about this. I remember the then Minister of State, former Deputy Joe O'Brien, being in the Seanad on a Commencement matter in relation to this. It was the first time he had ever heard about it and I was shocked, to be honest. Maybe that is the way that Ministers and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: That is right.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: But families are not offered it. They are actually not offered this grant if they are turned down for school transportation. They are not given the option to apply for the remote area grant. There is no dedicated service. A person has to actually email the Department to get an application for this particular grant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: Why is that?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: People who are turned down for transportation via the normal school bus application and who are living outside the relevant areas are not being offered it. They are just told that they have been turned down for school transportation. As part of being turned down, they do not get a letter saying that they can apply for this remote area grant.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: If they are living farther away than the 3.2 km or the 4.8 km limits, then they are eligible.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: Yes, but they might not be for various reasons. This could be for reasons of language, ethos or whatever.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: It is a grant that very few people know is available.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: School Transport Scheme: Discussion (16 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: There are, and the number of people applying for it has grown over the past three or four years. In general, though, a lot of people do not know the grant is available if they are living beyond the limit of 3.2 km for primary school and 4.8 km for post-primary school. The Department needs to do a little bit more marketing and advertising of this grant.

Committee on Children and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jul 2025)

Sharon Keogan: Would FLAC require more funding to deal with this?