Results 2,741-2,760 of 2,773 for speaker:Marian Harkin

Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: We believe that this legislation, however well intentioned, will not achieve its objective. That is what matters. People have talked about fine words.

Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: Fine words from any side of the House do not work. What works is legislation that is effective.

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...

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: 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: 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: 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: 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...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I would like to thank Deputy O’Connell for raising this important question and for the opportunity to update her on the work my Department is doing on delivering the Careers in Construction Action Plan. Launched in 2023, this Plan is a key priority of my Department as it sets out strategic actions to promote inclusive, attractive, and sustainable careers in construction. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: My Department commissioned research in the first quarter of this year, the objective of which is to support the development of an integrated, cohesive and coherent national framework for meeting priority construction workforce needs. This is to be achieved through a holistic review of priority construction and infrastructure workforce and skills requirements to support Government targets in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I want to thank Deputy O’Connell for her question and for her interest in the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Action Plan. The Action Plan was developed in consultation with industry, training providers, Departments and agencies. It aims to upskill current and future workers and ensure the construction sector is future-ready so that Ireland can meet its national targets in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I would like to thank you for your interest in the work my Department is undertaking to advance Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) skills. Greater adoption of MMC, an umbrella term for a range of innovative construction processes, is a key pillar of the Government’s approach to increasing innovation and achieving productivity gains in the delivery of housing and infrastructure. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I would like to thank Deputy O’Connell for her question and her interest in the Careers in Construction Action Plan, which is a key priority for my Department. The Department chairs the Careers in Construction Working Group, which brings together key stakeholders from across Government, the tertiary education system, industry, and professional bodies. This group plays a central role...

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: 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...

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...

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...