Results 301-320 of 1,301 for speaker:Pauline O'Reilly

Seanad: Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Bill 2021: Motion (16 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: On a point of order, the Government could have put the Bill onto the Order Paper and did not. Therefore, clearly, there was no railroading. We worked collaboratively and I would like to see us continue to do that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed). (29 Jun 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank our guests for joining us. As I understand it, the EPA is awaiting the passage of the climate action Bill and the measures provided for in it, including the plans and the carbon budget, in order to be able to make the relevant projections. It is important to state that because there has been some confusion. The Chair asked a question on this at the outset, but the point is being...

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

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the three guests. We did not get to hear everything Ms Reilly wanted to say but we will all read it and it is all taken into consideration. A lot of the comments and criticisms are very fair. I sit on the Joint Committee on Key Issues Affecting the Traveller Community with Senator Flynn and I am very well aware of some of the things the witnesses are highlighting but there is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (6 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I have a few points which may have been touched on in some form but I would like a more definitive response. One is on poverty-proofing some of the things in the plan. For instance, on consumer choice in particular, perhaps particularly in rural areas, there are customers who have relied on a particular approach up to now and who may not have retrofitting in place an so on. Has the...

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

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank all the contributors. In a broad sense, this Bill has to address the problems and look at what success means. Funding is absolutely a key issue for the higher education sector. That was outlined in the Cassells report and we still have not addressed it, so the Bill has to take that on board. It is also really important to look at what it means to be successful in third level...

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

Pauline O'Reilly: Absolutely. I take that on board and I am not accusing anyone. It is more about long-term accountability. If this is held within each institution, we do not have that security. That is not what the Bill says, but I just want to be sure we are all on the same page in that regard.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Further and Higher Education Institutions: Discussion (22 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I offer a big welcome to the Minister and the Minister of State. It is good to see them, although it is not in the committee room where we would like to be. Hopefully we will have some reopening of in-person committee meetings as well as a reopening of third level. It is important that we were reminded that this will not just be a reopening of third level but a reopening of in-person...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Further and Higher Education Institutions: Discussion (22 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the Minister and Minister of State.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Further and Higher Education Institutions: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank all of our guests. It is good to see some of them for the second time this week. It is also good to see Professor Ó hÓgartaigh. As I said earlier in the week, I was on the údarás myself, albeit briefly. I will ask a couple of quite specific questions but first I will thank all of the staff in all of the institutions. The last couple of years have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Further and Higher Education Institutions: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: Deputy Conway-Walsh raised the issue of students still being supported online. Is it the case that people will be able to choose or will they have to have medical certificates? People differ in when they feel vulnerable. This can also be associated with their mental health at a particular time. Will people be able to choose a hybrid model? Will a model such as the hybrid-flexible,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Reopening of Further and Higher Education Institutions: Discussion (8 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank Professor Ó hÓgartaigh for that clarification. It is important and I appreciate it. With regard to apprenticeships, quite apart from the backlog, a new model is clearly needed. How many more places are required, apart from what is required to deal with the backlog? We are hearing from Green Party Ministers that there is an increasing need for ecologists and those with...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: If Dr. Daly needs to leave, that is no problem. She can respond in writing if she wishes. I wish to concentrate on the school transport issue. The last statistics I have showed that 30% of traffic in the morning, certainly in Galway, was school transport. I see from Dr. Daly's figures that 60% of primary school children are being driven to school. The rules relating to school transport,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Reduction of Carbon Emissions of 51% by 2030: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I had to park a car in Dublin and realised that the cost is about €2 per hour for parking, which is crazy. It is much less than a bus. The last point is about the planning implications of EVs. If we are just moving to EVs, then we are building more roads. That has a knock-on effect in respect of other emissions, which has not been addressed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I welcome our guests and congratulate Ms Austick. It is great to see her in the role. The instances mentioned by Deputy Jim O'Callaghan and Senator Malcolm Byrne on academic freedom are at the sharp end of wedge. I have spoken about this before. The fear is that we are moving into a model - if have not already started and are now trying to reverse out of it - where there is a reliance...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the Acting Chair for facilitating me. My question is on promotions. There have been issues around promotion and gender, particularly in NUIG. They have gone through the courts, so it is fine for me to say that. I know from my short time on a governing authority - I was on one with Ms Austick - that governing authorities sign off on promotions. I would like to feel secure that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: With all respect, my question is about the Bill and whether anything can be included in it to ensure there is transparency. Governing authorities are closed books and forums in many instances. This is about transparency and I hope the Bill achieves that. Is Ms Donegan confident that everything that can be done to ensure gender balance and fairness is done and that we do not have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: General Scheme of the Higher Education Authority Bill 2021: Discussion (Resumed) (13 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: No. Obviously, it is an important point. If anybody has anything to add to that they can do so. It is important that we make sure it is on the record and we are fulfilling our obligations, as a committee, to women academics.

Joint Oireachtas Committee On Key Issues Affecting The Traveller Community: Traveller Accommodation: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jul 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the Chair very much and the witnesses for coming in. I have read through some of the reports, in particular in respect of Galway where I am based. There has been a clear failure in Galway, which I have called out over a number of years, to not even have the consultative forum sitting. Sometimes we are over-generous in saying that there is a failure of process. All of the groups...

Seanad: Bullying and Sexual Harassment in Third Level Institutions: Motion (21 Sep 2021)

Pauline O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister. I thank Senators Ruane and Norris for bringing forward this motion. I also thank the Cathaoirleach because it is his innovation to have these kinds of debates on panels in the Seanad. It is welcome and I look forward to more of them. This is an important topic for a first debate. We all have something to say on the matter. There is cross-party support. I commend...