Results 3,661-3,680 of 5,157 for speaker:Mairéad Farrell

Housing and Homeless Prevention: Motion [Private Members] (23 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: The issue of vulture funds snapping up family homes across this State is an absolute shame on this Government, just as it is a shame that over 4,000 children were in homeless accommodation over the Christmas period. The fact that this has not been mentioned every single day by Government Ministers in this Dáil since it returned is utterly shameful. Today, I was interested to hear...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I am very concerned about the escalating conflict in the Red Sea and the risk this could spill into a wider regional war. Every time we turn on the global news, we hear inflammatory rhetoric, with some political or military figure telling the audience we need to prepare for war with whoever is considered to be the supervillain at that time. Truthfully at this point, we have to ask ourselves...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I had requested to take some of my colleague, Deputy Clarke's time.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire agus le chuile dhuine ón Roinn as teacht os comhair an choiste. We are pleased to have the Minister at committee. I forgot my glasses so I hope I will notice when the clock goes down to zero. This can in some sense follow on from the conversation we had last week as part of oral questions. I raised the fact that I felt this new student accommodation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Okay, so-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I will get to the technological universities.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: That is fair if that is the Minister's point of view. I can only take from what I have seen. To be honest, with regard to this Department, I have never seen so many announcements. In my view-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Well, I am to a certain extent, because there have been occasions where I have heard what in my view was money being reannounced. On looking into it further, I have seen that had been announced two years running and had been within the base of the budgets at that time. In my view, when the Minister previously announced that 521 beds, I think it was irresponsible to reannounce them because...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: They did not-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: How many beds-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: How many-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: How many beds exactly does the Minister expect and anticipate? To be clear, I asked the universities a straightforward question. I did not ask them to comment on policy. I would not expect them to comment on policy to me. I am sure they would go directly to the Minister in that regard. I asked the universities specifically how many vacant and derelict properties they have on site and how...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: That is fair. I am just wondering about the numbers and what has come back to me.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: No, I made it clear I was asking with regard to the grant announced last week.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I have a question on them as well. I am aware that I am limited on time. This is something I am trying to get my head around. Last week, the Minister mentioned that the TUs were to submit the plans to develop student accommodation projects. Obviously, the TUs cannot borrow at the moment because they would need to be deemed autonomous public sector bodies to be able to borrow off balance...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: Are the technological universities then okay to borrow?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairéad Farrell: I am talking about off-balance sheet borrowing. If they have been approved by Eurostat, they can borrow off balance sheet, which means that such borrowing would not be part of the Government debt. What is the story there? Has that been approved or not?