Results 4,841-4,860 of 5,845 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. As we see the return of football, I commend the Kildare players on their terrific win against Meath yesterday. I am sure the Leader does not mind me saying it. I also congratulate the Kildare ladies who played against our other neighbours in Laois. This week is Men's Health Week. It is a week when we raise awareness of...

Seanad: Gender Pay Gap Information Bill 2021: Second Stage (14 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I welcome this debate and it is good to see that the Bill has been strengthened since its incarnation in 2019. I also pay tribute to my colleague, Senator Clifford-Lee, and Sonya Lennon who started the very good WorkEqual campaign in 2016 which certainly educated me and many others about this particular issue. Closing the gender pay gap is a priority for the Government and completely...

Seanad: Planning and Development (Amendment) (No. 3) Bill 2021: Second Stage (18 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Senator Chambers for agreeing to share her time with me. I thank the Minister for being here, for listening to the positions we are putting to him and for the legislation itself. It is really important because the county development plan and indeed the local area plans are the blueprints for how we live our lives into future as they look at both the economic and the social side of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UN Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities and Ratification of Optional Protocol: Discussion (Resumed) (17 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank our distinguished guests for their submissions and their clarification of a lot of different areas. I am struck by why the optional protocol was deemed optional in the first place. It really should have been part of the whole agreement. There is so much confusion around it and also delay. I understand from what Dr. Lynch said that it may not be as long as we had originally thought...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The issue I bring to the attention of the Minister of State relates to the Teaching Council. A friend of mine contacted me about a month ago because of issues she was having registering with the Teaching Council. We had an interesting conversation. She then reached out to her peers and asked them to contact me about their experiences. To say that I was inundated with correspondence from...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Teaching Council of Ireland (22 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I understand the reason for the Teaching Council and it is important it is efficient and effective. For the 109,000 teachers who are registered, there is a €65 fee, so there is quite a substantial amount of money going into the Teaching Council every year. However, the Teaching Council is not serving the teachers. I have a full file on those who have contacted me and that is just...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Leader. Last week, we had world blood donation day. This is a very important day when we get to highlight the importance of blood donation and thank all of those who give blood. The theme was to give blood and keep the world beating. I want to highlight inequality and inequity in the system. At present in Ireland, gay men must abstain...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the witnesses for their insight and their expertise. They do wonderful work and it is appreciated and valued. My apologies, I had to come off the call for a short period to go to another meeting, but I feel I have a very good sense of this and I have, of course, read the submissions. I have a few general questions, and a lot of that is based on some of the findings we have heard...

Seanad: Criminal Justice (Rehabilitative Periods) Bill 2018: Report and Final Stages (28 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I say "Well done" to Senator Ruane. She is feeling the love. Senator Martin mentioned John Lonergan, who had a very enlightened view with regard to how we treat crime and prisoners. We need more voices such as his and, indeed, that of Senator Ruane.

Seanad: Planning and Development (Solar Panels for Public Buildings, Schools, Homes and Other Premises) (Amendment) Bill 2021: Second Stage (28 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: It is a great pleasure to support this very worthy Bill. When we think of solar energy and the impact of having it in our schools throughout the country, what greater lesson and what greater leadership can we give our young people who, as we know, are often leaders in this area. It is a very strong statement in any community when we see public buildings, be they schools, Garda barracks,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Conservation (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: As we know, the just transition objective is to fund innovative projects that contribute to the economic, social and environmental sustainability of those especially impacted by the move away from carbon. My county is impacted both with regard to employment and those who used the bog as a source of fuel for their homes. We were happy when Kildare was one of the counties where the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Energy Conservation (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for his response. He mentioned the delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, which are completely understandable. I accept his Department will engage with Kildare County Council on the matter. The Minister of State mentioned the 750 local authority homes in the midlands across the eight counties included in the programme. If a third of participants have dropped...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I congratulate the Cathaoirleach on the first anniversary of his election as Cathaoirleach of Seanad Éireann. He has served and represented all of us with great dignity. He has brought in innovative practices, in as much as he could during the Covid-19 period. I congratulate him on that and wish him well in the time ahead.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (29 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: You are welcome. Kon'nichiwa. For those non-Japanese speakers of which I am one, that is basically “Hello, how are you?” in Japanese. That is to mark today which is the last day of the leaving certificate in 2021. Japanese is the last exam subject to be taken. It has been a difficult and arduous year for those leaving certificate students. They have shown terrific...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: It is lovely to see Senator Flynn in the Chair. As we are approaching the recess, I wish her the very best of luck with her impending arrival in September. I, too, welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to the House. When she was last here to address another Commencement matter I tabled on this issue, I was delighted. I noted at the time that July provision was to become summer...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Special Educational Needs (5 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for the response. As I said, I was delighted to note the increase in funding. I agree with the Minister of State on the need to remove barriers to encourage schools to take part and also in regard to the need for children to maintain connectivity with their places of education. However, at this point we need to move from the opt-in, opt-out model of summer...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (6 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I second the Order of Business. Members will remember my raising in the House the case of Mr. Pat Tinsley and his very difficult and debilitating disease, amyloidosis. I called for a debate on how the extra €50 million in the budget for battling rare diseases is being spent. This morning, Deputy Pádraig O'Sullivan is launching a Bill that would address this matter. It is very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and the Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Jun 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the witnesses for their detailed submissions, as well as their opening statements. It is good to see so much happening and the proactive approach that the Department is taking many areas of which we may not have been aware. I commend the Department on the preventive measures. There will be a national roll-out of CPD, continuing professional development, training for well-being...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The issue I raise today is housing. Housing is very complex and we deal with it daily in this House and in the Dáil. A particular cohort of people have been forgotten about. I have raised this matter previously with the Minister but I want to have time devoted to it. The cohort in question is the tenants of approved housing bodies, colloquially known as co-operative schemes. A very...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Housing Schemes (12 Jul 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State. The families and individuals I am talking about are being sent from pillar to post. They are not being given adequate responses from anyone. They are not being shown the respect they deserve. The Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage has been in contact with residents and told them that the decision to sell homes to residents is one for...