Results 581-600 of 619 for speaker:John Connolly

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Visa Applications (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: 70. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for the up-to-date waiting times for applications for visiting visas from South Africa; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38295/25]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish-Speaking Community: Earcaíocht sa tSeirbhís Phoiblí: Plé (14 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Níl mórán ceisteanna agam. Thug na finnéithe cur i láthair thar cionn agus láidir dúinn. Tá cúpla ceist beaga agam. Céard iad na hiarrachtaí atá déanta le Fórsa chun dul i ngleic leis an Roinn ná an coiste comhairliúcháin a bunaíodh chun an sprioc seo a chur i bhfeidhm?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish-Speaking Community: Earcaíocht sa tSeirbhís Phoiblí: Plé (14 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Táim sásta moladh a dhéanamh gur cheart don choiste comhairliúcháin um sheirbhísí teanga Gaeilge dul i ngleic le Fórsa. Táim thar a bheith sásta é sin a dhéanamh. Ba thús maith é sin. Is é sin an grúpa atá curtha le chéile chun an cuspóir seo a chur i bhfeidhm. Ba cheart do Fhórsa casadh...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish-Speaking Community: Earcaíocht sa tSeirbhís Phoiblí: Plé (14 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Tá rud amháin eile le hardú agam. An gceapann na finnéithe nach bhfuil gá ar bith le haon choinníollacha teanga in aon phróiseas earcaíochta riamh? An bhfuil siad ina gcoinne sin ar fad? Nach bhfeiceann siad go bhfuil ceantair sa tír inar cheart go gcuirfeadh eagraíochtaí coinníollacha teanga i bhfeidhm nuair atá...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on the Irish Language, the Gaeltacht and the Irish-Speaking Community: Earcaíocht sa tSeirbhís Phoiblí: Plé (14 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Glacaim leis sin ach feicim féin go bhfuil cúpla áit agus cúpla eagraíocht sa tír ina bhfuil gá le coinníollacha teanga a chur i bhfeidhm nuair atá próiseas earcaíochta ar siúl. Ní dóigh liom go bhfuil rogha ag cuid acu ach is rud eile é sin. Maidir leis an athoiliúint, is dóigh go mbeidh Fórsa...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I echo Senator Noonan's earlier comments about the profound nature of IHREC's initial statement and how it highlights the breadth of work that is ahead of us in terms of the issues that affect the Traveller community and the work that we must do to address those. The measurement of progress has been mentioned a lot. The commission laments the continued lack of legal recognition of...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Yes.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I want to respond to the comments that Mr. Herrick made about the education system. I think the progression that has been made in recent years in curricular development and more inclusive practices in schools is much better placed than he acknowledged. As Senator Rabbitte pointed out, why are we not seeing that in attainment among the Traveller community?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: On the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities and the State's response to it, does that come under the remit of the Department of justice?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I have no legal background but with regard to section 19 of the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2003, I have heard stories similar to those recounted by Senator Rabbitte. It obviously does not allow the same recourse to members of the Traveller community to take legal cases as it might for other groups being discriminated against.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Even if it were not a labour relations issue or was not something relevant to employment?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Mr. Herrick suggests that we scrutinise how the obligations of equality bodies such as IHREC are being fulfilled and how accessible and available they are. What changes does he propose? Obviously, additional resourcing would be one. Are there specific changes he feels we should introduce that would make bodies such as IHREC more accessible and available to members of the Traveller community?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Human Rights and International Standards for Traveller and Roma Communities: Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Resourcing will be a significant issue.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Oideachas Tríú Leibhéal (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: 6. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills cad iad na beartais agus gníomhartha atá á ndéanamh ag a Roinn chun cur le líon agus raon na gcúrsaí trí mheán na Gaeilge atá ar fáil do mhic léinn sna forais ardoideachais; agus an ndéanfaidh sé ráiteas ina thaobh. [56314/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Oideachas Tríú Leibhéal (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Cuirim ceist ar an Aire faoi na hiarrachtaí ar siúl ag an Roinn chun cur le líon agus raon na gcúrsaí trí mheán na Gaeilge atá ar fáil do mhic léinn sa chóras ardoideachais. Is léir nach bhfuil mórán acu ann. Níl faoi láthair ach 1,779 mac léinn i mbun staidéir i nGaeilge amháin, agus tá...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Oideachas Tríú Leibhéal (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Molaim iarrachtaí an Aire an cheist a fhreagairt i nGaeilge. Tá mé fíorbhuíoch dó as sin. To put things in numerical perspective, 8% of children can attend primary school through Irish, and 3.8% of those proceed to attend secondary school in Irish. However, titeann sé sin go dtí níos lú ná 1% sna hinstitiúidí...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Oideachas Tríú Leibhéal (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: We should look at that Welsh model. It is a state framework for the promotion of courses through the Welsh language across their third level institutions. It has doubled since 2011 the number of students completing their third level education through Welsh. It offers additional grants to the institutions to offer courses through Welsh and scholarships to students. Those people from...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I compliment the recent changes made by the Minister in the budget to increase the income thresholds for the SUSI support and to put more families in a position to get the SUSI grant. Will the Minister's Department review the method used to calculate commuting distances for the SUSI adjacency grant eligibility?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I welcome the fact the Minister has outlined a method that prioritises being fair, whereby we give every option to ensure the detail is clear for the family about having that non-adjacent categorisation. There is one thing we should examine, namely, the household income threshold. This should reflect in some way the institution the student wishes to attend. If we take my own example, I am...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Grant Payments (16 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I welcome that. Again, it contributes to the impression I have of the Minister in terms of innovation and what he is bringing to this Department to make sure more people can access third level education and that no opportunity is denied. To reiterate, there is some inequity in that household income is assessed irrespective of a student's adjacency or proximity to the third level...