Results 761-780 of 1,301 for speaker:Pauline O'Reilly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: I want to go back to something that Senator Warfield said. I was not commending the Taoiseach; I was suggesting that future Taoisigh could be forced to introduce gender equality measures through some form of legislation, as has been mentioned. The Taoiseach did do us a service in the Seanad by having nine of the 11 nominees as women but it should not be up to him. He took on board within...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: It is a reframing of how we speak about employment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: It is a critical point. My point is that too often it is separated into another report. It needs to be reframed when we are speaking about employment. It does not mean that fewer women being employed is a bad thing. It just means we have to recognise where things are and support them in a different way. This is my point. The point on re-entry is valuable and we have not discussed it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: That is a good thing. That is the point that needs to be highlighted in these reports so we are not just saying there is a reduction in hours and therefore less employment.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: It could also be positive because people are coming out with the same wages and they get to spend more time with their families.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: Fair enough, we do not know what the reason is.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: Absolutely, but Dr. Redmond already stated that research shows that in Ireland there is an indication that more people are choosing this outcome and, therefore, it could be said that adding this in as an overall policy is slightly more positive. It may not be possible to say it is 100% positive because we do not know what everyone is doing or why, but based on the evidence it is slightly...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality: Recommendations of the Report of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality: Discussion (Resumed) (15 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: I was using up Senator Higgins's time. I am sorry.

Seanad: Higher Education Authority Bill 2022: Report Stage (Resumed) (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: I agree with Senator Malcolm Byrne. I have been a member of the údarás of the National University of Ireland Galway, which is now the University of Galway, and I think that the voice of students is essential. PhD students, by virtue of their other roles are often members of these boards, which is effectively what they are. The voice of the students' union is also really...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the regulator. I will go back to the issue of smart meters. How many smart meters are there at present?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: Okay. What is the CRU's assessment of how many of those customers are on the best tariff for them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: That leads to my next question. I will return to Ms MacEvilly's response regarding the notion that putting people on the best tariff for them will increase the price, if everybody is on the best tariff. That is what she said earlier. How do we then ensure that everybody is on the best tariff, if she is saying that we cannot put everybody on such a tariff because it will increase the price?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: That is what I understood from Ms MacEvilly's earlier response.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: What is Ms MacEvilly's assessment of the most appropriate tariff?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: Ultimately, they are going to be choosing on the basis of what is cheapest.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: That brings us back to the original point, that if they are choosing what is cheapest, why are we not putting them on what is cheapest?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: I still have concerns in relation to that, because I think the complexity of it is the thing that stops people moving and choosing a tariff. For the most part, they just want to know what is cheapest. Ultimately, that is what most people who contact me want to know. I was concerned at a statement that was made earlier, which was that we are just at the start of the work in relation to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: Except that, with respect, the CRU is the regulator, and we already know those websites have existed for a long time and people still are not choosing the best tariff for them. The point concerns the work that CRU does itself.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Engagement with the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (20 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: On the security of supply, we have already discussed the failed auction in 2019 a number of times and the recognition there were potentially some issues with how that auction was carried out. If I recall correctly, the last time the CRU was in, there was discussion of doing a review or an investigation into what happened. Notwithstanding the review that was published yesterday that said...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Pauline O'Reilly: I very much welcome this opportunity to discuss school transport. As the Minister will appreciate, we are all aware of difficulties and I will bring those to light. Fundamentally, the waiving of school transport fees is a good thing for two reasons. It is a good thing because of the cost of living, and I appreciate that the Minister took that step. The second reason relates to climate...