Results 101-120 of 185 for speaker:Gareth Scahill

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Pension Parity and Working Conditions for School Secretaries and Caretakers: Fórsa (10 Jul 2025)

Gareth Scahill: It is very important that is sorted out. We will try and work with the caretakers on that because, as we have said, the caretaker is the person there at 7 a.m., and for school masses or any evening function, the caretaker is the last person there at night. Their status needs to be regularised and their jobs protected.

Seanad: Draft Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I move: That Seanad Éireann: – having regard to the conclusions and recommendations of the Report of the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools Run by Religious Orders, published on 3rd September, 2024; – noting that it is the opinion of the Government that these matters of significant public concern require, in the public interest,...

Seanad: Draft Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the Minister for coming in today. I suppose we are all considering this motion with a deep sense of responsibility and with a conviction to support it and the establishment of the commission of investigation into the handling of historical child sexual abuse in day and boarding schools. This is a long-overdue recognition that the education system and the institutions that govern it...

Seanad: Sport: Statements (16 Jul 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the Minister of State very much for facilitating today's statements on sport. Like previous speakers, I reiterate the health benefits of investing in sport. We have often spoken in this Chamber about revitalising and regenerating rural Ireland and what a rural economy needs to survive. Sporting facilities are what a community needs to survive. I am not so old that I do not recall...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Jul 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I rise today, on the final sitting of this term, to talk about school buses once again. It is something I have raised on at least two occasions in recent weeks, but this is a good news story. Bus Éireann this week came back to me and, after a submission I made initially in March, said: We have investigated the feasibility of amending the school bus to serve Ballymoe Village and I...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I join everyone else in welcoming Martin Hughes to his new role. I also pay tribute to Martin Groves and Bridget Doody for their work in their former roles. When talking about two people who have always gone above and beyond in their roles, it is worth mentioning the staff working in our schools. A lot have come back in difficult times, experiencing issues with bus transport and school...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I stand today to speak about social media and a number of stories that presented themselves over the summer. There was the spreading of misinformation and threats. Social media policy seems to protect the protagonists in these situations more than the victims. It is affecting every area of life at present but, specifically at this moment in time, it is affecting Oireachtas Members. It is...

Seanad: Public Expenditure, Infrastructure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation: Statements (24 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I welcome this conversation. I thank the Minister of State for coming into us today. Unlike my esteemed colleague, I did not get the chance to visit the rest of the country on the canvass for the Seanad, so I will talk about Roscommon and my area. I concur with Senator Cosgrove about the plan the Northern and Western Regional Assembly produced as well as a call for overall balanced...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Court Accommodation (25 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: The Minister of State is very welcome this morning. I thank him for coming in to answer this Commencement matter. The situation regarding the courtroom facilities in Castlerea Prison is something I have wanted to raise for some time. Castlerea is a medium-security prison, purpose built to serve as a committal prison for Connacht and counties like Cavan, Donegal and Longford. It has a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Court Accommodation (25 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the Minister of State very much. It is interesting to hear there has been no change to that, but I welcome the additional court staff. I am looking at a newspaper cutting from 2020 with the headline "Harristown courthouse makes history as video-link installed for hearings". It was celebrated at the time. Obviously, we were dealing with a situation where we were trying to stop the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I wish to raise an issue that came up at one of the committee meetings yesterday regarding Oireachtas enquiry lines. I was trying to highlight with the witness a delay in getting responses. Following a bit of research, I found it is a much bigger issue across a lot more of the boards and agencies that we have access to. We as public representatives should not have to go back to members of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Children and Young People: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: We let Ms Blackwell go at it when she had the chance. First and foremost, I thank our witnesses for being here. It was very refreshing to hear from Grace, Fionn, Mr. Murray and all of the other speakers. We wanted to have their organisations in here this morning so that we can learn from them and hear their feedback on this. Fionn mentioned a number of issues, including protection,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Children and Young People: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank Fionn for that. After the week that we have had, seeing data leaks and how data has been sold as well, how can young people be better informed on how their data is being used? That is quite important. I do not mind if Grace wants to come in on this one.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Children and Young People: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: Thank you. Jumping over to Mr. Murray now, he mentioned that one in three young people is turning to AI companions for relationships at present. How should Ireland regulate or provide a safeguard for this emerging trend without stigmatising young people and making it an issue that they are worried about?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Children and Young People: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: Grace welcomed the AI office. Ms Lynch spoke about parents' concerns in the survey, over-reliance on AI and the negative effects. Mr. Murray even mentioned the environmental impact of AI. How do they think their organisations can be more involved with the AI office and the decisions it makes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank our guests for their contributions this morning. We have had discussions about the 72-hour obligation and how some of the work is unrelated, trivial and demeaning. Only yesterday in the Seanad I raised the issue of school dinners for a lot of small schools. They have been told by providers that they cannot be provided with hot meals any more because their numbers were below the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I am sorry to interrupt. Were qualifications, redeployment, CPD and defining the role itself Fórsa's main contribution to the review?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: On what Ms Cockerill said, we have obviously seen an increase in the number of SNAs throughout the sector. Is that number still adequate? What scale of expansion does she envision as necessary?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Recruitment and Retention of Special Needs Assistants: Discussion (24 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: Ms Cockerill said we need more SNAs. Our figures show us that the majority of SNAs already have QQI level 6 qualifications. If the standard or requirement is brought up to that, will it affect the supply of SNAs? How do the witnesses see that?