Results 1,221-1,240 of 1,301 for speaker:Pauline O'Reilly

Seanad: Loneliness: Motion (1 May 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I move: That Seanad Éireann: notes with concern: - that over 20 percent of Irish people reported feeling lonely most or all of the time, the highest level in the European Union (EU), where the average is only 13 percent; - that nearly one-third of Irish adults over 50 feel emotionally lonely occasionally, with 7 percent frequently experiencing loneliness; - the 2018 A Connected...

Seanad: Loneliness: Motion (1 May 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I wish to share my time with my Green Party Senator colleagues.

Seanad: Loneliness: Motion (1 May 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: We tend to think of Ireland as a very friendly place that is dominated by community spirit. Additionally, volunteerism is very high in Ireland. What is shocking is that Ireland is actually the loneliest place in Europe. The official figures show that 20% of Irish people reported feeling lonely most or all of the time. This is the highest level in the European Union, where the average is...

Seanad: Loneliness: Motion (1 May 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: Every time you put forward a motion or a Bill, you worry that people will not get it and will not understand how vital it is to bring forward an issue and to bring solutions to the surface. I thought at the start that I might be standing here alone, a Billy No-Mates, but everybody, from all political groupings, has been passionate about this issue. It does require a little thought. I...

Seanad: Loneliness: Motion (1 May 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: Tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the witnesses for their contributions. Sometimes when we see something down on paper we say "Why not just do this?" and "Why not just do more consultation and do it better?" or "Why not just put the resources into mapping how we get to X, Y or Z?" The answer in my experience is that it is almost always politics . We have done the political equivalent of pushing a boulder up a hill...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Draft National Energy and Climate Plan: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank our guests and appreciate their contributions. All of us probably agree completely with everything our guests have said. I do not think anybody is disagreeing. It is a case of hearing our guests' expertise about how to implement change and deal with the challenges of trying to get some of those changes implemented. As I said, it is important to say it and to have these things on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Consumer Durables: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the witnesses for coming in. I ran repair cafés in the past. The biggest issue we had was insurance. I identify with some of the issues the witnesses mentioned about infrastructure. On the ground with some of the social enterprises in Galway, such as Bounce Back Recycling and An Mheitheal Rothar, the biggest issue is the lack of support from municipal waste services. If they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Consumer Durables: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: It is predominantly for the Department of the environment. I know the witnesses brought up some of the issues but I would like to be assured that they are being dealt with.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Consumer Durables: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I will raise one matter that occurred to me, which comes up particularly with bike repair. It can be quite expensive to buy replacement parts. One issue is that bike repair is faced with double VAT, in a sense, because VAT is on the initial product and the replacement parts. It makes it quite expensive for a business to then sell that on. Does Mr. McLoughlin have any thoughts on that? Is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Circular Economy as it relates to Consumer Durables: Discussion (18 Jun 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: That is all very welcome. I thank Mr. McLoughlin for that. I also thank the Department for continuing to consider it. It is about things moving out of social enterprise, or something based around a social good, to something that actually makes a company money. That is where the lapse is. That is something that needs to be looked at, if this is to really take off throughout the country.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Long-Duration Energy Storage: Discussion (25 Jun 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the witnesses for their presentations. We are looking at a plan-led approach if we are talking about an auction, which was different from how things developed in onshore wind and more akin to offshore. What size storage facilities are the witnesses talking about? What is in their head? What does that look like in respect of the amount of space it takes? I think Deputy Bruton...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Long-Duration Energy Storage: Discussion (25 Jun 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: Sorry to interrupt but what are minimum and maximum times? I know "It depends" is the answer to everything in every technology in every industry. Do the witnesses have any idea with regard to the people they are working with and the different types of technology that they know exist?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Long-Duration Energy Storage: Discussion (25 Jun 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: The other question related to the context internationally.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action: Long-Duration Energy Storage: Discussion (25 Jun 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I thank the witnesses. That was very interesting. There is a great deal of information, which is great to be able to look back on. I have one final question, which the witnesses may not wish or be able to answer. Is there a move away from rare minerals? While Mr. Blount said he did not wish to down the route about talking about particular technologies, he mentioned iron there, which is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (4 Jul 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I welcome the Minister of State. This is the second Commencement matter I have tabled on the Citizens' Assembly on Education, but I have brought the issue up many times with the Minister for Education. As I understand it from the Department of Education, it has referred the matter to the Department of an Taoiseach which is why I have addressed this Commencement matter to that Department....

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Citizens' Assembly (4 Jul 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: On the terms of reference, I suppose the question is whether input from the Ministers has been sought. I understand the Minister for Education has had an input. Given that the Taoiseach is a former Minister for further and higher education, I hope he and the Minister for Children have also had an input. Of course, we need to pass a resolution of both Houses, but we need a Government...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Post-Primary Education: Discussion (9 Jul 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: I read all of the opening statements in great detail. I thank the witnesses for coming in. This meeting feels like a bit of an exam. It is interesting that AI would have been a single topic many years ago but all of the witnesses have come at it from different angles. They have considered the creativity aspect, how to adjust for people's own writing styles and how teachers can tell if...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: The Future of Artificial Intelligence in Post-Primary Education: Discussion (9 Jul 2024)

Pauline O'Reilly: That is a very good point. It is about learning about AI and its use. Most of us do not really understand that. Before I read the submissions, I did not understand most of its implications or what the advances might be in the future. Does anybody have any thoughts on the proposition that it is the education system that might need to change?