Results 141-160 of 185 for speaker:Gareth Scahill

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Issues Affecting People with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia: Discussion (2 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the speakers, Ms O'Callaghan and Ms Feeney. Ms Feeney mentioned in the conclusions and further review section of her submission the increased complexity. She also mentioned that about 6,500 people are benefiting from the RACE scheme or accommodations at the moment. This discussion is targeted directly at dyslexia and dyscalculia. I mentioned earlier that one in ten people come...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Issues Affecting People with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia: Discussion (2 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: How many candidates were included in the pilot scheme for visually impaired students?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Issues Affecting People with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia: Discussion (2 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I am sorry to interrupt but I want to raise another matter in the time that is left. Sive mentioned that she was diagnosed, went to second level and kept on her languages because that was her thing. As a result, she was penalised or not offered the same supports as other people with a diagnosis. That cannot continue. Would either of the witnesses like to say anything about that?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I raise the issue of the impending storms that are about to hit the west at the weekend. The review into the co-ordinated response into Storm Éowyn needs to be published and made available to us before the forthcoming storm season kicks in. Not enough has been done to ready the western part of the country for the next season of storms. We still have many broadband lines that are down...

Seanad: Growing and Building Resilience in Ireland’s Small Business and Retail Sector: Statements (2 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the Minister of State for coming to discuss this very important issue. Small businesses and retailers are the very heart, as he said, of our economy. They make up the majority of the businesses in our country, employing two thirds of our workforce. As the Minister of State mentioned, they are the lifeblood and part of the fabric of our towns and communities. they hold everything...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Older People: Discussion (30 Sep 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the witnesses. It is important to have their input to this conversation. Lots of interesting and good points were made. I come from the north west of Roscommon. We have one of the oldest demographics in the country. All of these are matters I can relate to. Bridging the digital divide is something we have spoken about for years. I am very supportive of LEADER and local...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I wish to raise an issue following Storm Amy last Friday. We were protected up here in Leinster but in other parts of Ireland there were widespread power outages and issues with Irish Water and the water supply. I was dealing with this all across the weekend because hundreds of people and households were affected by power outages. I made phone calls to PowerCheck and the ESB yesterday with...

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Finance): Statements (7 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the House to give us the opportunity to make statements on the budget. I compliment him and his Cabinet colleagues on the delivery of the budget. To remind people, budget 2026 is worth €9.4 billion, €8.1 billion of which is spending and €1.3 billion is tax. It represents increased spending of 7%. Through budget 2026 we will...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Electricity Grid (8 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber this morning. This is my fifth Commencement matter for the Minister, Deputy O'Brien, and he has not entered the Chamber at all yet. I just want to put that on the record. We have just had Storm Amy and a lot of my constituents in Roscommon once again spent the weekend without power. That follows on from Storm Éowyn back in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Electricity Grid (8 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the Minister of State very much for the response. A total of 768,000 customers were without electricity in February. We face another winter with the same uncertainty. Probably the only certainty is the chance that we will have power outages. I could bring anybody in the Chamber to forestry in west Roscommon right now and show them which trees are going to come down and take out...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I had a Commencement matter this morning on Storm Amy. I failed to acknowledge and recognise the staff of the local authority who worked all weekend across Roscommon and the west cleaning up the mess, along with the staff from the ESB and the forestry management services. I want to congratulate them now and thank them for doing this work in difficult times. I also want to congratulate...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: Like my colleague before me, I welcome Senator Andrews back. I cannot wait to hear the stories about his ordeal. It is good to see him return safely. Following on from the budget, I want to acknowledge the €130 million in grants for older people for housing adaptations; the €140 million for the retrofitting of social homes; the €558 million in funding for residential...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I mention a particular issue, namely, a report that was published earlier today which ranks Roscommon as the highest tallied scorer, making it statistically the safest place in Ireland to raise a family in 2025. Leitrim, Mayo, Sligo, Donegal, Monaghan, Clare, Kilkenny, Longford and Galway all follow in the top ten. This is something that I have personally known about for years and something...

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements (14 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I propose to share time with Senator Noel O’Donovan.

Seanad: Budget 2026 (Enterprise, Tourism and Employment): Statements (14 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: The Minister stated, "Budget 2026 is a pro-enterprise budget that recognises the critical link between industrial development, infrastructure investment and job creation." In this volatile time, the focus was on protecting the 2.81 million jobs in our economy that we cannot take for granted. First and foremost, the reduction of the VAT rate from 13.5% to 9% has straight away saved and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó – Order of Business (15 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I, too, echo colleague's sentiments and unwavering support for the Tánaiste, Deputy Simon Harris. I also echo my colleagues who have called this out for what it is and pointed out the Tánaiste is upstanding and hard-working, and has delivered in every role he has ever taken on. Today is SUDEP Action Day - sudden unexpected deaths in epilepsy day. SUDEP is one of the most...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Curriculum Reform at Senior Cycle: Discussion (16 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I thank the witnesses for their words this morning. It is good to see some of them returning to the committee. They are welcome back. The reform is welcome, similar to the reform of the junior cycle and the primary sector earlier. This review has been in place since 2016 and has taken a substantial time. Do the witnesses feel that they have built a sufficiently dynamic structure that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Curriculum Reform at Senior Cycle: Discussion (16 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: Will the council keep the committee updated on this process and how it is going?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Youth: Curriculum Reform at Senior Cycle: Discussion (16 Oct 2025)

Gareth Scahill: I had a different question but I am going to jump to this one because of who is here. We discussed additional time for students with dyslexia and dyspraxia last week. Has work already taken place to take into consideration students requiring reasonable accommodation for the additional assessment components, AAC?