Results 1-20 of 3,809 for speaker:Pauline Tully

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

Pauline Tully: Many of our young people, who are skilled and highly qualified, are leaving our shores to work abroad. For those who do wish to return, we should make the transition back into society as easy as possible. I know a couple who spent two years in Australia, have returned home and are trying to switch their Australian driving licence back to an Irish driving licence.They have been told this...

Seanad: Higher Education: Motion (7 May 2025)

Pauline Tully: I welcome the Minister. I am delighted to have this opportunity to discuss a number of issues mentioned in this comprehensive motion, the first being apprenticeships. We know there is a huge need for apprenticeships, particularly in the construction sector. People tell me they cannot get a plumber for love nor money. Another woman told me her roof was damaged during Storm Éowyn and...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 May 2025)

Pauline Tully: We encourage people to shop around for their utility bills, insurance or whatever it might be, to get the best price. I have been in contact with someone recently who had issues with an energy utility company which I will not name and he claims he was given false information in order to sign a contract. He made a complaint to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities. This is where the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Apr 2025)

Pauline Tully: I refer to the publication during the recess of the Grace report. It is shocking that after eight years of an investigation no one has been held to account. Grace was a young girl, who became a young women, with complex and profound intellectual disabilities left in a foster home for 20 years without oversight of her care. Even when, in 1996, there were allegations of sexual abuse,...

Seanad: Forestry Sector: Statements (29 Apr 2025)

Pauline Tully: The percentage of land that is under afforestation in Ireland compared with the EU average has already been mentioned. Ireland is way below where it should be, at below 12% when the average is 39%. We know how important afforestation is as part of the solution to climate change and in addressing carbon emissions. The previous programme for Government set a target of 8,000 ha per year to be...

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

Pauline Tully: I have just come from the launch of a report by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on public perceptions of sexual violence. It is research that was carried out in recent months. Some of the indications are positive. People believe that sexual violence is extremely common and are very concerned about it. The report pointed out that 85% of men say they feel safe while only 48% of women do....

Seanad: Disability Services: Statements (8 Apr 2025)

Pauline Tully: I am sharing my time with Senators McCormack and Andrews.

Seanad: Disability Services: Statements (8 Apr 2025)

Pauline Tully: Statements on disabilities can focus on the negative experiences and the barriers faced by disabled people in their daily reality. I commend the many disabled people who are role models and ambassadors in our country. I pay particular tribute to our athletes who took part in the Paralympic Games last summer and the athletes who took part in the Special Olympics Winter Games last month. We...

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

Pauline Tully: Today is World Autism Awareness Day. I have just come from the launch of the Same Chance report 2025, prepared by AsIAm, and there are some startling statistics within the report. Of the people surveyed, 91% feel that being autistic is a barrier to being accepted in our society. More than 50% of them were diagnosed privately as there is still no public pathway to diagnosis for children or...

Seanad: Childcare: Statements (2 Apr 2025)

Pauline Tully: We will take six minutes and four minutes.

Seanad: Childcare: Statements (2 Apr 2025)

Pauline Tully: The Minister is welcome. Some of my points have already been raised but I will raise them again anyway. The first relates to capacity in the system, which is an ongoing problem, as we hear from parents and childcare providers. Many parents contact me because they cannot find somewhere to leave their newborn child when they need to go back to work. A childcare provider I talked to...

Seanad: Housing: Statements (2 Apr 2025)

Pauline Tully: No problem. I thank the Acting Chair. I want to focus initially on low-income earners because they frequently fall between two stools, as it is. I will give an example of what I mean by this. Recently I was contacted by a constituent. She, her husband and their four children have been living in a rental property for the past 11 to 12 years and paying a reasonable rent. Now, however, the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Pauline Tully: I join earlier speakers in extending good wishes to Jeremy Wilmshurst in his new role and thank him for how very helpful and pleasant he always was to deal with. I also wish George every success in his new role. Last week, when I raised the issue of the humanitarian assistance scheme, the Ceannaire indicated that the Minister for Social Protection would be invited to the Chamber to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Mar 2025)

Pauline Tully: I support what Senator Boyhan raised. I know all too well on the ground the number of people who have had home care hours approved but cannot get the carers to fulfil them. It is a significant problem in my county of Cavan and other counties around me. I wish to raise the continuing difficulties people face with the humanitarian assistance scheme following Storm Éowyn. People are...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Motion (26 Mar 2025)

Pauline Tully: I am sharing time with Senators McCormack and Ryan.

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Motion (26 Mar 2025)

Pauline Tully: I move: That Seanad Éireann: recognises: - the fundamental right of every child to access education; - the growing current and projected demand for special education placements; - the current shortage of special classes and appropriate school places, leaving children, particularly those with additional needs, without access to suitable education; - the trauma and absolute...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Motion (26 Mar 2025)

Pauline Tully: I thank the Minister of State and all the Members who spoke on the motion. I acknowledge Sarah and Darragh in the Gallery and hope an appropriate school placement for their son Freddie is identified without delay. Our population is increasing quite quickly. With that, the percentage of individuals with disabilities is increasing. In particular, the prevalence of autism is anticipated to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Transport (25 Mar 2025)

Pauline Tully: The Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, is welcome. Every autumn, when students are about to back to school, any of us who live in rural areas are inundated with contact from parents distressed over the fact that their child has not got a school bus ticket for the coming school year. They are only notified of this within maybe a week or two of returning to school. It mostly applies to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Transport (25 Mar 2025)

Pauline Tully: It makes sense, where possible, to integrate school bus services with public services. However, as the Minister of State said, that is not always possible. For example, where I live is very rural, as is where he lives. For environmental reasons, it is important to switch as many students as possible from using cars to using buses. It also gets young people into the habit of using bus...

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

Pauline Tully: I raise the issue of the condition of rural roads in County Cavan. The roads are basically disintegrating in front of our eyes. This is down to a lack of investment by Government in local authorities to provide increases in funding for local roads. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Cavan was known as the pothole capital of Ireland, so much so that four Cavan Road Action Group candidates...