Results 2,121-2,140 of 6,188 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Regulation of Providers of Building Works Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (26 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This Bill is long overdue. It has been proposed and discussed for decades, and was most recently brought back to the table by the former Minister, Phil Hogan, in 2014. There has been a register of a voluntary nature since 2014. I am not making a criticism of the construction industry in and of itself, but the phrase "self-regulation is no regulation" has come up in any number of Dáil...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (26 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 189. To ask the Minister for Health if consideration has been given to including treatments for hyperemesis gravidarum on the drugs payment scheme and medical card; and if he will consider including these treatments for those who qualify for a medical card or under the drugs payment scheme. [3873/22]

Leaving Certificate: Motion (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I agree with the Minister in applauding the extraordinary work of so many school staff, particularly in the challenging period since Christmas. I do not agree with her on the amendment. As Deputy Carthy outlined, it effectively commits this House to nothing at all. Therefore, we will be pressing our motion. I am not sure if the people who do not have a child in school or are not in...

Leaving Certificate: Motion (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I move: That Dáil Éireann: notes that: — Leaving Certificate students faced significant disruption to their learning when school buildings were closed between January and March 2021, particularly those without access to electronic devices or a stable internet connection; — many Leaving Certificate students have had lengthy periods of self-isolation, as they...

Education (Inspection of Individual Education Plans for Children with Special Needs) Bill 2021: First Stage (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: As the Taoiseach knows, the EPSEN Act came into law in July 2004. He was the Minister at the time. With its signing into law came great hope for children with special educational needs and their families. It contained many useful provisions but the reality is that in 2022 we are still waiting for the Act to be fully implemented. Children born in 2004 will turn 18 this year. Some of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the witnesses for joining us. My first question is brief. I apologise if this was covered in the previous meeting. I was not present. There was a bad storm that day. The NCCA review started in 2018 or so. I understand that that report has been with the Department since last summer. Maybe this ground was covered the last day. When does the Department expect to publish that?...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There is only so much that Mr. Tattan can say to me because it has not been published. Some stakeholders have expressed surprise that it has not been published at this stage. Mr. Tattan will have a sense of what is in it. All according to the Department's plan, even if he cannot say what is in the document at this point, when is it realistic to expect that changes would be made to the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There was a series of themes throughout the hearings. I am sure the witnesses have been following them. They have been very thought-provoking and there have been a lot of very interesting contributions. I agree with the points made by previous speakers about apprenticeships. We need to give those a very significant lift, increase the number of people going into apprenticeships and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There is a balance to be struck there. Related to this is that continuous assessment comes up a lot. Teachers and school staff raise a legitimate concern about this, which is worthy of consideration. In the Irish education system, the teacher and school staff occupy the role of an advocate for the student. It is a different dynamic to further and higher education in that, until this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Leaving Certificate Reform: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The following questions is subject-specific. A lot of concerns have been raised on the T1 and T2 Irish language proposals. It seems quite apparent that there is a problem in creating a subject that carries equal weighting and is more challenging without providing any real incentive. On a theoretical basis I have no objection to having a more challenging course for native speakers and...

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Housing Policy (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 125. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government his plans to put in place cost rental and cost purchase housing or affordable housing models. [3344/22]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Energy Conservation (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 133. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when he expects to be in a position to issue a new call for proposals and applications for retrofitting projects from local authorities. [3343/22]

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Aviation Industry (25 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 221. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport his plans to provide public service obligation funding for flights between Cork and Belfast; if this is on target to be delivered in 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3492/22]

Birth Information and Tracing Bill 2022: Second Stage (Resumed) (20 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Listening to the contributions on this legislation, I think there is a sense of sombreness but maybe a sense of weightiness too. I think everyone is taking the Bill very seriously. I do not believe it is being treated in a partisan way. I think people understand the weight of what is involved here. It is also worth acknowledging that this is an advance on previous iterations of this...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (20 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Leaving certificate students and their families are eagerly awaiting this afternoon's meeting. What they want is certainty; they want to have a decision today. They do not want this to drift further. We all can remember our leaving certificate examinations. The examination is stressful and difficult in any year, but we did not have to contend with over two months of school closures, self...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: State Examinations (19 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: We all anticipated that the Minister's response would kick this question into tomorrow's meeting. I understand how things work. What I did not anticipate was that her response so far does not even contemplate giving students the choice, even though the Government has stated it is open to that. I am hoping the Minister will say in her next reply that she is open to that. I urge her to take...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: State Examinations (19 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I first want to echo Deputy O’Sullivan’s points in the previous debate. There is a very serious issue in relation to the allocation of special educational classes in Cork city and suburbs. I give specific mention to the issue of post-primary in Ballincollig. Much has been made of the fact that this is not the same situation as last year. Of course, that is true, it is not...

Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Departmental Data (19 Jan 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 44. To ask the Taoiseach the estimated population of the Carrigaline local electoral area. [62621/21]