Results 3,041-3,060 of 6,137 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Written Answers — Department of Health: Palliative Care Services (3 Nov 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 1230. To ask the Minister for Health the long-term Covid-19 plan for persons with disabilities in residential care facilities. [32724/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 1236. To ask the Minister for Health if additional investment has been made in the past six months on testing and tracing and on acute hospitals; and his plans for investment going forward. [32746/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Covid-19 Pandemic (3 Nov 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 1252. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to have school specific contact tracing teams; the detail of same; the way in which it will be delivered; when it is planned to roll this out; and the role they will carry out [32778/20]

Level 5 Response to Covid-19: Statements (23 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The atmosphere has changed in recent weeks and months and there is a rising concern about the incidence of the pandemic. It was clear there was a need for dedicated action, which is to be welcomed. We also welcome the fact that the Government eventually listened to the point made by Sinn Féin and others for weeks about the pandemic unemployment payment and wage subsidy scheme. We...

Health (Preservation and Protection and other Emergency Measures in the Public Interest Act) 2020 - Part 3: Motion (Resumed) (22 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: On a point of order, one of the main kinds of hand sanitisers used in schools is defective. Schools are not to use it. It has been recalled. I am not looking for a debate but the Minister for Education and Skills is here and it should be possible to give a brief explanation of what is going on. By the time we resume, schools will have reopened. They do not know what is defective about...

Residential Tenancies Bill 2020: Second Stage (22 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Constitution is regularly used as an excuse for not doing things. It has often been used for blocking interventions on housing. It was used to argue against any kind of rent measures, even the rent pressure zones that we eventually ended up with. It was used as an argument against a rent freeze. It was used as an argument against a ban on evictions such as the Focus Ireland amendment...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (22 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: About six weeks ago I submitted a document to the Minister for Education outlining the measures we believe are necessary to ensure that schools stay open in a safe and sustainable way, which we all agree is a priority. Unfortunately serious issues with the tracing regime have arisen. The tracing system was one of the priorities we identified. It has been described by one union leader as...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic (21 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 167. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if children who are home schooled can leave their county for educational purposes such as nature walks, educational trips and so on; and if specific guidance will be provided to the parents of home-schooled children. [31978/20]

Ministerial Power (Repeal) (Ban Co-Living and Build to Rent) Bill 2020: Second Stage [Private Members] (20 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Part of what this legislation does is to amend the Planning and Development Act 2000. It is worth asking why the planning laws were the way they were before the former Minister, Deputy Eoghan Murphy, changed them. Why were decisions taken on a local basis? They were taken on a local basis because local planners, councillors and authorities knew the communities which they were planning for...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Aviation Industry (15 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Much of the Minister's reply was not incorrect but it largely amounted to a statement of regret for the situation we are in and an acknowledgement that things are bad in aviation. It seemed as if the Minister was asking, "What can we do?". That is not good enough. An awful lot of jobs are relying on the industry. Entire regions look to these airports as crucial to their futures. ...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Aviation Industry (15 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Today's news came as a devastating blow, first, to the workers and their families, and I hope something can be done even now to salvage these jobs, and, second, to Cork Airport as a whole. There are over 10,000 people whose employment relies either directly or indirectly on it and I have been contacted by many of those people, including people working as baggage handlers, for shops and for...

Financial Resolutions 2020 - Financial Resolution No. 7: General (Resumed) (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will primarily speak about the education elements of this budget. The pandemic demonstrates that Irish schools are underfunded, understaffed and overcrowded. This has slowed the reopening of schools and it means that keeping schools open safely and sustainably is extremely challenging. It is a challenge that teachers, school staff and principals face every day. We have much more to do...

Other Questions: School Staff (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: This is an issue that is arising throughout the State with schools that are just narrowly missing out on the school census. These circumstances change. Some are related to Covid-19, like Glasheen school near me, where many of the parents may work in hospitals and universities, who may perhaps be international and who may not be there next year. Many such schools have lost out. They may be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 5. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills for details of the guidance for those at high risk; if schoolchildren who have medically vulnerable parents will be facilitated with remote learning; and if she will revise the Medmark process for high-risk school staff. [30314/20]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I read last week's guidance on remote learning. There were some issues with it, including the heavy reliance on special educational teachers. I was especially disappointed that the document continued to ignore any facilitation for children and staff who have high-risk parents at home and cannot attend school as a result. These parents have been asking for guidance for months. Some schools...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: When I raised this with the Minister previously many of these parents were anxious. Part of the difficulty here relates to how broad the high-risk category is. The very high-risk category is extreme and specific and obviously there are particular provisions for that category, but the high-risk category seems to take in everything from mild asthma to leukaemia. Many parents are highly...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Covid-19 Pandemic (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That brings me on to the latter part of my question relating to Medmark. There is increasing anxiety among school staff. I have raised with the Minister previously the fact that I believe there is a need for greater leadership and communication on the situation in schools. Schools may be relatively low-risk environments and children may be less likely to transmit the infection, but they...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It is welcome there is a very clear message but it is certainly my experience that special education teachers in particular feel the guidelines are not adequately clear and that the NCSE needs to be more assertive. Yesterday's budget included provision for 1,000 special needs assistants, which I welcome, and it follows similar measures in the previous years. However, the manner of the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 3. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the status of the development of clear guidelines on when and the manner in which children with special educational needs can integrate within mainstream classes during the school day and the way in which that will be managed. [30313/20]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (14 Oct 2020)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: An issue seems to be arising in schools across the State whereby families are being told either to choose between the unit and the mainstream if their children are in an autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit. I understand that this is not required or appropriate. It is happening in the absence of guidance. There is limited guidance provided, amounting to four lines in the roadmap. Will...