Results 3,901-3,920 of 16,746 for speaker:Dara Calleary

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Schools Building Projects (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: There have been considerable changes to the design and plan of the school. The Department is aware of the current condition of the buildings at Scoil Chiaráin. It is committed to progressing the major school building project and to assist the school to maintain its existing accommodation pending the delivery. As I said, the Department is currently reviewing all its building projects...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Go raibh maith agat. Gabhaim buíochas arís le gach Teachta as scéal Scoil Eoin a ardú inniu. On behalf of the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, I will outline how the Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, continue to support children with special educational needs around the country and I will deal especially with the issues raised. It...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Yes.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I can assure all the Deputies that the Minister has recently secured significant extra capital funding for the Department. She fought very hard to secure it. The board of management's report will be assessed. Extensive demolition proposals were examined in the original review. The new engineer's conditional report will be assessed. The Minister has committed to Deputy O'Sullivan that she...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Referral to Select Committee (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs and Defence pursuant to Standing Orders 95 and 181.

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Thar ceann an Tánaiste, gabhaim buíochas le gach Teachta a ghlac páirt sa díospóireacht seo. Gabhaim buíochas as the constructive contributions, comments and inputs. The Tánaiste was very clear in his opening statement that this is the first of two substantial defence Bills. To address the point made by Deputy Howlin and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle, the...

Defence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Second Stage (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: Níl siad ar a dturas teanga.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senator Ward for raising this issue, which I am taking on behalf of the team in the Department of Health, who are dealing with Question Time in the Dáil at the moment. I agree with the Senator that newborn infants are some of the most vulnerable patients within our health system. For any parent, having a child who is unwell and requires medical care is devastating,...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I would point out that funding was put in place for 2023 to start establishing the teams. So the Minister and the Department of Health have put the funding in place. It is now a matter for the HSE and CHI. They have the funding. There should not be anything stopping them from putting those teams in place. I agree that this should be done now. The teams should be in place before the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I would like to thank Senator Conway for raising this matter. The Government remains fully committed to improving services in Ennis and the mid-west region. The Minister for Health has engaged extensively with the University of Limerick Hospitals Group and the HSE. He has announced a series of measures to increase capacity and improve services across the region, including over the last 48...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Hospital Services (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I echo the Senator's comments and tributes to the staff and management at Ennis Hospital. As Senators can see from my opening remarks, we have made significant capital and personnel investment in Ennis Hospital over the past number of years. I have no doubt that the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, will continue with his commitment to the hospital.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Child Protection (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senator Hoey for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy Roderic O'Gorman. This House has previously been informed that St. John's Ambulance Ireland is an independent organisation. It does not receive funding from Tusla or the Government. As a result, there was no external process by which a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Child Protection (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I do not have that information to hand. Rather than giving the Senator misinformation or wrong information, I will ask the Minister to revert to her directly with a response to those questions.

Seanad: Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Senator for his amendment. I genuinely appreciate its rationale. However, as the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, said to the Senator's colleague, Deputy O'Reilly, during the Bill's passage through the Dáil, we do not accept this amendment. It appears to require the employer or responsible person to initiate consultations with a European Works Council, where...

Seanad: Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I cannot accept this amendment. With regard to the proposed new section 621A, section 608 of the Companies Act 2014 already provides that where it can be established that the effect of a transfer of assets has been to defraud creditors of the company or its members, a court can order the return of those assets that have been improperly transferred. This would apply in some of the...

Seanad: Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank Senators Sherlock and Gavan. I acknowledge the very important role of trade unions. The Government has really put trade unions at the heart of government and has been very involved in social partnership. We have initiated a series of changes to strengthen worker protections and rights since we entered office. These are being rolled out. The plan of action on collective...

Seanad: Employment (Collective Redundancies and Miscellaneous Provisions) and Companies (Amendment) Bill 2023: Committee and Remaining Stages (2 May 2024)

Dara Calleary: I thank the Senators for their engagement this morning, which was quick for quality. In particular, I would like to thank all the officials in our own Department. They have worked very hard on this Bill, along with members Company Law Review Group and our social partners in ICTU, who fed into this. We already have robust legislative protections and safeguards in place for workers under...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: Artificial Intelligence (30 Apr 2024)

Dara Calleary: To support the implementation of the National AI Strategy, an AI Advisory Council has been established. The Council’s role is to provide independent expert advice to Government on artificial intelligence policy, with a specific focus on building public trust and promoting the development of trustworthy, person-centred AI. Its first role is providing expert guidance, insights, and...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (24 Apr 2024)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 46, 47 and 48 together. Ireland has consistently been supportive of the objectives of the proposed Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD). I have been seeking to ensure that the proposal has ambition while striking the right balance of providing effective protections for stakeholders and ensuring that the measures to be implemented by...

Written Answers — Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment: EU Directives (24 Apr 2024)

Dara Calleary: I propose to take Questions Nos. 49, 50, 51 and 52 together. Ireland has consistently been supportive of the objectives of the proposed Directive on Corporate Sustainability Due Diligence (CSDD). I have been seeking to ensure that the proposal has ambition while striking the right balance of providing effective protections for stakeholders and ensuring that the measures to be implemented by...