Results 21-40 of 2,763 for speaker:Marian Harkin

Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: We are taking action, as already outlined-----

Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: -----and we are progressing the occupied territories Bill. Just because we raise issues with the legislation here this evening-----

Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: -----does not mean we do not care; we do. We are acting in every way we can.

Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: We believe that this legislation, however well intentioned, will not achieve its objective. That is what matters. People have talked about fine words.

Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: Fine words from any side of the House do not work. What works is legislation that is effective.

Restrictive Financial Measures (State of Israel) Bill 2025: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank all the Deputies who contributed to the debate this evening with compassion and empathy. That is shared by Deputies on all sides of this House. All of us are appalled and horrified by what is happening in Gaza. I address the Dáil, fully aware of the deep sensitivity surrounding the plight of the Palestinian people. I strongly and utterly condemn the continuing Israeli...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Senator Costello for raising this issue. I will be answering on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy Carroll MacNeill. The State acknowledges the importance of faster access to new medicines for patients. The HSE has statutory responsibility for medicine pricing and reimbursement decisions, under the Health (Pricing and Supply of Medical Goods) Act 2013. Reimbursement is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Medicinal Products (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I am pleased to hear the Senator welcomes the 34 new staff who have been put in place and the efforts made to enhance and improve the pricing and reimbursement system, including the significant additional staffing to which we have referred. To fully benefit patients, the pharmaceutical industry must also play its part. Ireland is open for business and encourages timely applications for...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Assisted Human Reproduction (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Senator for raising this very sensitive matter and for giving me, on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, the opportunity to inform the House of the up-to-date position on the provision of publicly funded fertility services. The Senator and I will both appreciate the fact the Minister cannot comment on individual cases. As part of the final phase of the roll-out of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Assisted Human Reproduction (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Senator. As I said, there are potentially highly sensitive and complex factors which arise here and these would need to be fully teased out, resolved and a firm decision agreed upon before it is decided whether, notwithstanding what is permitted in the relevant legislation, the State should fund this very distinct form of AHR treatment. However, I want to reassure the Senator...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Senator O’Loughlin for this opportunity to address the House today on behalf of the Minister for Health regarding the provision of community midwifery services in Athy by the maternity unit at Midlands Regional Hospital Portlaoise. I endorse what the Senator said about Kfm. I had the privilege of representing Kildare in the European Parliament for five years. I am well aware...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Health Services (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Senator. To finish the reply, Midland Regional Hospital Portlaoise is funded for 76.5 whole-time equivalent midwives, which falls comfortably within the recommended staffing levels for the number of births at the unit. In response to challenges with vacancies in permanent midwifery positions nationwide, a national midwifery task force was established in October 2023. It is...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I would like to thank Deputy O’Connell for raising this important question and for the opportunity to update her on the work my Department is doing on delivering the Careers in Construction Action Plan. Launched in 2023, this Plan is a key priority of my Department as it sets out strategic actions to promote inclusive, attractive, and sustainable careers in construction. In the...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: My Department commissioned research in the first quarter of this year, the objective of which is to support the development of an integrated, cohesive and coherent national framework for meeting priority construction workforce needs. This is to be achieved through a holistic review of priority construction and infrastructure workforce and skills requirements to support Government targets in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I want to thank Deputy O’Connell for her question and for her interest in the Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) Action Plan. The Action Plan was developed in consultation with industry, training providers, Departments and agencies. It aims to upskill current and future workers and ensure the construction sector is future-ready so that Ireland can meet its national targets in...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I would like to thank you for your interest in the work my Department is undertaking to advance Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) skills. Greater adoption of MMC, an umbrella term for a range of innovative construction processes, is a key pillar of the Government’s approach to increasing innovation and achieving productivity gains in the delivery of housing and infrastructure. ...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Construction Industry (27 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I would like to thank Deputy O’Connell for her question and her interest in the Careers in Construction Action Plan, which is a key priority for my Department. The Department chairs the Careers in Construction Working Group, which brings together key stakeholders from across Government, the tertiary education system, industry, and professional bodies. This group plays a central role...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Construction Industry (22 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy for raising this important question. My Department is actively progressing measures to expand training capacity in modern methods of construction, MMC, nationwide. We have quantified that using MMC could lead to a reduction of almost 10,000 in the number of additional workers required to meet domestic building and retrofitting targets to 2030, which is highly significant....

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (22 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: As background to the strategy, its implementation resulted in significant progress between 2014 and 2019 in the development of the FET sector within the overall education landscape. Of course, we are now looking to the future. The second strategy from 2020-24 set out the role of FET in a more collaborative and cohesive tertiary education system for Ireland. Now, we are looking at the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Further and Higher Education (22 May 2025)

Marian Harkin: It is very good news that Galway was one of two colleges given approval to proceed to the next step under the FET college of the future major projects fund. A total of 12 colleges have been earmarked and eight of them are progressing now. The Minister announced earlier this week that Galway was one of those eight colleges. Of course, the other four are on stream. Returning to the...