Results 21-40 of 5,325 for speaker:Joe O'Reilly

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: Yes. It will be interesting to see how they go. I would appreciate it if the committee could be kept reasonably abreast of how the scheme is working.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: Colleagues have touched on the next issue and obviously as the day goes on there can be an element of repetition. The whole idea of the work employment scheme is so exciting and important. One would not have to be a rocket scientist or a great sociologist to observe that among the greatest problems among the Traveller community is unemployment and the lack of positive ways to reach personal...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: That is brilliant, and why not? It should be the case. That is exciting. As has been said, it would be great if we were kept abreast of how that is going too. Is there a strategy to capture the middle-aged man or woman who has not done anything but is in good enough physical shape? It could be work of a physical nature. Is there a strategy to ensure there is work to capture everyone?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: So there will be a positive initiative there. I imagine that a number of Travellers could work as carers both within the Traveller community and elsewhere. There could be potential in that regard as there is a shortage of carers. All of the practising politicians in the room will say that the big problem is that one cannot get carers at the moment.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: Travellers have a trading tradition.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: One can build on that. It is great that the initiative is broad and wide, and that it is happening at clerical officer level too. That is very encouraging. The people watching us talking here will be very heartened to hear that. Travellers are on the consultative forums and NTRIS, which is important. I ask Ms Baxter to expand on that in terms of numbers and how NTRIS will work.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: That is great news. That is excellent. I thank Ms Baxter for that and for the other information. I take her point that you need action rather than further talking shops. That point is well made. I have two quick little questions. The witnesses have said the Department does a biannual report. Would it not be better for that to be annual or even more often so that we, the taxpayers of...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: Every year, people, including this committee, will be able to see where it is going.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: There is an element in which it is pioneering. There is an element of breaking new ground.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: It is good. The last thing I will raise is something my colleague is very strong on and brings up all the time. I refer to the question of heritage. On the heritage strategy, am I correct that it was said there will be a heritage week or that there is a heritage event coming up soon? Senator Noonan is very strong on the heritage and speaks about it a lot. He has dealt with it well....

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: There will be nothing equivalent to Culture Night. I am thinking about a week dedicated to celebrating that heritage with a number of events or whatever.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Implementation of National Traveller and Roma Inclusion Strategy II and Action Plan 2024-2026: Department of Children, Disability and Equality (18 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: I am talking about something like the Culture Night concept. Something along those lines might be good. It is a very important element. I am a former teacher so I think education is central. However, the employment thing is huge. If this strategy achieved that and broke that glass ceiling, it would be extraordinary.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Insurance Matters: Engagement with the Alliance for Insurance Reform (17 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: I welcome the witnesses. I have come across a case or two lately of shopkeepers who had claims made against them, and the insurance companies settled the claims for “economic reasons”, which was the phrase they used. They settled them at low money, or reasonable money. My point is that the insurance companies did not challenge the case at all. Is that a general thing? If...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Insurance Matters: Engagement with the Alliance for Insurance Reform (17 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: I have some other questions. Quickly, could this be rectified? What could the Government do to deal with it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Insurance Matters: Engagement with the Alliance for Insurance Reform (17 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank Mr. Jennings for that. We will keep an eye on it in the Seanad. I know Deputy Timmins raised this but can the witnesses delineate fairly quickly the specific obstacles to more companies coming into the market and more competition?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Insurance Matters: Engagement with the Alliance for Insurance Reform (17 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: I thank Mr. Hanley for that. We should do something about that. The 17% premium increase and the 13% profit increases relative to 5% internationally were well referenced earlier. There are a number of elements creating those increases, but is there specific consumer law that could deal with that? Has the Alliance for Insurance Reform researched potential laws that could be used there?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Insurance Matters: Engagement with the Alliance for Insurance Reform (17 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: None of the existing laws, but there is potential in the defamation law. That is all.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Insurance Matters: Engagement with the Alliance for Insurance Reform (17 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: They are not doing that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Insurance Matters: Engagement with the Alliance for Insurance Reform (17 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: If they are going up 17% at a time of 13% profit-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure, Public Service Reform and Digitalisation, and Taoiseach: Insurance Matters: Engagement with the Alliance for Insurance Reform (17 Sep 2025)

Joe O'Reilly: Turning to my next question, Mr. Hanley will forgive me because I was up to speed with this many years ago in a role I played but I am not in that role now. If, to simplify it, I have a claim against my local shopkeeper because I fell on the floor of my local shop, why does that not automatically go the resolution board?