Results 41-60 of 619 for speaker:John Connolly

Financial Resolutions 2025 - Financial Resolution No. 5: General (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I welcome the emphasis in the budget on capital investment in infrastructure and housing. There is a full allocation of €19.1 billion for infrastructure in budget 2026, which is an increase of more than €2 billion on the 2025 figure. I very much welcome this. When we have such quantities of money to spend, it is important that we do not allow it to become bogged down in red...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I want to pick up on Senator Ryan's question. Mr. Friel said that timetables and support were designed for full-time degrees students. How is that presenting itself through the apprenticeships? What does that mean in practice for their week in college?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: It would be terrible to think that the administrations of the institutions are saying that they will put the apprenticeships on Friday evenings between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. That would be disappointing. I am glad that is clarified. I gather that the Six Counties completed their own, but how many institutions in the Twenty-six Counties offer degree apprenticeships? Is that known?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Am I wrong to assume that all the technological universities do?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Do what might be called the traditional universities offer them?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Do the traditional universities start apprenticeship programmes for the craft trades that would be needed to administer a university, such as electricians, plumbers and painters?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: On that point, do they actually employ young craft apprentices in the crafts that would be required to run any major building? Are the universities engaged in employing apprentice plumbers and electricians?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Yes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Senator Ryan touched on this. In his statement, Mr. Friel quoted a student saying they learned a lot but also burned out. Have the witnesses conducted formal research into the apprentices as they have concluded their programmes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: The most concerning theme of Mr. Friel's contribution included phrases such as "recognition gaps where apprenticeships are still too often seen as second-class" and "social stigma hold them back". How is that presenting? What are real examples of how that happens?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: In this day and age, I would imagine that most places should have overcome that type of social stigma.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I have one further question on the lack of diversity among people participating in apprenticeship programmes. We heard previously that less than 10% of apprenticeships are female. Does the social stigma that Mr. Friel referred to compound the willingness of some of the minority groups to participate in apprenticeship programmes?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Apprenticeships: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I thank Mr. Friel.

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Business of Joint Committee (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I share the sentiments of the other members. I think in particular of the Connors family, the Lynch family and the family of Tara Gilbert. I read an article last week in the paper in which Ben Lynch discussed the continued pain from this tragedy and the increased sense of pain he feels as the tenth anniversary approaches. I share the sentiment of everyone that while we should not need...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I thank the witnesses for coming in. It was proposed last week that they would come. It was a quick response, if that was the case. I am not sure if a meeting had been planned. It is welcome that they are here and I thank them. My first question relates to the education and welfare service. I am not sure if any of the witnesses are working directly in that area. There is a startling...

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Regarding the small number coming through the system providing foster care, is there a particular challenge around locating care in emergencies?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: In the agency. HIQA might suggest that there is a higher proportion of Traveller children in the care setting. Is there a particular challenge in finding emergency care?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: Is that 100 per month?

Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community: Child Protection and Family Support: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Oct 2025)

John Connolly: I will slightly change the topic, if the Chair does not mind. One of the anecdotal experiences I have is that the first experience of the education system for Traveller children is the mainstream primary school. They often do not engage in preschool or childcare services prior to that. Is Tusla making specific efforts to try to promote this? Traveller families participate in the ECCE and...