Results 41-60 of 73 for speaker:Laura Harmon

Seanad: Housing: Statements (2 Apr 2025)

Laura Harmon: It sends a shiver down the spine of people who are saving for a mortgage when they hear of the constant increase in home prices in this country. People are saving money to stand still, while there is no corresponding increase in savings interest in banks. Rents are rising, the cost of living and food has increased and prices are going up and up. The housing crisis is a ticking time bomb....

Seanad: Air Navigation and Transport (Arms Embargo) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Apr 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister. I support wholeheartedly this practical Bill. Section 2 is practical and will ensure we uphold our obligations under international human rights law. We are at a defining moment for our humanity and what it means to be human. Palestine is currently a mirror to the soul of the world. Somebody said that the revolution will not be televised; well, the genocide is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Apr 2025)

Laura Harmon: I propose an amendment to the Order of Business, that No. 9 be taken before No. 1. It relates to the Prohibition of Advertising or Importuning Sex for Rent Bill 2025. I will speak briefly to it. I hope we will have a debate on it in the House in future. It is a very straightforward Bill that is laser focused on the advertising of rental properties and prohibits and criminalises...

Seanad: Prohibition of Advertising or Importuning Sex for Rent Bill 2025: First Stage (1 Apr 2025)

Laura Harmon: I move: That leave be granted to introduce a Bill entitled An Act to prohibit certain acts in relation to soliciting or importuning sexual services in consideration of a reduced rent or in lieu of rent for the letting of a tenancy or other residential accommodation, and to provide for related matters.

Seanad: Prohibition of Advertising or Importuning Sex for Rent Bill 2025: First Stage (1 Apr 2025)

Laura Harmon: Next Tuesday.

Seanad: Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2022 (Section 4(2)) (Scheme Termination Date) Order 2025: Motion (27 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I will be brief. I support the extension of the ARP and the scheme. It is a success story for Ireland in terms of hosting and our response to this humanitarian crisis. Research from the Ukraine Civil Society Forum states that 86% of the hosts report that the ARP is important for them if they are to continue hosting. This finding would also suggest that more that 30,000 refugees could face...

Seanad: Special Education Provision: Motion (26 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister of State and look forward to engaging with him in his brief. It is safe to say this is one of the biggest access-to-education issues we are facing in this country. Approximately 100 children in Cork are still waiting to be offered a school place this September. I recently attended in Cork city a protest on this issue organised by Nicole Hosford. I actually bumped...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (25 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I raise the issue of young carers. Last week I attended a briefing on this issue organised by Deputy Mark Wall of the Labour Party. I was shocked to learn that, throughout Ireland, 67,000 young carers between the ages of ten and 17 care for family members. It was great to see that, last week, a motion on this issue was passed unanimously in the Dáil.I would welcome further discussion...

Seanad: Road Safety: Statements (25 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister of State to the Chamber. He has a great opportunity to improve road safety for all road users in Ireland as part of his brief. At the age of 38, I am learning to drive for the first time. I am in the middle of my driving lessons. It is terrifying when I hear about collisions on the South Link Road in Cork and the fatality rates, with 174 people killed on our roads...

Seanad: Health (Scoliosis Treatment Services) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (19 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister for Health to the House, especially after her recent travels, and thank her for representing Ireland so well at the UN Commission on the Status of Women recently. Many of the points have been made and I will not get into repetition. This is very indicative of what we are hearing about health in general. When we think of health and the health service in this country,...

Seanad: Seachtain na Gaeilge: Ráitis (6 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: Is as Baile Bhuirne mé ó dhúchas i gContae Chorcaí ach tá mé i mo chónaí i gcathair Chorcaí. Rinne mé mo bhunoideachas agus mo mheánoideachas trí Ghaeilge. Fós, caithfidh mé cleachtadh a dhéanamh. Tá mo Ghaeilge saghas meirgí. Tá mé an-bhródúil as m'áit dhúchais. Rugadh...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (5 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I want to raise the issue of student accommodation. I attended a briefing in the audiovisual room this morning by the University of Galway Students Union, which recently published a report to which 1,700 students at the university responded. The report contains some stark findings. It found that 78% of respondents had struggled to find accommodation, and one in 20 was living in temporary...

Seanad: The Diaspora: Statements (5 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I wish to share time with Senator Cosgrove.

Seanad: The Diaspora: Statements (5 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Richmond, and welcome him to the House. It is encouraging to hear his words about the diaspora and the plans for a new strategy in that regard. Our diaspora is a huge strength for Ireland. It is not just soft power; this is real power that we have, showing how well Ireland is regarded across the world. It is very important that we continue to support...

Seanad: International Women's Day - Women's Health: Statements (5 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister and congratulate her. It is clear she has hit the ground running in her brief. I wish her well. The first issue I wish to raise is that we will always need to have stand-alone discussions on women's health because it is a specific subject, just as we must also have stand-alone discussions on Traveller women's health or LGBTQ women's health. There are so many...

Seanad: Care, Supports and Enhanced Provision of Services for Older People: Motion (5 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: We are an ageing population, as has been mentioned. The population is projected to grow by 800,000 by 2040 with an extra half a million people over 65 by that point. I have been really struck in the community in Cork South Central by the older people I have met on the doors and some of their stories have stayed with me. One woman told me she has nothing to do, that everyone belonging to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (4 Mar 2025)

Laura Harmon: I want to raise the issue of gardaí in Cork city. It is alarming that the Garda Representative Association, GRA, said that there is a shortfall of 125 gardaí in Cork city and that this is affecting the health and safety of gardaí in the city because of the work they have to do and the extra work they have to pick up as a result. The official figures from Garda management...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Feb 2025)

Laura Harmon: I want to raise a concerning issue this morning in respect of Sunbeam House, a residential service for people with intellectual disabilities. We saw the reports about this. There were 482 safeguarding incidents reported to the HIQA chief inspector. They were found to have staffing and management issues and poor behavioural support for the residents who had been living there. I support the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Feb 2025)

Laura Harmon: I want to state my deep concern about over spending and wastage of public funds. We have seen printers that do not fit into rooms, great walls, spenny security huts and astronomical bike sheds. The phase "an embarrassment of riches" comes to mind with the emphasis on "embarrassment". When will this parody of public spending end? You could not make it up. Today, I want to zone in on...

Seanad: Response to Storm Éowyn: Statements (26 Feb 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Storm Éowyn was a particular type of storm in terms of wind. We have had other types of storms, particularly in recent years. This is becoming part of our daily life and of the calendar year. There is often a series of storms. With climate chaos, this is something we have to be prepared for. We are probably the last generation of humans...