Results 41-60 of 139 for speaker:Laura Harmon

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Children and Young People: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the witnesses for being here today. It is really good to get such a cross-section of views. I thank them all for their statements. Listening to the witnesses today, I was struck by the benefits of AI but obviously the risks as well. The key things I am hearing are concerns around data protection, child abuse and child sexual abuse and the need for legislation to keep children...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Artificial Intelligence and Children and Young People: Discussion (23 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: Great. I thank Ms Lynch. I have a follow-up question for Mr. Murray from the National Youth Council. I was very struck by the figure of one in three young people seeking out companionship and emotional support through AI and chatbots. Why does he think that is? Are they turning to this due to a lack of support in general, including face-to-face support? Is it a problem in society or is...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire Stáit agus a fhoireann anseo. I wish the Minister of State well in his work in his brief. It was welcome to see the publication of the new disability strategy last week, which I attended. I hope it will be implemented in full and there will be consultation throughout with disability organisations and DPOs. On recruitment of therapists, a new piece...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Cathaoirleach. The conditions that the Irish Association for Speech and Language Therapists are concerned about include workloads, that therapists are leaving the country or moving into private practice. Of course, that will have a direct impact. We mentioned recruitment and college places earlier. How serious is this? Are we at risk of losing them to private practice and...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State. I might just ask one more question.

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: In relation to universal design, will the Minister of State outline plans for new schools and classrooms that will be built in the future and if there will be training provision for teachers?

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State. I have a number of questions. Are there particular international best practices we should be looking at? Are there countries we should be looking towards? Earlier, I mentioned assessment of need waiting times. It was above 15,000 during the summer. That is projected to rise to 25,000 by the end of the year. How does this impact forecasting in terms of the...

Committee on Disability Matters: Inclusive Education for People with Disabilities: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: Will the Minister of State comment on the assessment of needs list in relation to forecasting? How does that impact?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Student Accommodation: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome everyone. It is great to see AMLÉ here today and representatives from the students' unions from all across the country. My Wi-Fi is down so my notes are not in front of me but I know the issue quite well. Over ten years ago, I was president of the Union of Students in Ireland, which is now known as AMLÉ. Student accommodation was in crisis then and is in even more of a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Student Accommodation: Discussion (17 Sep 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank Mr. O’Mahony. I might direct a question to Mr. Alex Angland from UCC students’ union. On the issue of student poverty, what does he think needs to be done in terms of affordability, not just for accommodation but in general?

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Fees (17 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister of State. I would like clarity on the issue of student fees and supports. I was president of the national students' union, USI, ten years ago. Student fees, the cost of living, student housing and access to education were all issues then and are more prominent now than ever. It needs to be a priority for this Government. It is dismaying and alarming that the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Fees (17 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State for the response. First, I note the positive indications regarding the student grant and the Government seeking to improve that and improve those supports. That has to be noted. However, it is an extremely disappointing and disrespectful answer to students and their families that this Government cannot give clarity to students on what the fee is going to be...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: As we approach the all-Ireland finals I take this opportunity to wish the Cork hurlers well on Sunday. It is deeply saddening we have a group of 33 young GAA players and 14 mentors from Palestine trying to come to Ireland to play and participate in hurling in this country but they are being denied visas. The Minister for justice needs to give an explanation to the House on this. We need to...

Seanad: Draft Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I acknowledge Mark Ryan and his brother David, who was in the Dáil Gallery yesterday, for their tremendous work in this regard. This commission is welcome but it certainly is not before its time. Irish society and the State need to reckon with our painful and shameful history of violence and sexual violence against children in our schools. This needs to inform our future as a nation....

Seanad: Draft Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: To clarify, the Cathaoirleach used his discretion earlier, as I was covering the Chair, to give the earlier slot to the Cross-Party Group. I used my four minutes so it now Senator Stephenson's turn to speak. She has six minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Student Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the officials for being here today. I apologise for being late. I was at another engagement. It is an important and timely discussion on student accommodation. This has been an ongoing issue for students for over a decade. I was the president of the Union of Students in Ireland ten years ago. This was a big issue then and it is more of an issue now with the wider housing crisis...

Seanad: Pregnancy Loss (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Second Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I fully support this Pregnancy Loss (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025. I commend Senator Nicole Ryan on bringing forward this extremely well thought-out, researched, detailed, compassionate, caring and health-focused Bill to the House today. I thank the Sinn Féin Senators for bringing forward this Bill. I have been struck by this debate. I was not actually going to speak but it...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Second Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the visitors in the Gallery, including one of my best friends, Patrick Dempsey, and his sisters, Tiffany and Gabrielle. On this Bill, I welcome the Minister. It is good to have this engagement. The social welfare system, as it stands, is failing couples who are not married or whose marriages have not been formalised. The Department of Social Protection is inconsistent in...