Results 621-640 of 5,821 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: Institutional Burials Act 2022 (Director of Authorised Intervention, Tuam) Order 2022: Motion (21 Sep 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister for being here. I thank the Minister most sincerely for all of the work that he has done in relation to this matter. As the Minister has said the situation uncovered in Tuam is absolutely horrifying. It has shocked people right across the world. The Minister is right when he says that it is a stain on our national conscience. In the past the Minister has said that he...

Seanad: School Transport: Motion (21 Sep 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Minister is very welcome. We had a long debate on school transport this morning at the meeting of the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. We certainly appreciate the Minister giving of her time to debate this very important issue, which is relevant and important to so many families, students and communities right across the...

Seanad: School Transport: Motion (21 Sep 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Minister has two minutes to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Transport Issues: Engagement with Minister for Education (21 Sep 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Thank you, Chair. I would like to welcome the Minister. I will ask my questions together, so I will not need to come back in. I really appreciate the good intent behind the 5 July announcement. As a cost-of-living measure, it has certainly had a huge impact on many families, in that there are 124,000 students availing of it. Many families have had savings of up to €500, which is...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (15 Sep 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this matter, which is important in the Newbridge and Kildare area. I have used time here over the past two years and, prior to that, as a Member in the Dáil to raise the urgent issue of school accommodation for secondary school students in Kildare South and, in particular, in Newbridge and Kildare. I appreciate the opportunity to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: School Accommodation (15 Sep 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for her response. I appreciate that she will raise the matter directly with the Minister, Deputy Foley. I have raised it directly with her myself, and with staff in her office. Nevertheless, I am still hugely concerned. I understand that the long-term vision for the provision of additional school places is the relocation of Curragh Community College, where...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 Sep 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: As this is my first time to rise since the recess it would be remiss of me not to mention the biggest issue we face, not just as a country but globally, which is the cost of living. We acknowledge that the Government has very successfully led the country through Covid and that we have emerged in a stronger and more economically viable position than we thought we would have. A lot of this...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Education and the UNCRPD: Discussion (Resumed) (14 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I appreciate that the Minister is certainly trying to put inclusivity and inclusion at the heart of all that he does. He particularly mentioned in his speech affording everybody the opportunity to develop to their full potential. That is hugely important. As we all know, education can be transformative in terms of people’s lives, particularly for people with disability. I would...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: As this is the last Order of Business before the recess, on behalf of the Fianna Fáil group I extend our deep gratitude and thanks to all of the officials, to everybody in the Clerk's office and everybody who makes our workings go very smoothly, in particular when we have late nights and early mornings. I thank them for that, and I hope they all have a nice recess. I appreciate that...

Seanad: Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022: Committee Stage (13 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: As I had an opportunity to speak on this Bill on Second Stage, I will be very brief. As the Minister of State knows and has been fighting for, the amount of resources and funding going into special education is absolutely unprecedented. While the funding is there, it is the outcomes that are important in terms of the young people and, of course, their families. Life is very difficult for a...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Dental Services (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this matter. It is a most important issue in south Kildare and, indeed, right around the country. I thank the Minister of State for attending today's debate. I have been contacted frequently by people in south Kildare who are entitled to dental services under the terms of the medical card scheme, but who cannot avail of the services due to a lack of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Dental Services (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for her response and for her assurance that the HSE has stated that local services on the ground will assist in this regard. I will be contacting my local HSE office this afternoon and I will return with to the House with its response on this. I acknowledge that the Department has pledged a root and branch review of the dental treatment services and to align...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Senator. The Minister of State is very welcome to the Chamber. He has four minutes to respond.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State. For what it is worth, I completely agree with Senator Carrigy. Every single school should have a home school liaison teacher assigned. It is one of the best schemes that has ever been brought into Irish education at both primary and post-primary level. It really benefits the whole school community.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I formally welcome the boys and girls of Cortown National School to the Seanad. We always love to have the opportunity to welcome boys and girls from schools. It is so important that they have the opportunity to come to Leinster House and to see democracy in action. There you saw a perfect example of something that is happening in Meath. We all hope you have a nice day and that you return...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I ask the members of the Minister of State's family to wave.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I know there are two rugby players.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: They play with my niece, Freya O'Loughlin. We are getting very colloquial today.

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Educational Disadvantage (12 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I fully support the Senator. I have exactly the same issue with a school in Newbridge, Scoil Na Naomh Uilig. As I mentioned earlier in the context of another Commencement matter, every school should have a home-school liaison officer, along with all the other services that exist.

Seanad: Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022: Second Stage (11 Jul 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Minister of State is welcome to the House. Fianna Fáil is totally supportive of the work she is doing in this area and I certainly welcome the publication of the Bill. The relevant section was put into the original Bill at the suggestion of me and Deputy Thomas Byrne, who is now a Minister of State, when we served on the education committee in the previous Dáil. We felt it...