Results 661-680 of 6,137 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Payments (5 Mar 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 440. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection what the average wait time for an additional needs payment application is; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10206/24]

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Sentencing Policy (5 Mar 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 506. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide details of correspondence or reports she has received from the Judicial Council regarding its responsibility for sentencing guidelines within the past two years. [10834/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Apprenticeship Programmes (5 Mar 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 808. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills whether any consideration has been given to supports to people transitioning from full-time jobs, who may have costs such as mortgages, to allow them to take up apprenticeships, but are concerned they could not meet their financial obligations. [10835/24]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Youth Services (29 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 115. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he and his Department have mapped the existence of youth-focused community projects and staff across the state; if he is aware of gaps in coverage or large and populous areas without or with inadequately resourced projects and how do they intend to resolve this. [4038/24]

Social Welfare and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: From the Seanad (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: We will support the amendments and we welcome the changes that were proposed in the Seanad. They are very welcome and people appreciated the announcement in the budget. That said, we need to look to the coming budget in respect of the child benefit rate, which has not increased in recent years and is still substantially below where it was pre recession. That needs to viewed in the context...

Protection of Employees (Trade Union Subscriptions) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I echo what Deputy Gould has said about the Microsoft workers and I urge dialogue there to ensure that those jobs can be protected to the greatest extent possible. When the Government approaches Private Members' Bills and motions, it is sometimes right and sometimes wrong. Sometimes it can be frustrating, sometimes it is outrageous and sometimes it is just plain silly. This is a bit...

Protection of Employees (Trade Union Subscriptions) Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: When I was 16 and started working in Roches Stores, all I had to do to join Mandate was to tick a box. I never thought any more about it. It was as simple as that. I ticked a box and that was the end of it. Union subscriptions were deducted and I thought no more about it. That is the way it is with good employers. That is the way it is with many employers. Regarding the cases we are...

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 85. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection for an update on the discussions between her Department and the Irish Dental Council in relation to the treatment benefit scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9721/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the witnesses from Friends of the Earth and the Irish Cancer Society. They have really added to what I think has been an excellent set of sessions. A lot of the same themes have arisen and I will be as succinct as I can. The ICS has made very logical and coherent recommendations and it would be hard to argue with them. Regarding the recommendation about the SEAI, obviously it is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank Ms O'Connor. I must apologise as I need to leave early but I will be back.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will try to ask all of my questions at once. They are more for the Department of housing than for the Department of Social Protection. I have a brief question for the Department of Social Protection to flag two issues. I can be critical of the Department, so it is good to give credit where it is due and I take this opportunity to do that. We had the Irish Cancer Society before us earlier...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Just to supplement that, Ms Stapleton mentioned meeting the cost of inflation. Construction inflation has risen way above other inflation, especially the cost of timber. Has the Department taken into account increased construction inflation in particular?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I do not. Perhaps the information on the pilot in Fingal could be forwarded to the committee. I would be very interested in that whenever it is completed. It would be very interesting.

Mental Health (Amendment) Bill 2023: Second Stage [Private Members] (27 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Government's response is a nonsense. A programme for Government commitment remains unacted upon. We are expected to simply wait because the Government is promising an all-singing, all-dancing Bill, and it promises us that it will be better than what we have, but nobody has seen it. I do not think that is good enough and it is no reason to not support this legislation. We could work...

Recent Arson Attacks: Statements (27 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: So many things could be said. As I considered where to begin, I clarified my thinking and thought there is only one place to begin and that is that arson is wrong. Arson is wrong, criminal damage is wrong, attacks on property are wrong and potentially putting people at risk of serious injury and death is wrong. There is no excuse for it and no justification. It is clearly becoming a...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (27 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 599. To ask the Minister for Health whether the recent decision in the parity claim of medical scientists with biochemists, which has put both categories on the same payscales from January 2024, will also apply to recent retiree medical scientists; and whether their pensions will also be brought to parity, particularly given the attempts to secure parity have been ongoing since 2002. [9212/24]

Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2024: Second Stage (21 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Aontaím leis an méid atá ráite ag an Teachta Cullinane. Tá go leor sa Bhille seo a dhéanann ciall agus go leor a bhí á éileamh ag Sinn Féin ar feadh tamaill mhaith. Déanfaidh an Bille cinnte de go mbeidh sé de chumas ar go leor poitigéirí thar timpeall na tíre, a bhfuil fonn orthu níos mó a dhéanamh...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Building Projects (21 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I do not believe what is set out in the Minister of State's reply. I know it is not his fault. I was offered the choice to postpone this matter or allow him to take it this morning. Conscious of the urgency of the situation, I asked that it be taken today. The Department officials who drafted the reply either did not look into the issue properly or they decided to be too clever by half. ...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Building Projects (21 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Owenabue Educate Together National School was set up in 2020. It has faced a number of challenges during its short existence. A building that was earmarked for it at one stage was subsequently given to Carrigaline Community Special School. This was no fault of Carrigaline Community Special School, which is an excellent school. However, what happened made the long- and medium-term planning...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (21 Feb 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Go raibh míle maith agaibh go léir. This is really fascinating stuff. I will be as efficient as possible. I have three questions for EnergyCloud and one for Irish Rural Link. First, I had heard a little about what EnergyCloud does in advance of this meeting and from reading about it. It is really impressive and quite ingenious and creative and the scale of the increase, the fact...