Results 61-80 of 802 for at speaker:Mairead Farrell

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Military Aircraft (13 Feb 2024)

Mairead Farrell: 136. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade the reason a US Navy Hercules KC130T aircraft was allowed to land and refuel at Shannon Airport on two occasions recently (details supplied); the reason this aircraft was allowed to land and refuel at Shannon Airport in breach of international laws on neutrality; and if steps were taken to ensure that this aircraft was not transporting...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (13 Feb 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Chathaoirleach Gníomhach agus leis na finnéithe as teacht os comhair an choiste. It is no easy task to come before this committee. Members just ask the questions, but witnesses must answer them and I acknowledge that is not easy. I have met Ms Fitzpatrick and SSUNI, as well as the USI on this matter and it is an issue that my own party and I take...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (13 Feb 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I wish to ask both Ms Fitzpatrick and Mr. Irfan whether every school has a guidance councillor. Personally, in my school, although there was guidance counselling, in practice there was not really. That is not a reflection of my school; I went to a small school and it was not realistic to be able to spend time on this matter. Is that reflective of schools at the moment?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (13 Feb 2024)

Mairead Farrell: If the State, Government, universities, or whoever it may be, wished to feed into students, that could work though the social media platforms of the three organisations before the committee today, as they have a bigger reach among the age group we wish to target. I believe that is something we could put forward. As for the timing of university places being announced, it is a massive issue...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (13 Feb 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Around the social media aspect of this issue, a website is a good idea but do the witnesses believe that students would look at a website? When I was at university, there were career fairs that different companies attended and when I was at school, there were open days where we went to specific colleges to learn about those colleges and the course varieties they had. Do the witnesses...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: North-South Student Mobility: Discussion (13 Feb 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach Gníomhach agus leis na haíonna freisin as teacht os comhair an choiste. I apologise for missing some of the discussion. Unfortunately, I think members all have about three things on at the same time today. It is welcome that we are having this discussion, as is the report that has come out up to this point as it tackles a huge number...

Research and Innovation Bill 2023: Second Stage (31 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as sin. I am glad we are discussing the Bill in the Dáil today and I am also glad to see so many Members have indicated they want to participate in this particular discussion. As the Minister mentioned, I also look forward in the coming weeks to having that collaboration and looking at the Bill in even greater detail because, of course, we are hoping...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an gCathaoirleach agus leis an Aire. Gabhaim buíochas léi as teacht os comhair an choiste seo. I appreciate that the Minister has come before the committee to discuss these Estimates. It is really important that Ministers make themselves available. I want to talk about STEM funding. A significant number of people contacted me about this matter. School...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I would expect nothing less. We can discuss the matter further. It is a concern that I have at the moment. I want to raise again with the Minister the lack of a secondary school on Inishbofin. From speaking to young families in particular on Inishbofin who want to continue living on the island, I have learned that the lack of a secondary school is a problem. It also makes it very...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: That is fine. It is interesting to hear about the National Maritime College, which is a fantastic college. My question stems from the previous question from Deputy Ó Cathasaigh. Last week, we had a conversation with the Minister, Deputy Harris, in regard to technological universities and what their accommodation situation looks like going forward. I am glad that that the Minister of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I am not taking this out on the Minister of State. I do have another question, which relates to subhead B15, which Teachta Ó Cathasaigh also mentioned. It is on various grants projects and, particularly, the capital grants for the universities. When I look at these from year to year, there seems to be new names for capital grants. I therefore wonder if they are the existing grants...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Yes. When I was looking at the capital grants, I saw how from year to year there seems to be new names for the different grants. What I have seen from the Minister were things that I feel have been re-announced year on year. Are these completely new capital grants that are meant for something totally different, or have they been renamed so that they can be re-announced? That is basically...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Revised) (31 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I thank the Minister of State for being so readily available to come before the committee. I know that any time we have asked the Minister of State, he is willing and able to come in front of the committee. However, it is regrettable the senior Minister is not here. I have not seen before on Revised Estimates that the Minister is not available to answer in regard to his Department. I have...

Post-European Council Meeting: Statements (24 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I am very concerned about the escalating conflict in the Red Sea and the risk this could spill into a wider regional war. Every time we turn on the global news, we hear inflammatory rhetoric, with some political or military figure telling the audience we need to prepare for war with whoever is considered to be the supervillain at that time. Truthfully at this point, we have to ask ourselves...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire agus le chuile dhuine ón Roinn as teacht os comhair an choiste. We are pleased to have the Minister at committee. I forgot my glasses so I hope I will notice when the clock goes down to zero. This can in some sense follow on from the conversation we had last week as part of oral questions. I raised the fact that I felt this new student accommodation...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: Well, I am to a certain extent, because there have been occasions where I have heard what in my view was money being reannounced. On looking into it further, I have seen that had been announced two years running and had been within the base of the budgets at that time. In my view, when the Minister previously announced that 521 beds, I think it was irresponsible to reannounce them because...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I have a question on them as well. I am aware that I am limited on time. This is something I am trying to get my head around. Last week, the Minister mentioned that the TUs were to submit the plans to develop student accommodation projects. Obviously, the TUs cannot borrow at the moment because they would need to be deemed autonomous public sector bodies to be able to borrow off balance...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Update on Key Issues: Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (24 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: I do know the education committee is the most watched committee at home.

Written Answers — Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht: Road Projects (24 Jan 2024)

Mairead Farrell: 128. To ask the Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht if her attention has been brought to the fact that the local improvement scheme offered by Galway County Council will not be taking applications for a third year in 2024 leaving the condition of roads not taken in charge by the County Council to further deteriorate, which is a particular problem in Gaeltacht areas of the county;...