Results 61-80 of 139 for speaker:Laura Harmon

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: The report makes for stark reading. The witnesses outlined some of the key areas in their opening statement regarding institutionalisation, safeguarding in congregated and institutional settings and how the housing crisis is affecting people with disabilities, as well as very concerning information regarding domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I am glad that our education system has...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I know there have been calls for a review of the Disability Act 2005. The programme for Government commits to this. What needs to be considered as part of that?

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I have a question I did not get to ask earlier. The witnesses spoke about the impact on people of the lack of housing, supports and services in local communities in terms of their being able to live their lives fully and independently. Will the witnesses expand further on the report in that regard and on the impact of the housing crisis on this issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State for her opening statement and the officials for being here. Like many of us, I am learning more about AI and doing research in my own time. I have major concerns about AI and feel we need to explore the concept of more public ownership as an alternative to the corporately owned models in existence. Our social media need to be brought more into the public...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: What do we need to be doing more of to ensure wider public awareness of the Act? I am thinking about schools, college settings, communities and, in particular, the Garda, which must deal with scamming that can occur. I received a scam by text on my phone this morning. I am sure there will be more voice-recognition scamming in the future. In this regard, businesses in particular are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I was reading the report on AI of the Financial Services Union and noted that 80% of those it surveyed said they were concerned about job displacement and that 30% of workers said they would feel very underprepared to incorporate AI tools into the workplace in the future. What are the future risks for employers and workers in terms of upskilling and job displacement?

Seanad: Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank Senator Ryan for her extremely powerful contribution. I am sure people watching will identity with that. She eloquently put forward how this impacts children and adults in this country. Gender-based and domestic violence is an epidemic in Ireland. It needs to be addressed and we need to seriously improve and step up to the mark in supporting survivors and those affected by it....

Seanad: Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State for his comments today and clarifications on a number of issues. I hope we can make sure this Bill is enacted. It will have a huge impact on our society and on those seeking the protections they desperately need. This is a cultural issue. The Bill will not solve it. As my colleague Senator Stephenson said, it is a wider issue that is ingrained in our...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister of State to the committee. We look forward to working with her collaboratively. I thank everyone here this morning. I know the Minister of State mentioned Cork a couple of times and that she has been to Cork recently. We had the HSE chief at the committee recently. He said he has a particular concern about waiting lists in Cork. I know there are 30-month autism...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State. She has led me to my next question about CDNTs. I know the HSE mentioned that work is being done on a single-door policy, concerning access to referral pathways. Could the Minister of State give an update on that? If it is a priority, how will that improve things? Is there any update on where we are with unfilled positions in CDNTs across the country? Do...

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

Laura Harmon: I speak about two issues. The first relates to student fees. As we heard over the weekend, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, announced the intention to again increase student fees by €1,000 in the upcoming budget. I have been contacted by many students and families over the past 48 hours who are extremely stressed and worried about this and the lack of clarity in relation to it. We...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I wish to briefly speak to support and second the amendment. I welcome the women in the Gallery. I thank them so much for being here. It is wonderful to have them here for this debate. I thank them for their continued campaigning and advocacy. I commend my colleague, Senator Boyhan, on his powerful contributions and advocacy on this. This amendment is extremely important because it is...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I I wanted to put on the record why I oppose the Bill. While it contains good measures, from my perspective and that of the Labour Party, we believe that anyone who spent so much as a minute in one of these institutions should be able to access redress, and those who were boarded out should be included as part of this as well. In terms of other jurisdictions, we saw mass trafficking of...

Seanad: Disability (Personalised Budgets) Bill 2024: Second Stage (25 Jun 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister for engaging with us on this. I commend the Bill and support my colleague, Senator Clonan. He has been more than reasonable and fair in requesting that the delay not be 18 months but that we could look to December of this year. That should be ample time to get this in order. I do not think anyone in the Chamber should apologise for showing emotion. I think the public...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jun 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the witnesses for the opening remarks. It is great to have them here today for this engagement. I will talk about employment first. It is quite stark that Ireland has the lowest levels of employment for people with disabilities in the European Union. The figures I have here show we are currently at 32.6%, which is nearly 20% below the EU average of 51.3%. I would like to get the...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (25 Jun 2025)

Laura Harmon: As a follow-up query, case studies were mentioned. Is there international best practice we should be looking to in terms of employment best practice? Do the witnesses believe the National Disability Authority should be better supported and have more enforcement powers? Is this something they would take a view on?

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Review of Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank all of the witnesses for being here today. I thank them for the important work they are all doing. It is great to have this discussion. I have a number of questions, the first of which relates to pay and the witnesses' views on that. The Labour Party has been very clear that apprentices should not be paid below the minimum wage. We need to have a living wage in place for...

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Review of Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)

Laura Harmon: Do I have some time left? The clock has disappeared.

Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Review of Action Plan for Apprenticeship 2021-2025: Discussion (25 Jun 2025)

Laura Harmon: As a follow-up, would the witnesses welcome an increase in the pay rates while people are still apprentices and before they fully qualify? Is this a barrier or is it contributing to non-completion rates? Do they agree that is the case?

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Jun 2025)

Laura Harmon: The changes proposed by the US Administration regarding visas, including J1 one visas, are concerning. There is a proposal that authorities would potentially check back over five years of people's social media handles before they can be accepted onto the J1 visa programme. This is an unwelcome measure. It is intrusive and will have a chilling effect on people's freedom of expression. It...