Results 1,061-1,080 of 5,828 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: European Digital Green Certificate: Statements (7 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Minister of State is very welcome. I am aware that, since his appointment, he has been dealing with the myriad issues we have faced owing to Covid and EU business matters. I thank him for that. I wish him well with the remainder of his term. Maybe we took for granted the right to travel that we had before Covid and the freedom we had to make decisions on what we wanted to do with our...

Seanad: Education (Leaving Certificate Examinations) (Accredited Grades) Bill 2021: Order for Second Stage (7 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I move: "That Second Stage be taken today."

Seanad: Education (Leaving Certificate Examinations) (Accredited Grades) Bill 2021: Second Stage (7 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I welcome the Minister to the Chamber, which is her Chamber also. It has been a difficult and tumultuous time for the leaving certificate classes of 2020 and 2021, their parents, their teachers, the whole school community, the Department and the Minister. The word "unprecedented" has been bandied about a great deal over the past year, but the task faced by her office and the Department of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and its Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (4 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I wish to clarify that I am in Leinster House. I thank all the contributors for their comments on this difficult area. It is important to all of us. Everything that I have heard this morning has been thought-provoking and stark in respect of what we are dealing with. Last November, we had the opportunity to touch on this and looked at some of the statistics. I have several questions. ...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and its Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (4 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: That links in with the parent-student charter issue.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and its Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (4 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I am particularly interested in the role of the bystander. We know from the submissions that approximately 90% of these incidents have bystanders. Empowering the bystander to make an intervention is really important. It is to teach young people that strong people stand up for themselves, but the strongest people stand up for others and that, to a certain extent, if one is neutral in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and its Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (4 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Absolutely, I agree in that regard. However, it is still worth talking about it.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: School Bullying and its Impact on Mental Health: Discussion (4 May 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The area of restorative justice is very important in regard to what Dr. Noctor is saying. Obviously, there is great concern about cyberbullying. That must be dealt with in a specialised way. Are my six minutes over?

Seanad: Business and Covid-19: Statements (30 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Tánaiste is very welcome to the House on this important day on which hope, supports, a path forward and a significant level of vaccinations intersect. This is all in stark contrast to India, the homeland of the Tánaiste's father, from where we see upsetting and disturbing images. I am glad Ireland is playing a role in helping those in need but we must do more, especially to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Maternity Services (30 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: This is not the first time I have spoken about this issue. I addressed it last Monday. Senator Flynn told us of her happy news on that occasion and I wish her well. The Minister of State is welcome to the House. I certainly hope he can bring some clarity to the issue about which I am speaking today. There is a need for the lifting of restrictions on appointments, labours and visits to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Maternity Services (30 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I am disappointed with the response of the Minister of State. I completely accept and understand, as I am sure does every Member, the necessity to introduce restrictions in our maternity hospitals to protect women, babies and staff but we have now moved to a stage where pregnant women will be prioritised for vaccination and our healthcare staff have been vaccinated. Honestly, the damage...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I welcome the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, to the Chamber.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I support the Order of Business as outlined. A week is a long time in politics and since the House last met, Arlene Foster has signalled that she will be standing down as First Minister and as leader of the DUP. I pay tribute to Arlene Foster. Politics is a difficult game for all of us and nowhere is it more difficult than in Northern Ireland. I wish her well and acknowledge her work on...

Seanad: Post Office Network: Motion (26 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: As part of my party's commitment to rural Ireland, we decided to put forward this motion and it is an opportunity to acknowledge the vital importance of post offices to all our communities. Post offices are the fabric not just of rural Ireland but also of urban Ireland and they provide an important social as well as commercial service. When I was growing up in Rathangan, and I am sure we...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I endorse the Order of Business. I offer my congratulations on behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party to Senators Horkan and Maria Byrne. I look forward to engaging and learning with and listening both of them. I wish them well in the term ahead. There are a number of issues I want to raise today, the first being maternity services. Every morning, as I come to Leinster House, I travel by...

Seanad: Future of Gambling Regulation: Statements (23 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I propose to share my time with Senator Malcolm Byrne. I will take six minutes and he will take two. I thank the Minister of State for being here and for giving us his update. This is a really important debate. Any addiction is difficult and tough. Addictions often have very far-reaching consequences for individuals and for their families and friends. Families are often torn apart,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Business of Joint Committee (20 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Today's public meeting is being held virtually through Microsoft Teams. Apologies have been received from the Chairman, Deputy Paul Kehoe, who cannot be here because of a family bereavement. Senator Rónán Mullen will view the meeting from outside the precincts of Leinster House. I remind members to ensure their mobile phones are switched off for the duration of the meeting as...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Special Needs Education: Discussion (20 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The next part of our meeting is with AsIAm, Down Syndrome Ireland, Inclusion Ireland and the Ombudsman for Children, Mr. Niall Muldoon. On behalf of the committee, I welcome Mr. Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, and Ms Nicola Hart, head of member services of Down Syndrome Ireland. From Inclusion Ireland, I welcome Ms Lorraine Dempsey, interim CEO, and Ms Margaret Turley, both of whom have...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Special Needs Education: Discussion (20 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I appreciate that, as you said, Mr. Harris, three minutes is a short time in which to cover such a wide topic, but you have done extremely well. I now turn to Ms Nicola Hart, who is head of member services with Down Syndrome Ireland. Ms Hart, the floor is yours.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Provision of Special Needs Education: Discussion (20 Apr 2021)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Thank you, Ms Hart. I now move to Inclusion Ireland, on behalf of which Ms Turley will speak. She is joined by Ms Lorraine Dempsey. I congratulate Ms Dempsey on being appointed interim CEO of Inclusion Ireland. She gave many presentations to the previous committee on the perspective of a parent of a child with special needs. She was an inspired choice. I wish her well, and we look...