Results 1,341-1,360 of 6,137 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Did the Minister receive this draft report?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I suppose it is clear that the Minister has not seen the report. So the decision was taken exclusively on the basis of-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: -----non-co-operation. Do I have time for a final question?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There have been ongoing discussions and reviews in respect of school transport for some time. The decision that was taken to make school transport free was welcome, albeit it could have been organised in a different way, perhaps by continuing to give preference to those who applied in time. In any event, the time for has passed. The decision to make school transport free for this academic...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Is it because of the recommendations of that review that the Minister took the decision to remove funding?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister will receive the report.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I will raise a few other issues, some of which partly follow on from what others have mentioned. I will also briefly take the opportunity to express my party's condolences on the loss of Niamh Bhreathnach, who was a pioneering Minister for Education. I extend my condolences to her family and to the Labour Party. She will be remembered for her decision to end fees and to break the cycle. I...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Two issues arose during other members' questions, one of which related to physical activity and school buildings. We had a debate on this and I also had a debate with the school buildings unit. I take every opportunity to discuss this. The Department needs to have a rethink of how it approaches this. As far as I can see, although it is not nailed down in black and white, the position of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There are probably two different ways to calculate it, but it is between 5 km and 6 km.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2023
Vote 26 - Education (Revised) (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: There was no conflict of interest, as far as the Minister is concerned.

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Departmental Regulations (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 152. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government when new regulations under Part 18 of the Local Government Act 2001 regarding the holding of plebiscites to change placenames will be resolved; when amendments will be published; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [5806/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 381. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide clarity surrounding the home care package in a service (details supplied) surrounding an issue with an administrator not being replaced since before Christmas; and when this person, who is based in Blackrock, will be replaced. [5759/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Home Care Packages (8 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 382. To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm the number of people in the Cork south Lee area that are waiting to be assessed for a carer; and when they will be assessed. [5760/23]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The Minister and the Minister of State may have seen reports over the past year, particularly in the Irish Examinerin December, about the situation of Fiacre Ryan, who is quite an inspiring young man of 21 years of age. He became the first non-verbal autistic person in Ireland to write a book. That was possible because he had the use of the rapid prompting method, RPM, which is a technology...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am glad that the Minister of State is quite familiar with RPM, has had engagement with families on it and can see the benefits of it. That is encouraging. I take the point that you have to cut your cloth to measure and that different children will require different things. No one is suggesting that it will be a silver bullet but a request has been made for a pilot programme to be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It seems to me that a discussion needs to happen behind the scenes on this. A pilot would potentially be of benefit. The point about empirical evidence is fair enough but some of that might be down to a lack of research so a pilot might help to establish an evidential basis. The Minister of State can talk about schools being at liberty to use RPM but that is not necessarily to say they...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I ask the Minister to repeat the last part of her answer and outline exactly what is happening after the Easter break. That is relatively late in the school year for some primary schools. I agree with a lot of what she said. She certainly will not find me saying that this is a bad idea. We have been talking about it for long enough and it is a good idea. It will reduce the burden on...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I agree that there must be consultation, and I was saying that before Christmas, but there is a balance to be struck in that regard. Hopefully, we can get a payment schedule for schools as soon as possible so that they can go out and buy the books. Has the Department looked at the question of e-books? They could play a role in the context of parents' concerns about the weight of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 79. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if free schoolbooks will be available to primary schools in September; if so, when the payment schedule will issue to schools; and if she will outline the discussions she has had with booksellers and publishers. [5253/23]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Textbooks (2 Feb 2023)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Sinn Féin has been talking about free school books for primary school for many years. It has been in place in the North for approximately 70 years. I certainly welcomed the announcement in the budget that it was to be considered for this September. Schools are beginning to wonder how they get themselves organised. I received a written answer from the Minister recently that put a...