Results 1,401-1,420 of 6,137 for speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2022: Second Stage (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The previous speakers have outlined clearly that Sinn Féin supports the legislation, although we will be tabling amendments because we recognise the reality that many families rely on health insurance because they feel they have no choice. That is not a reality that we savour or are heartened by. In truth, we have a very poor model, a model that is expensive and ineffective because of...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I thank the Minister. I have acknowledged that some actions have been taken, albeit more in the primary area than the post-primary area. The Minister has acknowledged that despite these actions, which have helped to some extent, work remains to be done to address the teacher supply challenge and particularly to ensure the availability of sufficient substitute teachers. I imagine these...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire as ucht bheith anseo chun an ábhar dáiríre seo a phlé linn. I thank the Minister for being here. I understand she has a meeting later today with the stakeholders to discuss this very important issue. It is an issue that is escalating quite significantly. The Minister will be aware of its seriousness but for the benefit of the House...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: The €46 million for school transport under cost-of-living measures was announced before the budget. At the time of the budget, the Minister indicated she had received clearance from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for additional funding for buses where students who previously had a concessionary place on which they had come to rely did not secure a place in September...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I welcome the fact that Fórsa and the Department reached agreement on a deal for school secretaries earlier this year. That pay deal, I understand, was to be backdated to September 2021. Has that been processed at this point in time? Where does it stand in terms of increased pay for school secretaries? With regard to Western Building Solutions, or whichever contractor was involved in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I am not looking for the Minister to comment and perhaps it is not possible to put a figure on it. Has the Department budgeted for it in the abstract?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Does the Minister have a rough timescale for completing that?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I do not have a lot here. Many of the questions have already been asked on maintenance grants and funding. I have one observation and one question, maybe and I will see if there is any follow-on from that. The Estimates include a lot of one-off reductions, and they are all welcome things, such as the one-off reduction in the undergraduate student contribution, the one-off reduction in...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: It related to Generation Apprenticeship.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I did not know that, but that was not to what my question related. Generation Apprenticeship is a brand, if not a programme. It is a collaboration between SOLAS and-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: If there is not already a budget line for something like that, there should be. It is going to be important to have a clear means of communicating and challenging the social attitudes that exist around apprenticeships and trying to address that. It will require a concentrated approach.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2022
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary)
Vote 45 - Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science (Supplementary) (30 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Things such as Generation Apprenticeship are going to be important.

COP27: Statements (29 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I appreciate the Acting Chair for coming back to me. Is ar ábhar tromchúiseach atá an díospóireacht seo. Níl aon amhras ann ach go bhféadfaimis a bheith ag féachaint ar ghéarchéim dáiríre agus go bhféadfadh tionchar a bheith aige, ní hamháin ar an tír seo, ach ar an domhan ina iomlán, ar eacnamaíocht an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I appreciate the Chair facilitating me and I thank Deputies Gould and Ó Broin for allowing me this slot. The work of the Residential Tenancies Board is crucial. At a time when so many tenants are under pressure, it is vital they have a route to accountability with regard to landlords who are failing in their duties and, vice versa, for landlords to have accountability. I will confine...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Is it broken down any further than that? Is it broken down to district electoral divisions or smaller Pobal areas?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: That is the smallest area. In the case of what I believe are three electoral areas where a portion of the electoral area is outside the rent pressure zone, it has been impossible since 2019, using the data that the Residential Tenancies Board has gathered, to establish whether the rent increases have been greater than the rate determined in four of the last six quarters. Is that true?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Smaller than the electoral area.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I understand all of that. To be honest, my quarrel is not with the Residential Tenancies Board and it is more with the Department. This is pertinent to me as it affects an area of my constituency, but it is quite a substantial area. I am not sure if the witnesses are familiar with this but there are three electoral areas where, because they were redrawn in 2019, a portion was left outside...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I have a comment for the committee and a final question. To put this in context, and I am not expecting a response on this point, this is an area that has gone from less than 1,000 people 40 years ago to probably touching 20,000 in the last census. It is a massive commuter town and everyone in that area is effectively in the city property market. It is an overwhelmingly urban area, despite...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Recent Trends in the Private Rental Sector: Residential Tenancies Board (29 Nov 2022)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: Thank you. I am grateful for that.