Results 161-180 of 1,120 for at speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (2 Feb 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The first thing I was going to do was to thank you, a Chathaoirligh, for having the moment of silence for peace yesterday. I very much appreciated that. All the schoolchildren from Scoil Bhríde Athgarvan appreciated that you came down and gave so much time to them at our St. Brigid's cross-making workshop. I thank everybody from across the House who came. It was wonderful to have the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Living with a Disability: Discussion (2 Feb 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I have been blown away by the presentation from Ms Gallagher. I thank her for sharing all about her life with us. It is something that we are all sensitive about. We need and rely on people like her and family members to talk about personal and sensitive issues in their lives in order that people have an understanding of what it is like to live with a disability. I am conscious of that....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: UNCRPD and the Optional Protocol (Resumed): Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth (19 Jan 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Minister and his officials are welcome. One of my colleagues commented earlier that Ireland can be seen as a laggard in how we are living up to the UNCRPD but it is not just a perception. We are a laggard and that needs to be addressed. The Minister's opening statement and his response to Deputy Higgins give me hope about where we are going. I appreciate that we are in limbo at the...

Seanad: Election of Cathaoirleach (16 Dec 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Go raibh maith agat, a Chathaoirligh. Very many congratulations to you. It is said that a healthy democracy requires a decent society and also requires that we be honourable, generous, tolerant and respectful. The Cathaoirleach absolutely embodies all those qualities, as I know from the time in which I have got to know him and from stories I have heard about him from my brother-in-law, Jim...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Horse Racing Industry (7 Dec 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this important matter. I also thank the Minister of State, Deputy Heydon, for making himself available to take this Commencement matter in the Chamber. I raise the challenges facing the equine sector in Ireland. It is an issue that disproportionately affects my area of Kildare. I will begin by quoting the foreword of a recent Horse Racing Ireland,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (7 Dec 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I support the Order of Business as outlined by the Deputy Leader. I am glad to see that the Online Safety and Media Regulation Bill has progressed significantly. I welcome a particular aspect in it, where the Minister said that the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, BAI, should be given €2.5 million to support services provided by independent radio stations. Local independent radio...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Land Issues (22 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come in on behalf of the Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, OPW, Deputy Patrick O'Donovan. I want to raise the issue of land ownership, its transparency, and the State's role and responsibility in terms of land that should fall under its control. I will talk about one particular situation, but this is...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (22 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I wish to raise three issues. One relates to a bus link for Rathangan. I spoke two weeks ago about public transport in respect of the need to extend the short-hop zone and create a medium-hop zone. Most certainly, rural transport deserves to have its place too. There are a number of issues I want to raise, from a lack of connectivity to absolutely deplorable reliability. I have been...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government: Implementing Housing for All: Discussion (Resumed) (22 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Senator Fitzpatrick for the opportunity to come in. Understandably, I will just be directing my questions to Kildare County Council. Ms Kavanagh and Ms Aspell, who I have worked with in the past, are very welcome. I thank them for the good work they do in delivering what are not just houses but homes for those who need them in Kildare, and also for meeting their social housing...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I support the Order of Business and I would like to second the minute's silence for Vicky Phelan. I am conscious that the women's caucus will be meeting at that time so I may not be back in the Chamber. The caucus will also have a vote on this. It is an appropriate thing to do and I thank the Deputy Leader for suggesting it. I have just come from Buswells Hotel where many of us had the...

Seanad: Private Nursing Home Sector: Statements (16 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I appreciate the opportunity to speak on this and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, for joining us. It was great to see her this morning at the launch of the Samaritans report. I acknowledge the tremendous work the Samaritans do throughout the country. Both the Minister of State and Charlie Bird were inspirational. I know it is an area the Minister of State is passionate about...

Seanad: Forestry: Statements (15 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for being here to listen to our comments. I welcome the plan. It is very significant to have a proposed investment of €1.3 billion in the Irish forestry sector. As we know, it is the largest ever investment by any Irish Government in tree planting. I wish to acknowledge that it is part of the national forestry programme. It is absolutely essential in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Mental Health Supports in Schools and Tertiary Education (15 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I appreciate the witnesses' input and their very clear commitment to the very important work they are doing. Getting to the crux of it, establishing the links between all the services and education settings is very important. How we do that and support young people in school, families, community and social settings and how we marry all of that is very important. Non-formal and informal...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Apprenticeship Programmes (10 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach for selecting this matter and the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, for making himself available to take it. As education spokesperson for Fianna Fáil, I am very proud of my party's history in the education sphere over the years, including this current period in office. It has certainly been a transformative period despite the many challenges of...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I welcome the students from Tullamore. I am from Rathangan which is just down the Kildare-Offaly border. They are very welcome. I keep up to date with events around Tullamore also. I have just come from a really interesting exhibition in the visitor centre in the Phoenix Park. It is a national exhibition with a Kildare slant called "As Life Goes On". It is a collaboration between the...

Seanad: Transport: Motion (9 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I move: That Seanad Éireann: agrees that: - there is a need to deliver a fairer, more efficient, and more reliable public transport system for all; - it is necessary to incentivise greater use of public transport in order to meet climate targets as set out in the climate action plan; - it is important to make our public transport more affordable for everyone and not just for...

Seanad: Transport: Motion (9 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, for returning to the Seanad. She has had a long afternoon in the Chamber but we are always pleased to see her. I am pleased my Fianna Fáil colleagues in the Seanad agreed to use our Private Members' time for this important debate on public transport and on extending the short-hop zone to 50 km, which...

Seanad: Transport: Motion (9 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: If we are to meet our climate targets, we need to make public transport more reliable and useable but, crucially, more affordable. With the cost of living gone up so much, people need to see that it is considerably cheaper to use public transport than to drive, if we want to take cars off the road. The NTA will soon introduce a fairer fares initiative and in a meeting I had with its...

Seanad: Transport: Motion (9 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank my colleagues for their support for the motion. That support seems to be pretty much cross-party in nature. Other issues were raised during the debate, but, in framing this motion, I felt it was important to stick to one matter because public transport is so complex and there is so much we need to do, particularly in the context of connecting rural communities. I really believe...

Seanad: Transport: Motion (9 Nov 2022)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Tomorrow at 10.30 a.m.