Results 141-160 of 5,556 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Small and Medium Enterprises (3 Oct 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I want to thank the Cathaoirleach for selecting this issue, and the Minister of State at the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Neale Richmond, for coming along here today. I want to discuss an issue of utmost importance, and that is the economy of south Kildare. I totally understand that within the Minister of State's brief, the economy of every county and constituency in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Small and Medium Enterprises (3 Oct 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for his very comprehensive reply. I acknowledge the work of the staff of the local enterprise offices, LEOs, including Ms Jacqui McNabb. Ms McNabb is absolutely inspirational and her team do really incredible work mentoring and supporting new businesses. However, with regard to existing businesses, I believe that apart from addressing the obvious shortage of...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Small and Medium Enterprises (3 Oct 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: And Edenderry.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Oct 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I add my voice to the welcome to our distinguished guest in the Visitors Gallery. My town, Newbridge, has a really good twinning with Bad Lippspringe in Germany. A group of about 70 will leave on Friday morning to go over and join in the festivities. Unfortunately, I cannot be with them on this occasion but have had many good trips there. I hope they all have an excellent time. This is...

Seanad: Senior Cycle Reform: Statements (3 Oct 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister for coming to the House so early in the term. To be here and to bear witness to the Minister's compassion, vision and ambition with regard to the leaving certificate and leaving certificate reform is great, and it is very important for all of us in the House to acknowledge this. In speaking about acknowledgement, we all acknowledge that our education system plays a...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Ethics of End-of-Life Care: Discussion (3 Oct 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I apologise; I was at a meeting of the Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science prior to coming here. I thank the three witnesses for the opportunity to read their opening statements. While I absolutely agree with Dr. Finegan that every human life is of equal intrinsic worth and while also agreeing with what has been said about trying to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in the United States: Discussion (3 Oct 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Cathaoirleach. I have a few things to ask about. I see very little reference to advanced care directives in the submissions, so I am interested in what our three witnesses have to say about that. Do any of the states allow for the use of advanced care directives? I then have two specific sets of questions for Dr. Jeanne. He talked about the Act and said it requires the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I welcome Mr. Loftus, Ms Mannion and their colleagues from the Department. Having been in a number of the new school buildings around the country, I know they are top class and very different from the schools I would have gone to myself, although those were very good schools. It is wonderful to see the level of ambition we now have in terms of school buildings and making sure they have the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (27 Sep 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I congratulate all of those who were involved in seizing the €100 million worth of cocaine yesterday evening. The Army Ranger Wing did a fantastic job and the crew of the LÉ William Butler Yeats, the Air Corps, the customs service and the Garda were also involved. It is a really important seizure and it highlights the important work the Defence Forces do in terms of the security...

Seanad: Rights-Based Care Economy: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I move: That Seanad Éireann, in accordance with the recommendation of the Women’s Parliamentary Caucus: acknowledges that: - the UN Convention for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) requires a significant social transformation from a medical approach to disability, where economic development, health, and care economies can sustain the violation of human rights...

Seanad: Rights-Based Care Economy: Motion (27 Sep 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for being here. We appreciate it and I thank her for the points she has brought to us. The introduction of the long-term carer's PRSI contribution for a State pension for those who have cared for incapacitated dependants over a period of time is welcome. There are aspects on which the Minister of State has given detailed information that make a difference to...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (26 Sep 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I extend a warm welcome to our new Superintendent and assure him we look forward to working with him. On behalf of the Fianna Fáil Party, I would like to be associated with the condolences regarding Flor O’Mahony and thank the Cathaoirleach for his kind words about our colleague Damien O'Reilly. As he said, we were absolutely shocked when we heard the really sad news. He was an...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Assisted Dying: Assisted Dying in Europe: Discussion (26 Sep 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the witnesses. I apologise for coming in late. I have another committee at the same time so I was in for the start of that. There is a question I have been thinking about. I say this as much to the Chair and the members as to the two witnesses. We are undergoing this exploration and looking and learning from the experience of other countries and organisations. I wonder whether...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Parking Provision (13 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for being here to take this issue. As chair of the all-party group on dementia, I have been working closely with the Alzheimer Society of Ireland on a number of projects that impact the lives of people with dementia and their families.One area that we have been co-operating on is the potential for the roll-out of the blue badge scheme, which is the European pass...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Parking Provision (13 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for his positive response and for his understanding of the situation. I appreciate that the Department of Transport is currently undertaking a fresh review of the disabled parking scheme and looking at a thorough mapping of the present operation, and analysing and doing a targeted stakeholder consultation. I am pleased that Indecon has taken this on. I ask the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: On behalf of the Fianna Fáil group, I extend a warm welcome to the ambassador and his wife. We very much appreciate having them here today. I look forward to seeing them tomorrow evening. The Leas-Chathaoirleach referred to Patrick Sarsfield. I remind him that Sarsfield was born and grew up in Tully, County Kildare. We have our own claim.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (13 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank everybody who works behind the scenes to ensure the Seanad and the rest of Leinster House work. I thank Mr. Groves and all in the Seanad Office, the ushers and all those who work really hard behind the scenes to make sure Leinster House is cleaned and is hygienic. I thank all the catering staff, from those in the coffee dock to those in the self-service restaurant and everywhere in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Increased Employment Participation, Self-employment and Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities: Discussion (13 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Thank you, Chair. My sincere apologies. I have had to be up and down three times to the Seanad this morning already. I appreciate the witnesses being here. Though I did not hear all of the opening contributions, I read everything. I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. McCann in 2018 when he won the LEO award in Kildare and went on to win a regional and national award. Without wanting to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: Increased Employment Participation, Self-employment and Entrepreneurship for People with Disabilities: Discussion (13 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: It was about flexi-jobs in Denmark, which Professor Cooney mentioned.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (12 Jul 2023)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I support the Order of Business as outlined. This morning, we heard the good news that a new round of the sports capital and equipment programme is opening from 17 July. This is a wonderful opportunity for sports and community groups around the country to develop the infrastructure that is so important to our towns and communities. It is good to see that the amounts have increased and that...