Results 1-20 of 5,554 for speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: May I say how relieved we all are in Kildare with the news yesterday evening that the one objector to the proposed Diageo plant, which would be an investment of €200 million and would provide 1,000 jobs during the construction, has withdrawn his objection to the High Court? This means the Diageo brewery, which will be the biggest in Europe, if not the world, will go ahead. Two weeks...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Protection (30 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Cathaoirleach for choosing this Commencement matter and I thank the Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, for taking the time to come to the Chamber for this important Commencement matter. I wish to begin by acknowledging the unprecedented challenges the Department has faced in recent times in respect of housing and supporting asylum seekers and beneficiaries of temporary...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: International Protection (30 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I agree that we need to have a humane approach. None of us wishes to see people sleeping on the street. I thank the Minister of State for clarifying and saying that the private commercial market, and not the private residential market, is used to house those who are coming to our land looking for accommodation. I take it from what the Minister of State has said that the contract that was...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (30 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: This morning on the way to the House I took the opportunity to call in to Punchestown, which is gearing up for a tremendous festival. The festival is worth €60 million in the local economy so it is very important. I wish the team there, including the chair David Mongey and the racecourse manager Conor O'Neill, all the best for the week ahead. I was there for the launch of the HRI...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (24 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I extend a welcome to the ambassador and the guests in the Gallery. I have tried to raise a Commencement matter relating to Garda matters for the second time. I accept that the Cathaoirleach has guidelines that he has to abide by but it is regrettable that we have a situation where we cannot have the Minister for Justice to come to the House to discuss, in any way, policy on policing in...

Seanad: Smartphone and Social Media Use: Motion [Private Members] (24 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister for being here and for all the work she has done in this area, both in terms of the recent legislation which was one of the first in Europe, certainly, and in relation to her previous work in the education committee where we dealt a lot both with bullying and the need to revamp the RSE education, part of which issue was, of course, around being able to view pornography,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Local Level: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I have the hot seat. That is what I get for arriving late. I apologise for being late. I was in the Seanad Chamber where we were dealing with a motion. We will acknowledge that Deputy Tully had the opportunity to ask some questions and we will return to the Deputy when she comes back to the committee. We will now turn to Senator Clonan.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Local Level: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I am glad the Senator has raised such an important issue. Yesterday I spoke in the Seanad about the GRA conference and how extremely difficult issues cross the desk of a garda. I know we all appreciate that when a garda starts his or her shift, be it day or night, he or she never knows what will unfold. To paraphrase another phrase I used, who is going to protect the protectors? It is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities at Local Level: Discussion (Resumed) (24 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. Jones.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: At the outset, Members are aware that the apology to the Stardust victims is ongoing in the Dáil and in many ways, the Stardust tragedy has been the backdrop and soundtrack of our lives. We feel great solidarity with all of those impacted. To the families and on the stories which we heard yet again over the weekend, we admire their tenacity and that of all of those who fought for the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We need our gardaí to keep us safe and secure. We need to have them patrolling our streets and roads and we must support them. The Minister for Justice should be in Westport listening to the concerns-----

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (23 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: -----of the gardaí who protect her and us.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Scrutiny of EU Legislative Proposals (23 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I am conscious that we will be going into another session shortly. I thank the witnesses. We are talking about significant funding and we want to ensure that Ireland gets a fair share of that. Since the last Horizon funding framework, Brexit has occurred. I am interested in hearing from the witnesses the impact of that and how Ireland may be impacted. I am conscious that a lot of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: European Year of Skills 2023: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank everyone for being here. I will ask my questions in one block to be efficient. As my colleague said, we could spend the whole day here discussing all of the really interesting aspects that have been brought to us. Can I thank Ms Healy for bringing so much colour into Leinster House today? It is great to see it. I really like her colour scheme. On 9 April I had the opportunity...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: European Year of Skills 2023: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank Mr. McLoughlin. Will Mr. English comment on the national skills week?

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I move: “That Seanad Éireann: recognises that: - the system put in place by the Department of Education has been a largely successful model for planning school places up until recently; - the Department of Education is aware of enrolment pressures and is engaging with second-level schools in the affected areas to share application data to determine the full extent of...

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Leader for facilitating this Private Members' motion and thank the Minister for making herself available to come to the House to discuss this important topic. I can appreciate how busy she is as she engages with all the different matters that come before her desk. The motion recognises that the system that has been put in place by the Department has been pretty successful until...

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: No pressure.

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I appreciate we had both Ministers in the House to debate the motion. We all agree that while a lot of work is being done in the area in terms of providing capital funds for building new schools etc., the process of actually building schools needs to be streamlined because we have heard references to this right around the country. Senator Wall and I have spoken about the situation in County...

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Next Tuesday at 1 p.m.