Results 1-20 of 4,031 for and speaker:Fiona O'Loughlin

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Waterways Issues (21 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State for taking the time to come to the Chamber today for what is a very important Commencement matter for many constituents on the Barrow blueway and the surrounding area. I acknowledge the Government's commitment to delivering for our rural communities. As a native of Rathangan, a lovely rural village in south Kildare, I know only too well how important it is to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Waterways Issues (21 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank the Minister of State and I look forward to welcoming him to Kildare when the blueway is open to see the tremendous progress and the great asset that it is. I am glad to hear the three organisations are meeting in the coming days. Last week, in this House, I asked for a taskforce to be put in place. I have been in touch with Waterways Ireland separately as well as with An Garda...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (21 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I join the Cathaoirleach in his words of welcome to our distinguished guests and, of course, to Breda and Liam. Breda and Liam are here because I supported a cancer fundraising event at Patrician Secondary School in Newbridge that raised €6,000 in memory of a wonderful person who worked in the school, Cathryn Shaw. If you knew Cathryn, you knew somebody who was full of love and full...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I express my sympathy and the sympathy of the Fianna Fáil Party to the Slovak people on the attempted assassination of their Prime Minister yesterday. We are all very relieved to hear he has come through serious surgery and it is hoped he will be well on the way to recuperation. It is a massive blow to democracy and we must call always it out. Today is the 30th anniversary of the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: The Order of Business is No. 1, Research and Innovation Bill 2024 [Dáil] – Committee Stage (resumed), to be taken at 12.45 p.m.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (15 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Senator Mary Fitzpatrick commenced proceedings this morning by speaking about the Dublin-Monaghan bombings on 17 May, some 50 years ago, and the families who are still grieving and seeking justice. She has renewed the call that justice be given to them. I certainly echo and support that. The Senator also spoke about the match between Bohemians women's soccer team and the Palestinian team...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (14 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: .... I want to speak to the Minister of State today about St. Anne's special school on the Curragh in County Kildare. The school was established in 1967 by the visionary Elizabeth Birmingham and her husband, Michael, and it moved to its present location on the edge of the Curragh in 1974. It is a co-educational school for pupils between the ages of four and 18 who have been assessed as...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Schools Building Projects (14 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...Anne's is included in the Department's construction programme. As he said, when completed, the school will have 16 general classrooms, specialist rooms including woodwork, art, daily living skills and computer, outdoor spaces, and all ancillary accommodation that is needed. We have much to look forward to. The Minister of State is saying that the design team anticipates submitting the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...p.m., with the time allocated to the opening remarks of the Minister not to exceed 15 minutes, group spokespersons not to exceed 12 minutes each, all other Senators not to exceed six minutes each, and the Minister to be given no less than 15 minutes to reply to the debate.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: And one topic.

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: A significant number of Senators have contributed today and I will do my best to respond to them. I add my voice of welcome to the transition year students, particularly those from Athy in Kildare - my own county. They are very welcome. I hope to get to say hello to them later. Senator Dooley started proceedings by speaking about a topic on which many Senators contributed, namely,...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (14 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: We need to have a frank and open discussion on the matter. Senator Clonan spoke about the issue of conflict. It is horrific that every day when we open our phones, screens or newspapers, we see children and women dying. The numbers are horrific. Ireland and Spain have been very much to the fore in terms of doing what they can and trying to bring other European leaders and the UN with us...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: I thank our guests for being here. Reading their statements was interesting. Some 150,000 students have come to Ireland for this and it is worth €2.38 billion to the economy. The witnesses are right, though, as Ireland's reputation as a provider of a good experience, including a good educational experience, is also important. I hope that the IEM scheme will be significant, given...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Regulation of the English Language Sector: Discussion (14 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: Ms Harmon welcomed the IEM scheme but had some reservations about the monitoring and enforcement framework. I would be inclined to agree with her in that regard. Unfortunately, we have seen exploitation. Undoubtedly, the vast majority of the companies are excellent, but there will always be those that are not. It has been mentioned that the two organisations before us meet often. Have...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (9 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: As we begin the Order of Business, a coffee morning is starting in the Coffee Dock to support and spread awareness of the work of the Alzheimer Society of Ireland, ASI. It does incredible work throughout the country. What it is aiming to do is create a dementia-inclusive generation. It is doing this by working with transition year students. Apparently one in three young people knows...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (8 May 2024)

Fiona O'Loughlin: ...Fianna Fáil group, extend our deepest sympathies to the D'Arcy family on the passing of Mr. Michael D'Arcy Snr. First, I wish to do a shout-out to fellow hay fever sufferers. It always creeps up and, nearly unexpectedly, catches. At the moment, I am taking every antihistamine known to man. I stopped off this morning to get a herbal concoction from Paul O'Connor from the herb...

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: ..., 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 strategic plan for 2024 to 2028. It is a very important and ambitious plan. When...