Results 1-20 of 2,223 for at speaker:Louise O'Reilly

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (Resumed) (29 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I believe the Chairperson has already visited so at least one of my colleagues has been there. I want to ask about the reference that was made to productivity improvements and automation. Although he is not here now, Mr. McCorry also made reference to protecting workers from the potential negative use of AI. What is each company doing or prepared to do to make sure that workers are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (Resumed) (29 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: My first question is about the way in which the move from large language models to small language models can make genitive AI more accessible for SMEs and smaller organisations with more limited resources, including charities. At a high level, large language models have created opportunities around productivity and creativity. However, it requires access to big computing to avail of them....

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: 13. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of additional school places that will be available for the school year starting August/September 2024, above 2023 levels, for children in the Fingal area at primary and secondary level, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23686/24]

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: 47. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of additional school places that will be available for the school year starting August/September 2024, above 2023 levels, for children with additional needs in the Fingal area at primary and secondary level, by school places in ordinary classes and special classes in mainstream schools, in tabular form. [23685/24]

Business Support Package: Statements (23 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I welcome the opportunity to speak on these statements. Businesses are struggling with a cost of doing business crisis, workers are struggling with a cost of living crisis and both need to be supported. Unfortunately, instead of helping both, the Government has put forward a support package which pits business against business and business against workers. It has been clear for some time...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Employment Rights (23 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Is the Minister of State saying the report will be published before the end of the year? Will we have a chance to debate it here on the floor of the Dáil? I hope we will and I can tell the Minister of State that I will definitely be looking for that debate if it is not offered by the Government because it is important. I saw the Minister of State's little video. I do not follow her...

Dentistry Services: Motion (22 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I join my colleague, an Teachta Cullinane, in saying it is very disappointing the senior Minister is not here. This is an important matter, it is Opposition time and it is a time when the Opposition have, or should have, a chance to address senior Ministers directly. It is very disappointing he could not make himself available for this. I listened with some interest to the Minister of...

Select Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Microenterprise Loan Fund (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (22 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: ...CEO is effectively selected or shortlisted by PAS and then appointed by the Minister. We have a board appointed by the Minister and a CEO effectively appointed by the Minister. The concern is that they might use the proposed section 13D to not attend an Oireachtas committee where matters might reflect badly of the Government of the day. I am not suggesting that this has happened or that...

Delivering Universal Healthcare: Statements (15 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I will not say I listened with amusement, but I listened with one eyebrow raised to Deputies talking about what happened in 2009. You would nearly think the accident and emergency departments closed themselves when we know it was the Minister's party, Fianna Fáil, that closed them. They did not close on their own, as appears to have been suggested. I also listened to the Minister's...

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: High-performance computing is at the core of the fourth industrial revolution and is central to growing the Irish economy and securing next-generation foreign direct investment, FDI. Under the watch of An Taoiseach when he was higher education Minister, Ireland's national supercomputer, known as Kay, reached the end of its life last November without a new supercomputer to takes its place....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank our guests for the information they have given us. This is one of a series of engagements we are having on this subject. I am sure I will not be the only one to say it this morning but the more we know, the more we realise what we do not know. That does not mean we are not interested. It is an issue that the committee is taking a particular interest in, which is very welcome, and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: The witnesses referred to jobs that are skilled or semi-skilled. That is grand. However, for people who have an app on their phone, which is all that guides their day, the witnesses will understand the fear of that app being somehow empowered to hire and fire without any human interaction. While I respect what the witnesses are saying and understand where they are coming from, let us be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I have one other question. I am conscious that my time is tight and I do not think I will have a chance to come back in again because I will have to leave after this. I have to chair a thing at IBEC. I wish to speak briefly about the importance of high-performance computing in co-ordinating cutting-edge research, developing AI, etc. Do our guests know that Ireland's national...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Businesses: Discussion (15 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I would like to see the evidence linking that to improvements in living standards. Certainly, we will find ourselves in an increasingly difficult place until that supercomputer is replaced. The Chair is telling me that my time is up, so I will leave it at that.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Primary Care Centres (14 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: 663. To ask the Minister for Health what services are currently provided in Balbriggan primary care centre; what additional services are planned to be introduced; when a full range of services will be provided at Balbriggan primary care centre, including phlebotomy, x-ray and other; how many WTE staff are working at the centre and how many WTE vacancies there are, in tabular form; and if he...

Progressing Special Education Provision: Statements (9 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: Who I am hoping is on his way. I will hold the time anyway until my colleague gets here; half of it is mine. I listened with some interest - I know she is not here now - to the Minister of State's backbench colleague absolutely decrying the cut her own Government made to summer provision. The irony of that is not lost on me, nor will it be lost on the parents of kids with special needs in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: I thank the witnesses for coming in and sharing the information with us. It is an issue we have discussed. Even when we are not directly discussing it, it comes up a lot, so the presentation has been useful. I have a couple of questions and if follow-up is needed, we can engage again afterwards. The first relates to the number of businesses that are failing. Deloitte insolvency and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: That brings me to my next question. It relates to the debt warehousing scheme which, as we know, ended last Wednesday. Some 55,000 companies still owe Revenue a total of €1.65 billion under this scheme. How many companies have not engaged with Revenue in this regard? We know that some are engaging. It is not necessarily that people have their heads in the sand. They may be trying...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation: Small Companies Administrative Rescue Process: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Louise O'Reilly: On companies that have only recently engaged, do they have a caseworker appointed directly to them? Clearly, there is an issue if somebody has not engaged or they are only picking up the phone or sending an e-mail at this stage. What kind of supports are there for each individual business? How is that structured?