Results 1-20 of 6,627 for speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh

International Workers’ Day: Statements (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: Today is a day to celebrate the workers of the world. There are two issues I want to raise initially, given the day that is in it. The first concerns the treatment of whistleblowers. Earlier today, we discussed the absolute horror of the Grace case. I acknowledge all whistleblowers and the service they have done to this country. I call for extra protection for whistleblowers. Many...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rural Schemes (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I welcome the opportunity to say a couple of words on the rural social scheme. I welcome the flexibility the Minister has introduced. I want him to look in particular at meals on wheels. Yesterday, Lorraine from Claremorris, Martina and Peter from Louisburgh and Deirdre from Castlebar were in Leinster House. One of the issues that were raised regarding the RSS was the need to allow two...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Social Welfare Benefits (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I am glad this is being discussed in terms of rural poverty. The Minister will completely understand this. I commend Irish Rural Link on the great work it has done in Mayo. It needs to be resourced to do an awful lot more. I will give the Minister an example of a woman I spoke to in Castlebar the other day. She has an appointment in Galway hospital next week. All of her income and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I am glad that the Department is seeing sense with this because it obviously needed to be addressed. We have been doing grants for long enough and should not be in a situation where these anomalies arise. It concerns me that the Minister of State says he is engaging with the Department of public expenditure, as that can take a long time. I heard it mentioned that we would have the appeals...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 7. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the cost of business forum, which was announced in the programme for Government; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21680/25]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: Will the Minister provide an update on the cost of business forum, in particular why so many grants have not been drawn down by small and medium businesses at a time where they are struggling with costs in terms of VAT, rates - including water rates - energy costs, rent and refuse collection costs? The Minister's favourite word is "evidence". There is evidence that at the close of...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I thank the Minister of State. When he speaks of simplicity and reducing regulation, I want him to look inside Government at the bureaucracy that is stopping businesses which desperately need support from accessing the supports that have been advertised. The increased cost of business, ICOB, and power up grants have been plagued with anomalies in their terms and conditions making it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: We need to learn lessons from the design of a lot of these schemes. I recently met the Alliance for Insurance Reform. Its members are extremely concerned by the recommendations of the Judicial Council that awards be increased by 17%. Could the Minister of State confirm whether the Minister for Justice will enable the Dáil to discuss this? I also want to raise with the Minister of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Low Pay (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 3. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment the reason previous commitments made by the Government on workers’ rights issues are not being honoured; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22002/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Low Pay (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: The Government made commitments on introducing the living wage, on enhancing paid sick leave entitlements, on abolishing the subminimum rates of youth pay, on increasing the minimum annual remuneration for employment permits and on pension auto-enrolment. The Government has reneged on all of these progressive measures. I know the Minister will say that these are just delayed but the word...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Low Pay (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: What I wanted was a firm commitment that the onslaught on ordinary workers would be ended. The Minister of State has not provided me with that. Workers on the minimum wage are looking forward to the living wage, as was committed to. When they hear, in the past week, a wage of €430,000 talked about for a housing tsar to replace the housing Minister, it just does not sit right with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Low Pay (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: Going after workers in these sectors will not address our international competitiveness, nor will it help sectors on the front line to deal with the impact of tariffs. All it will do is leave ordinary workers worse off in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis. We have one of the highest rates of low pay in the EU, with one in five workers being low paid. This figure has remained relatively...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Losses (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: The threat to jobs in Intel and the job losses in TikTok come on the back of job cuts in Meta. There are reports of 300 jobs at risk at Carelon Global Solutions Ireland in Limerick. This company, as the Minister will know, provides digital integrated solutions for the healthcare industry. It has talked about its decision to consider its future in Ireland, which comes after a review of its...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Losses (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: There is a real urgency around this. The Minister did not address Carelon Global Solutions and what is being done there. I take it he is in there, talking to staff, and that he has SkillNet Ireland in there as well to work with these companies and to examine available alternatives in the immediate term. The question the Government must answer is where the next decade of jobs is coming...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Losses (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 1. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment for an update on the steps he is taking to protect jobs in the technological sector; if an audit of job security across the sector has been undertaken; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22001/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Job Losses (1 May 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: I wrote to the Minister in March following the announcement of 300 job losses in TikTok to ask whether he would commission an audit of job volatility in the technological sector. As it stands today, almost 5,000 staff at Intel are in limbo following the company's announcement of global cuts of 20% to its workforce. I hope, like the Minister, that all of those jobs will be retained. Has he...

Final Draft Revised National Planning Framework: Motion (30 Apr 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: Today, the Minister of State is presenting the national planning framework and it is the blueprint for how the State will manage strategic planning and sustainable development out to 2040. It is essential that the framework deals strategically and systematically with the major issues of our time: housing, climate change, energy security and the prosperity of everyone living on the island....

Ceisteanna - Questions: Artificial Intelligence (29 Apr 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: 20. To ask the Taoiseach to report on his attendance at the AI Action Summit. [17317/25]

Ceisteanna - Questions: Artificial Intelligence (29 Apr 2025)

Rose Conway-Walsh: Central Statistics Office data shows that in 2023, AI was used by 8% of Irish enterprises with ten or more employees. The benefits of AI are well-rehearsed and no doubt it will revolutionise the way in which businesses operate in this country and in the global market. It is a very exciting time of innovation but it also carries risks and it has the potential to significantly impact both...