Results 1-20 of 87 for speaker:Laura Harmon

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Fees (17 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister of State. I would like clarity on the issue of student fees and supports. I was president of the national students' union, USI, ten years ago. Student fees, the cost of living, student housing and access to education were all issues then and are more prominent now than ever. It needs to be a priority for this Government. It is dismaying and alarming that the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Third Level Fees (17 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State for the response. First, I note the positive indications regarding the student grant and the Government seeking to improve that and improve those supports. That has to be noted. However, it is an extremely disappointing and disrespectful answer to students and their families that this Government cannot give clarity to students on what the fee is going to be...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (16 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: As we approach the all-Ireland finals I take this opportunity to wish the Cork hurlers well on Sunday. It is deeply saddening we have a group of 33 young GAA players and 14 mentors from Palestine trying to come to Ireland to play and participate in hurling in this country but they are being denied visas. The Minister for justice needs to give an explanation to the House on this. We need to...

Seanad: Draft Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I acknowledge Mark Ryan and his brother David, who was in the Dáil Gallery yesterday, for their tremendous work in this regard. This commission is welcome but it certainly is not before its time. Irish society and the State need to reckon with our painful and shameful history of violence and sexual violence against children in our schools. This needs to inform our future as a nation....

Seanad: Draft Commission of Investigation (Handling of Historical Child Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools) Order 2025: Motion (16 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: To clarify, the Cathaoirleach used his discretion earlier, as I was covering the Chair, to give the earlier slot to the Cross-Party Group. I used my four minutes so it now Senator Stephenson's turn to speak. She has six minutes.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science: Student Accommodation: Discussion (15 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the officials for being here today. I apologise for being late. I was at another engagement. It is an important and timely discussion on student accommodation. This has been an ongoing issue for students for over a decade. I was the president of the Union of Students in Ireland ten years ago. This was a big issue then and it is more of an issue now with the wider housing crisis...

Seanad: Pregnancy Loss (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Second Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I fully support this Pregnancy Loss (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025. I commend Senator Nicole Ryan on bringing forward this extremely well thought-out, researched, detailed, compassionate, caring and health-focused Bill to the House today. I thank the Sinn Féin Senators for bringing forward this Bill. I have been struck by this debate. I was not actually going to speak but it...

Seanad: Social Welfare (Bereaved Partner’s Pension and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2025: Second Stage (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the visitors in the Gallery, including one of my best friends, Patrick Dempsey, and his sisters, Tiffany and Gabrielle. On this Bill, I welcome the Minister. It is good to have this engagement. The social welfare system, as it stands, is failing couples who are not married or whose marriages have not been formalised. The Department of Social Protection is inconsistent in...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: The report makes for stark reading. The witnesses outlined some of the key areas in their opening statement regarding institutionalisation, safeguarding in congregated and institutional settings and how the housing crisis is affecting people with disabilities, as well as very concerning information regarding domestic, sexual and gender-based violence. I am glad that our education system has...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I know there have been calls for a review of the Disability Act 2005. The programme for Government commits to this. What needs to be considered as part of that?

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I have a question I did not get to ask earlier. The witnesses spoke about the impact on people of the lack of housing, supports and services in local communities in terms of their being able to live their lives fully and independently. Will the witnesses expand further on the report in that regard and on the impact of the housing crisis on this issue?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State for her opening statement and the officials for being here. Like many of us, I am learning more about AI and doing research in my own time. I have major concerns about AI and feel we need to explore the concept of more public ownership as an alternative to the corporately owned models in existence. Our social media need to be brought more into the public...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: What do we need to be doing more of to ensure wider public awareness of the Act? I am thinking about schools, college settings, communities and, in particular, the Garda, which must deal with scamming that can occur. I received a scam by text on my phone this morning. I am sure there will be more voice-recognition scamming in the future. In this regard, businesses in particular are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Artificial Intelligence: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence: Discussion (Resumed) (8 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I was reading the report on AI of the Financial Services Union and noted that 80% of those it surveyed said they were concerned about job displacement and that 30% of workers said they would feel very underprepared to incorporate AI tools into the workplace in the future. What are the future risks for employers and workers in terms of upskilling and job displacement?

Seanad: Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank Senator Ryan for her extremely powerful contribution. I am sure people watching will identity with that. She eloquently put forward how this impacts children and adults in this country. Gender-based and domestic violence is an epidemic in Ireland. It needs to be addressed and we need to seriously improve and step up to the mark in supporting survivors and those affected by it....

Seanad: Domestic Violence (Amendment) Bill 2024: Committee Stage (2 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State for his comments today and clarifications on a number of issues. I hope we can make sure this Bill is enacted. It will have a huge impact on our society and on those seeking the protections they desperately need. This is a cultural issue. The Bill will not solve it. As my colleague Senator Stephenson said, it is a wider issue that is ingrained in our...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I welcome the Minister of State to the committee. We look forward to working with her collaboratively. I thank everyone here this morning. I know the Minister of State mentioned Cork a couple of times and that she has been to Cork recently. We had the HSE chief at the committee recently. He said he has a particular concern about waiting lists in Cork. I know there are 30-month autism...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (2 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I thank the Minister of State. She has led me to my next question about CDNTs. I know the HSE mentioned that work is being done on a single-door policy, concerning access to referral pathways. Could the Minister of State give an update on that? If it is a priority, how will that improve things? Is there any update on where we are with unfilled positions in CDNTs across the country? Do...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (1 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I speak about two issues. The first relates to student fees. As we heard over the weekend, the Minister, Deputy Lawless, announced the intention to again increase student fees by €1,000 in the upcoming budget. I have been contacted by many students and families over the past 48 hours who are extremely stressed and worried about this and the lack of clarity in relation to it. We...

Seanad: Supports for Survivors of Residential Institutional Abuse Bill 2024: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (1 Jul 2025)

Laura Harmon: I wish to briefly speak to support and second the amendment. I welcome the women in the Gallery. I thank them so much for being here. It is wonderful to have them here for this debate. I thank them for their continued campaigning and advocacy. I commend my colleague, Senator Boyhan, on his powerful contributions and advocacy on this. This amendment is extremely important because it is...