Results 1-20 of 227 for speaker:Nessa Cosgrove

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Process (22 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I welcome the Minister of State. Many Senators have raised this issue as members of the foreign affairs committee. I ask for a straight answer about the timeline for the occupied territories Bill and the advice of the Attorney General. My Labour Party colleague and my party's spokesperson on foreign affairs, Deputy Duncan Smith, has asked the Tánaiste if we would get an answer in...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Process (22 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: We do not really have a response yet and do not have a timeline. The danger is that, because of the presidential election and then we are going to be coming up to Christmas, this issue will be kicked down the road again. The Minister of State mentioned the fragile ceasefire. It is very fragile, but surely the ceasefire would be kept in place if Israel knew that there would be some...

Seanad: Domestic Violence (Free Travel Scheme) Bill 2025: Second Stage (22 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Many speakers, on both the Opposition and Government sides, have spoken passionately about this Bill. I completely agree with Senator Ruane that there is an opportunity for the Government to step back and take out the amendment. As Senator Nicole Ryan said, the proposal is for only three months of free travel. Senator Ruane noted that when she first read the Bill, she thought it would...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Iarnród Éireann (22 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I congratulate Ms Considine on her new job. Her reputation precedes her. She is getting lots of compliments today. I live in Sligo and I have read in detail the all-island strategic rail review. I have raised this at a number of meetings. I am delighted to be part of this committee and have the opportunity to raise it here. It is disappointing that the Claremorris to Collooney section...

Seanad: Higher Education: Statements (21 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Cuirim fáilte roimh an Aire. I will talk briefly about apprenticeships. The Minister said in his opening address that it is great to see much more investment in apprenticeships and further education and training, in particular. I worked for a time in Mayo, Sligo and Leitrim Education and Training Board, MSLETB, in a training centre so I can see the level of support that students are...

Seanad: Cost of Childcare: Motion (21 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: We will split the time.

Seanad: Cost of Childcare: Motion (21 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I welcome the Sinn Féin motion and I thank the party for bringing it forward. We all know very well the concerns about the cost of childcare and, as a parent of three children, I know they are very real. Childcare is an expensive business, and it should be. After all, we have highly qualified professional staff caring for our children, who are the most precious members of our society....

Seanad: Cost of Childcare: Motion (21 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: That is fine.

Seanad: Cost of Childcare: Motion (21 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Low pay is cited by 86% of early years educators as being the main reason for leaving the sector. Experienced early years educators, managers and even providers continue to leave the sector. Many choose to become special needs assistants, where the starting salary is €16.83 per hour - €1.30 above the base rate for an early years educator and €2.68 above the minimum...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I will speak about the amended scheme for remediation of defective blocks. Reliance is upon the standard IS 465 of 2018 which is unfit for purpose. It assesses superficial damage, not structural stability, and needs revision based on the best scientific evidence available on pyrrhotite sulfate attack. Engineers have downgraded recommendations for the full demolition of properties to...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Defective Building Materials (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I thank the Minister of State for displaying a real interest in this. The non-demolition option is not working because, as I said earlier, if there is a defective block the deterioration can go into healthy blocks without people knowing. As such, demolition is the only option and this is what people want. Deputy Charles Ward got elected based on this, as did county councillors, because...

Committee on Children and Equality: Child Poverty and Deprivation: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I thank all the Deputies for letting me go ahead of them. An Taoiseach is coming into the Seanad. I thank the witnesses for coming in. I am sorry I missed their opening addresses but I thank them for all their briefing documents. I have only one short question. The child poverty and well-being programme was established in the Department of An Taoiseach. Is there any move to create...

Committee on Children and Equality: Child Poverty and Deprivation: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: It is wonderful that that knowledge has gone into Departments, but it did lose its independent, autonomous voice.

Committee on Children and Equality: Child Poverty and Deprivation: Discussion (Resumed) (16 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Does that voice sometimes get lost? The independent nature of the Combat Poverty Agency involved dealing a lot with the public. There was a lot of engagement and there was one voice. Different people are talking, even here today, about different areas that affect children and their long-term impacts on living in poverty. I have no doubt about the expertise of those involved. I agree with...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó – Order of Business (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Anyone who was listening to Claire Byrne yesterday would have been struck by the very sad but uplifting story of Claire Colum from Strokestown in Roscommon. Ms Colum spoke about her daughter Kate, who was five years old when she died following a severe strep A infection on 31 March 2023. Kate had been admitted to Sligo University Hospital on the Wednesday of that week after she became very...

Seanad: All-Island Strategic Rail Review: Statements (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: I welcome the Minister of State. His being here again is a reflection of the interest we have in rail in the west. He knows this well himself. For once, I am not going to be talking about the western rail corridor. I will refer to it only at the very end. I have a picture to hand to show the significant rail gaps referred to in the all-Ireland rail review. The document recognises...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: The witnesses are very welcome back. They must be sick of seeing us at this stage. I want to ask about Local Link, so I guess it concerns the NTA. The issue of extending and connecting Local Link routes is raised with us all the time. I do not want to refer to specific routes. Mr. Creegan stated there has been a 33% increase in the number of people using the service, which is fantastic....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: What are the criteria to get a connecting link? Local people on the ground know better than anyone else. Is it a matter of getting a connecting route or creating a new link? What are the criteria for getting a new route?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: How do we do it, though, as representatives of local areas where there is a huge demand? I refer to the likes of the 563 and 981 services. People come to us to say they have no service and that if they had one, they would use it. How do we move it forward? I just do not know what to do as a representative.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport: Rural Bus Transport: Discussion (15 Oct 2025)

Nessa Cosgrove: Much of this is grassroots led or a matter of communities coming together. Public meetings are held about services. Should those concerned put together a business plan? Is there any checklist or form that would make it easier for communities to show evidence, such as the population in the area, that a bus is needed?