Results 1-20 of 592 for at speaker:Aisling Dolan

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (15 May 2024)

Aisling Dolan: Tomorrow at 9.30 a.m.

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

Aisling Dolan: ...tragic time when it comes to family. There are a couple of issues I wish to raise. Ballygar, in County Galway, is running an event focusing on well-being and mental health. The event will feature Professor Brian Hughes, a psychologist from the University of Galway, and Teresa O'Brien. It is a great way to find out how things are going for friends and family. It is great to invite...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Public Transport (8 May 2024)

Aisling Dolan: ...route, those services have been stopped. We currently only have Citylink, which goes every two hours between Dublin and Galway and services the towns between those two cities. This Commencement matter was intended for the Minister for Transport. I am frustrated. I raised this in 2021 and again last year, when I said there is definitely a need for more services. What happens? The...

Seanad: Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2023: Committee Stage (8 May 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I acknowledge the importance of accessibility and of this Bill. Senator Clonan is raising a lot of things we in government are reviewing and looking at as well. I wanted to highlight the work at regional level that we see across the likes of Roscommon and Galway. I ask the Minister of State to address this in her response but I wish to highlight the just transition programme currently...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Aisling Dolan: We have spoken previously on this as well with Senator Higgins. This agency is for research and innovation. Innovation is about bringing the fruits of research out into our communities and out into society to ensure that it has an impact and that it does not sit on a dusty shelf somewhere. That is what is really crucial about this. Much of this knowledge transfer and technology transfer...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (8 May 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I welcome Professor Carey. We should have this debate as Gaeilge as well. I worked specifically on promoting funding programmes within SFI so I know a lot about the accessibility of some of these programmes, how we promote them, how we engaged researchers from a broad background and how we were one of the first agencies many years ago to do online Teams-type events and activities to ensure...

Seanad: Loneliness: Motion (1 May 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I welcome our new Minister of State, Deputy Colm Burke, in his new role with responsibility for public health in the Department of Health. As colleagues have mentioned, for many years he has advocated on health issues and fought for many people in the health area. There has been an increase in loneliness. Earlier I was looking at an article in The Irish Times - my computer has just gone...

Seanad: Flooding on Lough Funshinagh: Statements (30 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: As the Minister of State has said, the Lough Funshinagh region in south Roscommon is an absolutely stunning limestone landscape of rolling hills. It contains the islands of Inchnamona and Inchmore. Lough Funshinagh is a turlough, which means it is a disappearing lake. However we know, fully, that it has not disappeared. In fact there has been nothing since 2016 only an increase, year...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (30 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I want to highlight the excellence we see across partnerships that are already happening with our universities and colleges. Just recently, we saw €7 million come into the US-Ireland programme. This is a phenomenal programme that is bringing in researchers. That €7 million will fund ten research positions in colleges in Ireland, another ten or 11 in Northern Ireland and the...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I welcome the Minister, Deputy O'Donovan, who is here in his brand new role in the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. I recognise that this is a landmark piece of legislation. We are talking here about the definitions of research and innovation, but this Bill is going to bring about the funding of all areas of research. It is an incredible...

Seanad: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (23 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: As Fine Gael Seanad spokesperson for education and further and higher education, I know we spent many hours here debating this really important legislation with our current Taoiseach and former Minister, Simon Harris. The then Minister spent time with his team and the officials from the Department to engage across the board, particularly on Committee Stage, and to consider amendments that...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: European Year of Skills 2023: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: Sometimes when we see things working in practice it makes a great difference. I go into my local supermarket in Ballinasloe and see people working there from all different kinds of backgrounds. It is great to see. A few of the other retailers have been mentioned as well. I will pose my earlier question to Ms Donnery from Skillnet Ireland as well. Linking in with enterprises and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: European Year of Skills 2023: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: Of that engagement with enterprise, I know Skillnet is a national organisation, but on the issue of rural versus urban, would Skillnet find a different engagement in smaller towns? One is looking at a retailer or at an enterprise made up of perhaps one or two people. How does one get the time? I know Ms Donnery has spoken about all of the training and everything else but how does one find...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: European Year of Skills 2023: Discussion (23 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: Our new Taoiseach and our former Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, has been very clear about his focus on the disability sector, which he launched last May, and particularly around the European Year of Skills 2023. I will leave some time for Mr. McLoughlin to discuss the apprenticeship programme and perhaps a little bit about the...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (17 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I raise the issue of Lough Funshinagh. Deputy O'Donnell, in his new role as Minister of State with responsibility for the Office of Public Works, visited County Roscommon and the communities that are heavily impacted. There is utter devastation for the families who have been impacted by the flooding. They are losing homes, land, farms and roads. Around Curraghboy, for example, a road is...

Seanad: Cost of Doing Business: Statements (17 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I welcome the Minister to his new role. It is great to see that one of the first acts he will oversee next Monday is the provision of the additional €3,000. There will be €8,000 available to hospitality and retail businesses across the country. I know we have been talking about this in Fine Gael in recent months, and I know it was discussed with the former Minister for...

Seanad: School Enrolments: Motion (17 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I thank the Minister. I know she is under time pressure this morning but we appreciate her being here today. I acknowledge the work of the former Minister of State, Deputy Madigan who had special responsibility for special education and inclusion. The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton is taking on that role. I very much welcome this Private Members' motion tabled by Fianna Fáil on...

Seanad: An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (11 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I welcome Senator Malachai O'Hara and his family. It is a very special day and I hope they enjoy it. First, I congratulate our new Taoiseach, Deputy Simon Harris. I worked closely with the Taoiseach in his former Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. He has really shown his commitment to technological universities across the country and actually...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: I welcome the Minister. Yesterday was a great day. I congratulate the Minister on again taking up this role and on delivering for so many families and children across Ireland. The Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, will be taking responsibility for special education. I acknowledge the efforts of the outgoing Minister of State in the Department, Deputy Madigan, who had responsibility for...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Key Issues for the Department of Education: Minister for Education (10 Apr 2024)

Aisling Dolan: Sorry. I thank the Cathaoirleach and will leave it at that. I know the Minister is very conscious of a lot of these issues that cropped up for us a number of years ago, in particular around school transport.