Results 521-540 of 1,071,894 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' speaker:Paschal Donohoe

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (26 Jun 2025)

Seán Canney: I thank Deputies Ó Muirí and Heneghan for raising this important issue regarding the staffing of primary schools, particularly the teacher allocation to Belgrove infant girls' school and Scoil Mhuire in Howth. The key factor for determining the level of staffing resources provided at individual school level is the staffing schedule for the relevant school year and pupil...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (26 Jun 2025)

Naoise Ó Muirí: I thank the Minister of State for his response. I appreciate his acknowledgement that Belgrove has been through an appeals process. I understand it is an independent process. I welcome the statistics on the improvement of class sizes in primary schools. In this instance, however, Belgrove will go backwards for a period because of this aberration in teacher numbers. I think it is a unique...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (26 Jun 2025)

Barry Heneghan: I reiterate what Deputy Ó Muirí said. We need to get a temporary solution for this. There was clearly an error with the appeals. Is there any way to find an alternative solution for these parents and the children who will be put into a class size such as this? It will affect their learning and their experience. These are young girls who are already under enough stress. There...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (26 Jun 2025)

Seán Canney: The Minister for Education and Youth is considering how best to make further progress as part of the annual budgetary process in reducing the primary pupil-teacher ratio in the context of the programme for Government. With regard to the appeal for Belgrove, the primary staffing appeals board operates independently of the Department and its decision is final. I do not know if there is an...

Transparency and Social Value in Public Procurement Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (26 Jun 2025)

Transparency and Social Value in Public Procurement Bill 2024: Second Stage [Private Members] (26 Jun 2025)

Mairéad Farrell: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." This Bill comes at a timely moment, as I am sure the Minister of State will agree, when her Department has launched a review of the public procurement system. I hope this review will be constructive, that it is not just a box-ticking exercise and that we look at the nuts and bolts of this issue. How the Government deals with this Bill and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I thank Deputy Gannon for raising this issue. When there is a Topical Issue that is relevant to my Department, I will hope to be here. If I am available and not off elsewhere out of Dublin, I will be here for them. I thank Deputy Gannon for raising these issues, which are also of concern to me, not only as Minister for justice but as a TD for Dublin Bay South, which is just over the Liffey...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Gary Gannon: I think the Minister misunderstood what I was implying when I spoke about the increased presence of gardaí in the city centre. I was not suggesting for a second that gardaí were being taken from various Garda stations and being brought into the city centre. What I was suggesting was that perhaps there is a policy of containment of problems in residential areas such that they are...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I have.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Gary Gannon: It is not something that could be described as safe, even with the increased Garda presence. Next week after the voting block, I will walk across with the Minister. I walk through there every night.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: I was there last Thursday.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Gary Gannon: We can have a look. It is clearly not meeting the standard required, although there have clearly been improvements. I believe we need a different form of policing in commercial areas from that in residential areas. It requires a different strategy and a different approach, not quite a municipal police force but something similar. Residential policing and the policing of more commercial...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: The gardaí in the inner city are not just there for the commercial sector. In my constituency , and I am sure Deputy Gannon's is the same, there are many residential areas in the inner city. In my constituency there is Glovers Court, which is right beside Aungier Street, as well as York Street and Mercer House. People want to see gardaí in the area. One of the good things about...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Gary Gannon: They can raise their own Topical Issues.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Crime Prevention (26 Jun 2025)

Jim O'Callaghan: We need to ensure there are as many gardaí as possible so they are around the country and on the streets.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (26 Jun 2025)

School Staff

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (26 Jun 2025)

Verona Murphy: This Topical Issue is shared by Deputies Ó Muirí and Heneghan.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Staff (26 Jun 2025)

Naoise Ó Muirí: This issue comes down to teacher allocation numbers. It is a matter of great concern to parents that Belgrove infant girls' school, which had an intake of 216 in the 2023-24 school year and qualified for nine teachers, is now down to eight teachers based on the 2024-25 intake. The projected number for September is 219, which is above the number at which it qualified for nine teachers...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (26 Jun 2025)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Minister of State for the reply. The figure I have been given, and the fare I know people are paying, is the return fare, which increased from €18.50 to €27.30. That is a somewhat different percentage increase than that for the single fare he cited. He quite correctly said the intention is to have a fair charging system. That is not applicable in the case of the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Public Transport (26 Jun 2025)

Seán Canney: I assure the Deputy the Government is strongly committed to providing all citizens with reliable and realistic sustainable mobility options and public transport plays a key role in the delivery of this goal. To support this objective, in budget 2025 the Department of Transport secured €658 million in funding, an increase from €613 million for 2024. This funding supports the...