Results 501-520 of 1,083,722 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan) in 'Committee meetings'

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Swimming Pools (1 Jul 2025)

Mattie McGrath: I thank the Ceann Comhairle and her team for allowing both of us to contribute on these Topical Issue matter tonight. I also thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for his latitude. I also appealing to the Minister of State regarding this issue. I have many question about Tusla and its operations. This facility we are talking about has been renowned for half a century and more. The...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Swimming Pools (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputies. I can hear that both of them are greatly concerned about what has happened. Regarding the length of time the pool has been out of action, significant mechanical and electrical issues have been identified at the Ferryhouse pool and sports complex. The pool was closed due to a failure of the electrical periodic testing in response to a notification of hazard issued by...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Swimming Pools (1 Jul 2025)

Michael Murphy: I have to ask where the report is. There has been no engagement with local stakeholders. This is the reality of the situation. I fully accept Tusla's core competencies in respect of looking after children, but is there a greater gift to give to a child than the opportunity to learn how to swim? The wonderful thing about most activities in the water is that in many cases mobility issues as...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Swimming Pools (1 Jul 2025)

Mattie McGrath: I too support my colleague and implore the Minister of State in this regard. I have an issue with Tusla. God forgive me, it cannot even account for the approximately 50 children who have gone missing in State care in recent years. There is a meeting here to discuss this tomorrow as well. Why is Tusla involved in this premises at all? It is a wonderful facility. As I said, we have two...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputies for raising the issue. I had a positive meeting yesterday with representatives of Tipperary ETB. I was encouraged to hear about the good work ongoing. We had a good conversation and agreed that there are challenges. We are trying to work to manage those challenges in the best way possible. To come to the issue raised by the Deputies, ETBs, as they know, support...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Mattie McGrath: I am disappointed to hear that. There is clearly a misunderstanding because there are students who have enrolled for courses in September. That is inaccurate information that Tipperary ETB has supplied to the Minister of State. I will quote the comments of a student, who said the course made them come out of their shell a lot. The student said it is the best thing they have done and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Michael Murphy: We need to be very honest here. One of the reasons we find ourselves in this position is that while the most recent national wage agreement included a 3.5% increase, only 2% of the funding was provided by the Government. The other 1.5% must be absorbed from the existing budget. I ask the Minister of State to urgently rethink this decision and to engage with the ETB in Tipperary. I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I fully recognise the value of these courses. To be clear, what Tipperary ETB informed my Department is that no current learners are impacted as they have completed their programmes. However, Deputy Mattie McGrath was right to say that the impact is on the availability of places for new learners for the remainder of 2025. The Deputy was quite right to say that. My Department is...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Swimming Pools (1 Jul 2025)

Swimming Pools

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Swimming Pools (1 Jul 2025)

Michael Murphy: I will be sharing time with Deputy Mattie McGrath. I want to speak about a reply I received from Tusla to a parliamentary question I asked of the Minister regarding the future of the swimming pool on the Ferryhouse campus, just outside Clonmel. The reply stated that unfortunately, due to significant mechanical and electrical issues identified, Tusla deemed the pool at the end of its life...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (1 Jul 2025)

Alan Kelly: I am aware of the group. I also have a degree of sympathy in the sense that I believe the previous Government, of which the Minister of State was not part, did very little on this. The new biomethane group was set up. However, I would like the Minister of State to answer the following. When will the regulatory framework be put in place? What are the timelines on it? She has not told us....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: Ireland is recognised as having one of the greatest potentials for biomethane in Europe per capita due to our substantial agricultural sector. The Government's target of producing 5.7 TWh of indigenous biomethane by 2030, which is a little over 10% of our current natural gas use, will remain a Government commitment. The Deputy will know that an Irish anaerobic digestion and methane sector...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Education and Training Boards

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Mattie McGrath: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for allowing me to share time with my colleague in south Tipperary, Deputy Michael Murphy, on this issue as it is of concern to both of us. Management of the Tipperary ETB shared devastating news with the local training initiative co-ordinators, LTIs, at four centres in south Tipperary. It informed them that due to budgetary constraints from...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Education and Training Boards (1 Jul 2025)

Michael Murphy: I agree with Deputy McGrath. This decision by the ETB to cut vital local training initiative programmes across Tipperary should be urgently reversed. I acknowledge the critical role played by these programmes in our communities, particularly those delivered at the Spafield Family Resource Centre in Cashel, the Knockanrawley Resource Centre in Tipperary town, the Littleton community...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Social Welfare Payments (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank the Deputy, and I can hear that this is an issue of real concern for her and the people involved. I thank her for raising the matter. I wish to assure the Deputy that the supplementary welfare allowance scheme is kept under review. The issue is to ensure it continues to support those most in need of assistance. The delivery of crucial community welfare services to meet the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (1 Jul 2025)

Renewable Energy Generation

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (1 Jul 2025)

Alan Kelly: I thank the Minister of State for being here but I have to start by saying the tradition of Topical Issues being dealt with by the appropriate Departments and Ministers needs to come back. It is not fair on the Minister of State, Deputy Harkin. She is not in that Department. It is a retrograde step that any time there are Topical Issues here, the chances of having a Minister from the...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Renewable Energy Generation (1 Jul 2025)

Marian Harkin: I thank Deputy Kelly, and I am happy to respond on behalf of the Minister. I am sure the Deputy, as a former Minister, will know the calls on Ministers and in some cases they cannot be here. In that context, I am happy to be here. What the Deputy said is right. Biomethane will play a crucial role in Ireland reaching its decarbonisation targets and security of energy supply, and Ireland...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (1 Jul 2025)