Results 1-20 of 1,157,778 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Simon Coveney OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Denise Mitchell OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Fergus O'Dowd OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Niall Collins OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Michael Creed OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Mick Barry OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Dessie Ellis OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:Gary Gannon OR speaker:Jennifer Murnane O'Connor OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív06 OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív88 OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Steven Matthews) in 'Committee meetings'

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach. I begin by wishing the Chairman a speedy recovery. I am pleased to be here this morning together with officials from my Department. I thank the committee for the opportunity to speak with its members and ask for their consideration of the Department's Supplementary Estimates for 2024. Following approval by the Government, the Department is...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: On school secretaries and caretakers, the Deputy will be aware that all school secretaries who were keen to come onto the payroll of the Department of Education have now signed up and crossed over. They are now automatically paid by the Department of Education as distinct from receiving payment from their school board or through grants received by the board. I gave a commitment that a...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes. As regards school transport, a number of recommendations came out of the review of school transport. A phased implementation of the review has begun, and that includes the pilot projects. We have funding in place to continue the pilot projects and add to them. Our ambition is, as we have outlined previously to this committee, to ensure that by 2030 we will have a further 100,000...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Mr. Loftus is very keen to cover that one.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I was giving the committee the opportunity to hear from the head of planning and building. The subhead is used to fund school accommodation. This is A15: to buy sites, deliver smaller scale works in schools, provide furniture and equipment and address remediation works. The current allocation subhead provides for grants towards rental of temporary school premises at primary and...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: By infrastructure, we mean school buildings, really, specifically the project roll-out of those school buildings. I am very happy to come back-----

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes, absolutely.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: We have a forward planning unit within the Department and it is very successful. We now liaise with local authorities, for example, on their future projections. We also gather all the data that is necessary. It is a GIS system. We engage with child benefit and so on. As regards the figures we are talking about here, we have currently 350 projects on the ground at construction, and the...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: 100%. We have a very strong record of being on time and on budget. I acknowledge the work of the planning and building unit and am here in the company of Mr. Loftus, but I also acknowledge the work of all those who work with the Department to ensure there is strong delivery.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: Yes.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: In the first instance I want to talk about the National Council for Special Education and how we have expanded it significantly. We made provision in the previous budget for an additional 160 staff and that they would be specifically people who were on the ground, such as the special needs organisers who are engaging directly on the ground with the schools. We also see it now as part of...

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Estimates for Public Services 2024
Vote 26 - Education (Supplementary) (22 Oct 2024)

Norma Foley: I thank the Deputy very much.

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

John Lahart: For the public who may be watching, this debate was scheduled for later in the evening but, obviously, business moved much more quickly, and it is concluding now. I am very grateful for the opportunity to speak on it. I will not be supporting any motions on this next week. While I understand why Deputy Kenny is doing that and bringing it forward, because he has very much championed the...

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I thank the Deputy. Does Deputy Kenny wish to finish off his interrupted closure?

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Gino Kenny: I have said it all.

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: Did Deputy Troy wish to make a contribution?

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Robert Troy: Yes, if the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach does not mind.

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: We made an exception before, so we have to make another. I know we are not supposed to do that, but here we are. The Deputy might be brief.

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Éamon Ó Cuív: This Dáil is so nearly finished anyway.

Report of the Joint Committee on Assisted Dying: Motion (Resumed) (17 Oct 2024)

Robert Troy: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for giving me the opportunity. I thank the Members for their flexibility in allowing me to say a few words. I was at a very sad funeral down the country today of a young woman of 46 who died of cancer. She had two small children. I am just getting an opportunity to come back here today. As somebody who sat through 96% or 97% of the committee...