Eoghan Kenny

A third party did.

95. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Education and Youth to outline the Government’s decision-making processes for assisting children in State examinations with specific learning difficulties; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10098/26]

I wish the Minister the best of luck and I look forward to many robust debates on educational matters. I am sure the Minister is in very good hands there with the experience of the Minister of State, Deputy Michael Moynihan. I just want to focus on the Government's decision-making processes for assistance in State examinations for children with specific learning difficulties. My question concerns…

In the decision-making process this was a 5% to 7% extra time allocation. Dyslexia Ireland has highlighted that other jurisdictions normally offer much more with a minimum of 25% extra time for students with dyslexia in second level exams, using the United Kingdom as an example. In relation to the decision-making processes here the State Examinations Commission would have made this decision. Would…

I want to make it clear that my intention here is not to criticise progress. I welcome progress but the evidence has been collated by advocacy organisations, by the students themselves, by parents and by other NGO's in relation to what we can possibly do to alleviate the pressure faced by students with dyslexia, dyscalculia or other specific learning difficulties. I have a fundamental question and…

At budget time, I welcomed the additional SNA posts. I was concerned as to whether these were new or existing roles but I did welcome them. All of us in this House have received numerous emails over the past day or so following SNA reviews and information that has filtered down to schools. I have been contacted by numerous teachers, principals, parents and SNAs, particularly from Bweeng National S…

I welcome that.

I move: That leave be granted to introduce Bill entitled an Act to enable the Minister for Education and Youth, by regulations, to make provision for promoting participation by a greater number of school staff in approved courses of training in first aid for medical emergencies, for a greater number of schools to be listed as organisations whose staff are authorised to administer certain prescrip…

I move: "That the Bill be taken in Private Members' time."

83. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science the steps his Department is taking to investigate the significant overspend on the new SUSI IT system; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6842/26]

Infrastructure is absolutely vital. We can talk about the building of homes, which is absolutely necessary, but as we build homes, we must build infrastructure. As the Minister knows, I was born and bred in Mallow. For over 30 years now, the people of Mallow have been talking about a relief road to relieve traffic congestion in the town. Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, despite promise after promise, h…

I do. Under Standing Order 35(3) I wish to amend Wednesday's business to include statements on the politicisation of the announcement of special classes, which is causing distress for families and school leaders. I raised this two weeks ago and it has happened again since that. I ask that time be allocated in this week's schedule to debate the issue.

I thank my colleague, Deputy Wall, for bringing this motion forward. The right to request flexible work is not even a half measure. It merely formalised the ability of a worker to request flexible work. Workers were not prohibited from making this request prior to that. This once again puts the entirety of the power balance in favour of the employer. The employer has no responsibility to accommoda…

Last November, Inland Fisheries Ireland appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts. On Friday, members of the committee received a 137-page document from Inland Fisheries Ireland answering queries raised at the meeting. At the meeting, I raised a very serious matter regarding August of 2021. A staff member of Inland Fisheries Ireland was involved in a car crash while driving an IFI car. He p…

I believe both officials misled the constitutional committee and members of the public. I want to know whether this has been brought to Cabinet-----

------and if the Minister believes the deputy CEO and head of finance should step down.

I welcome these statements. I have said it on the floor of the Dáil before that the water in my hometown of Mallow is destroying every single washing machine, kettle and shower head in every single house in Mallow because it is hard water. What I always get back from the Government is that it is not bad for you. That is fine but it is bad for the pocket and that is a fact. I am no expert on this,…

14. Deputy Eoghan Kenny asked the Taoiseach when the Cork city task force will be established. [3797/26]

It emerged this morning at the meeting of the Committee of Public Accounts that there had been a significant overspend on an IT system for SUSI grants, which has now cost almost three times the originally budgeted figure of €2.2 million. The Comptroller and Auditor General drew attention to this at this morning's meeting. The project, titled "My SUSI", began in 2015 and by 2024 it had run to €6.4 …

I thank the Deputies for bringing forward this motion. It is an extremely important one. I will focus on the small towns and villages programme. On 6 November last, Uisce Éireann appeared before the Committee of Public Accounts and stated that, in revenue control 3, €98 million was allocated to that programme. This began 243 projects across the country, seven of them in Cork. Does the Minister of …

We have to have a debate in the House on how special classes are allocated and how the announcements of these classes are conducted. I have received many queries from parents and even school principals asking if the schools in their areas have been allocated special classes. I could not answer those questions, but if I was a Government TD, I probably could. Yesterday, backbenchers and Ministers an…

The Labour Party will support the motion from Sinn Féin. I thank Deputy Martin Kenny for bringing it forward. I stood on the floor of the Dáil with my colleague, Deputy Lawlor, when Deputy Kenny brought a motion on the Mercosur trade deal forward on 18 November. It is a shame that we have to speak about it again in the Chamber. It is one of the most important trade agreements that will ever happe…

I wish to address the ongoing failure to implement the CIÉ pension proposals that were accepted by the CIÉ staff on 15 August 2025. Before addressing the delay itself, it is important to acknowledge how this agreement came about, because it did not happen by accident and it did not happen easily. This deal was secured through Trojan work by CIÉ employees and former workers, that is, pensioners wh…

I appreciate the reply from the Department. I want to give some context to the significant issue I raised. Yesterday, in my office, I met a former CIÉ worker, a pensioner. This is the fundamental issue he is facing right now, as it is for those he meets for the monthly cup of tea or coffee - the conversation they once had in their staffroom. On the new defined contribution scheme, the Minister ack…

I want to speak first on the grave concerns in the fishing industry with the announcement of the new deal from the EU on fishing opportunities for 2026. The loss of 57,000 tonnes of quota will without doubt have a hugely detrimental impact on the over 2,300 jobs in the industry. The Seafood Ireland Alliance has said that it expects somewhere between a €100 million and €200 million loss in value fo…