Results 1-20 of 9,598 for speaker:Anne Rabbitte

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising the question. There is a whole-of-government approach to addressing the assessment of needs, under the stewardship of the Taoiseach. We have already met on the issue and option papers are being developed at this time. Regarding the use of the word "was", funding was secured in 2020 to clear the backlog of assessment of needs at that point; it was cleared...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to update the House on the four children’s disability network teams, CDNTs, in County Meath. Network 2, where the HSE is the lead agency, covers Kells, Oldcastle and north Meath, while network 6, also led by the HSE, covers Athboy, Dunboyne, Enfield, Summerhill and Trim. Enable Ireland is the lead agency for network 4, covering...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Every figure I read out relates to filled positions. They are 248 posts that were filled over the past four years. The staff in whole-time equivalents is at 70% in County Meath. CHO 8 covers many counties, but in the Deputy's county it covers those four teams. That is the up-to-date situation with filled positions as we speak. Let us be clear; there is still a vacancy rate of 30%. I am...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Let me be very clear. The wording here is "Notwithstanding those challenges, staffing numbers across the four CDNTs now sits at 70.3 whole-time equivalents". It is not a percentage but whole-time equivalents. Are we training enough staff? In the past 12 months, I have set up a workforce planning group that I chair. All the lead agencies are part of it, along with the Department of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for bringing me on to my specialist topic, which is unions. It is important to say with regard to the pay talks concluded last year that while it was very welcome, it has really highlighted the fact that we need the employers, which are the lead agencies of the section 39 organisations, more involved when it comes to pay negotiations and talks. The question is where it is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: No, it has not been launched yet.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: There is. I will tell the Deputy in my response.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As there was over €40 million worth of applications into the respite grant application form, which is absolutely massive, they had to spend a lot of time going through it and validating. In fact, the whole purpose of the respite grant is to provide a balance where we have a shortage in our CDNT teams, the local organisations that have the capacity to support through music, art or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy. The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by children and young people with disabilities and their families in accessing essential therapy services in Cavan and Monaghan. It is important to say that along with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and Deputies Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth, I visited Monaghan in the past month and met the families concerned. Lead...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Resources within Children’s Disability Services are assigned across 91 Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), providing the interdisciplinary support services necessary to children aged 0-18 years who present with complex needs and including those who attend special schools. As the Deputy is aware, the 4 Special Schools in CDNT8 are Scoil Bernadette, Scoil Eanna, St...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: The development of a register of Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs) is a matter under consideration. Stakeholder structures and how public bodies can best meet the consultation obligations within the Convention are receiving detailed consideration in the context of developing the next National Disability Strategy (NDS). Government is committed to implementing the UNCRPD. This includes...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Health Services Staff (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Carlow and Kilkenny are part of the South East Community healthcare region (CHO5) which comprises 13 CDNT teams in total. In relation to Carlow and Kilkenny Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs), there are three CDNTs. These are Carlow CDNT, Thomastown CDNT and Kilkenny City CDNT. There are currently 4.2 Occupational therapists and 10.4 Speech and language therapists in this...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: The Autism Assessment and Intervention Protocol has been developed by the HSE through extensive consultation with people with lived experience of Autism as well as multidisciplinary input from the professions involved in Autism assessment and interventions. The Protocol facilitates practitioners to match the extent of assessment undertaken to the complexity of presentation of Autism and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I am aware of the staffing issues the IWA is facing. These issues are reflective of challenges affecting the wider health and social care sector, and impacting on the ability of the HSE and other providers like the IWA to deliver services. To support the ability of organisations like the IWA to recruit and retain staff, the Department and its agencies proactively engaged with a Workplace...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Strategies (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: This Government is committed to the expansion of specialist services for people with disabilities. The Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026, which I published on 14th December 2023, represents a national strategy for capacity increases and service and policy reform in disability services. It was informed primarily by findings from the Disability Capacity Review, published in 2021. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Special Educational Needs (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disabilities Assessments (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Charitable and Voluntary Organisations (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: The Government recognises that the ability of organisations to recruit and retain staff is crucial to the delivery of quality services and the overall sustainability of the sector. To support the sustainability of services, including the ability of voluntary organisations to recruit and retain staff, the Department and its agencies proactively engaged with a Workplace Relations Commission...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Bus Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Transport is a key issue for persons with disabilities and as such it is a priority consideration. Ireland ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) in March 2018, which clearly articulates that all State parties shall take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access, on an equal basis to others, to transportation....