Results 1-20 of 3,576 for speaker:Duncan Smith

Progressing Special Education Provision: Statements (9 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: I will be sharing with my colleague Deputy Ó Ríordáin. Despite some progress in recent years, there are still significant gaps and disparities that persist in our special education system. Too many students and children are being hindered from full inclusion and participation in our schools. Too many children are being left behind and deprived of the support and resources...

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: I hope the Tánaiste had the opportunity last weekend to read Erica Tierney's article in The Irish Times. Ms Tierney wrote about her experience of being pregnant while diagnosed with breast cancer. She finished her treatment on 30 April 2020, and one week later was informed by the Department of Social Protection that her maternity leave had run out. Ms Tierney is the inspiration behind...

Written Answers — Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport: Public Transport (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 115. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the amount he has allocated to a project to proceed to planning in full (details supplied); whether any requests for further funding have been received by his Department; if he intends to fulfil those funding requests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20262/24]

Written Answers — Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine: Departmental Policies (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 404. To ask the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine if, in the context of the widespread destruction of ash trees right across the country, due to the ash dieback disease, he will consider positively the provision of grant incentives to householders, landowners and other tenants to replace trees on their holdings that have died due to the specific disease; and if he will make a...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 472. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth his plans to increase and expand respite services in Waterford and west Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20745/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Staff (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 550. To ask the Minister for Health in tabular form the number of social worker posts that are authorised and the number that are filled in each hospital and clinic in Dublin, and larger hospitals broken down by Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20384/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 620. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 166 of 31 January 2024, how the needs of the National Gender Service’s patients are increasingly complex; what statistics can be shared around the change in the proportion of clinical time spent on follow-up compared to previous years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20789/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 621. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 166 of 31 January 2024, if psychiatrists are a bottleneck for assessments, as indicated in the National Gender Service's July 2023 clinical governance committee minutes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20790/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 622. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 167 of 31 January 2024, if the National Gender Service will provide a recent example of the sort of situation where it was necessary to meet with non-clinical groups; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20791/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 623. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 167 of 31 January 2024, how meeting no such organisations in 2023 is in line with the National Gender Service model of care's commitment that "patient support and advocacy organisations will be involved in governance and service development”; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20792/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 624. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 168 of 31 January 2024, if the National Gender Service considers the care it provides to be gender affirming; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20793/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 625. To ask the Minister for Health further to Parliamentary Question No. 168 of 31 January 2024, if the National Gender Service will clarify which definition of gender affirming it meant with "promoting a gender affirming model of care" in a newspaper article in September 2023 (details supplied);; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20794/24]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Challenges Facing the Bus and Coach Industry: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: That is fair. I thank all of the witnesses for appearing. First, I acknowledge what we have heard in the opening statements about how responsive and flexible transport companies have been in meeting the recruitment challenges that exist in this sector. We have heard that terms and conditions have been improved, as have wages. There have been positively aggressive recruitment campaigns,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Challenges Facing the Bus and Coach Industry: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: I refer to an interesting point made at the meeting a couple of weeks ago. Some Luas workers were saying that the security service on the Luas is not having a deterrent effect any more. We have repeat offenders who might jump onto a Dublin Bus, a Go-Ahead bus and then onto a Luas tram and be involved in three different incidents in the course of an hour. It can be the same person or group...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Challenges Facing the Bus and Coach Industry: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: This would not be a minor adjustment, though. It would be a big shift in terms of an early morning service.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport: Challenges Facing the Bus and Coach Industry: Discussion (8 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: Thank you. I must say that all of the service providers have been very responsive, outside of this committee, on a week-to-week basis. The demand for, and use of, the overnight services by workers, commuters and people out socialising in the major cities is striking. Those services have been really successful. There is a huge appetite for public transport here and I fully support...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Service Executive (2 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 32. To ask the Minister for Health the timeline for the appointment of a social worker for the Swords area, which is being hindered by the ongoing recruitment freeze in the HSE; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19400/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Cancer Services (2 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 34. To ask the Minister for Health if he will commit to funding the National Cancer strategy in full in Budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19397/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Funding (2 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 45. To ask the Minister for Health if he will increase statutory funding for an organisation (details supplied) due to data that shows that stroke incidence in Ireland could increase by 60% by 2030; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19399/24]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Departmental Staff (2 May 2024)

Duncan Smith: 50. To ask the Minister for Health the reason a chief pharmaceutical officer has yet to be appointed; if he will support such an appointment considering the consistent shortage in various medicines worldwide; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19398/24]