Results 28,841-28,860 of 40,550 for speaker:Joan Burton
- Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: There is no proposal to review that legislation.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: The Deputy will have seen that the Children's Rights Alliance, in its report earlier in the week, gave an "A" grade to the Government-----
- Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: -----in regard to the development of child literacy and the national literacy strategy.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: In fact, it was recognising the significance and importance of the achievements across all schools around the country in respect of both literacy and numeracy. The Deputy will know that the report, which was published in the last month or so, actually shows the greatest improvement in 30 years in areas such as reading and writing in schools. That is a great achievement on the part of the...
- Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: I have had the privilege in recent months of being in quite a few schools, both primary and secondary, but particularly schools where there are school breakfast clubs. Notwithstanding the fact that resources have been very tight, I have been able to bring the funding for school breakfast clubs up to €39 million. That has been rolled out around the country.
- Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: As I am sure the Deputy knows, in many schools the school completion people are heavily involved in the establishment, running and overall success of the school breakfast club. It is a very good space for children to come in to school perhaps a half hour early, sit down with their peers-----
- Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: -----in a very social environment-----
- Leaders' Questions (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: -----and have breakfast. I am aware that some DEIS status schools have not applied for school breakfast clubs. In recent years I have made additional funding available each year for the school breakfast clubs. If Deputies are aware of schools that have not applied for funding, I would encourage them to talk to the schools about talking to the Department of Social Protection about getting...
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: The Order of Business is No. 17a, motion re membership of committee; No. 45, the Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014 [Seanad] - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; No. 9, the Children and Family Relationships Bill 2015 - Second Stage (resumed); No. 42, the Roads Bill 2014 - Order for Report, Report and Final Stages; and No. 43, the Climate Action and Low Carbon...
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: As the Deputy knows, the Minister, Deputy Varadkar, got a historic level of additional resources in the budget, and we are only a couple of months into the financial year.
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: He got very significant additional resources for last year and very significant additional resources for this year. The Minister has welcomed that. He also had additional resources, as the Minister of State, Deputy Lynch, has had, of €25 million in regard to the fair deal scheme.
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: I am sure the Minister for Health and the HSE will sit down with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to go through the options for departmental efficiencies, particularly on the significant cost of drugs, so as to provide the best possible delivery of services to the people the Deputy talked about.
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: I understand that the water services (amendment) (no. 2) Bill is to come before Government shortly.
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Second, regarding the issues the Deputy raised concerning SICAP, the Minister inherited a situation where there was a tender process in place.
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: As I understand it, that tender process is still under way and is due to conclude in the near future. As the Deputy will understand, it would not be advisable to comment on any detail of that tender process while it is under way. However, when the tender process has concluded, it will be a matter for the Whips if they want to arrange a debate. The best mechanism is for the Deputy or her...
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: I will deal first with the question about children with an assessment of mild Down's syndrome. Clearly, this has been a major concern for the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Jan O'Sullivan. She has had detailed discussions on the various reports on the allocation of resources. I know she is satisfied that the issues raised by the parents involved can be addressed. In addition to...
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: Mr. Fergus Finlay welcomed the €5 monthly increase in child benefit, which has been of significant assistance to families with children. As the Deputy is probably aware, on his party's own watch, the country lost 330,000 jobs. That is the reason so many children have been affected by-----
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: The Deputy should have a detailed look at the report to see what measures were indicated there. He will find that the issues set out related to heating, an inability to have people over for a meal once a month, or to go out once a month, as being the key, critical-----
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: If the Deputy wants to get real, I suggest that he should read the report.
- Order of Business (26 Feb 2015)
Joan Burton: He would then see that the effect of transfers in terms of maintaining core social protection rates has had the greatest outcome in all of Europe in reducing the risk of poverty by over 50%. That is down to-----