Results 3,041-3,060 of 4,037 for speaker:Jennifer Whitmore

Written Answers — Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade: Overseas Development Aid (20 Sep 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 32. To ask the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade if any portion of Ireland's oversees development assistance budget has been used for the purposes of enhancing European Union border security or funding migration control facilities in third countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40562/23]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Departmental Budgets (20 Sep 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 868. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if as part of his Department's budgetary proposals this year will they propose measures to address issues raised by a report (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [40563/23]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Medicinal Products (20 Sep 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: 886. To ask the Minister for Health for an update on when the report on the cariban reimbursement scheme review will be published; if further changes will be made to the scheme than the changes (details supplied) that were announced at the end of August 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39530/23]

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: There is hardly a greater avoidable tragedy in Irish society than child poverty. It destroys and limits lives. It affects everything, including emotional development, educational attainment, mental health, physical well-being, career opportunities and income in later life. Poverty does not just contribute to bad outcomes. It has a direct and negative causal impact on children,...

School Transport 2023-2024: Statements (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: It is more than five weeks since parents in Wicklow were told the school bus service for which they had applied and paid, and on which they relied, was no longer available for their children to get them to school. Parents were left in the lurch. Very little information was given to them. No reason was given as to why this happened or when it would be resolved. Many parents, unfortunately,...

Childcare Fees: Motion [Private Members] (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank Sinn Féin, specifically Deputy Funchion, for bringing forward this motion. The Deputy has worked collaboratively on the Joint Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, focusing on issues relating to children and their welfare. What is in the Sinn Féin motion is not a surprise to anyone. The majority of people recognise that childcare costs are...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I thank the Cathaoirleach Gníomhach for allowing me to speak today because it is great to have the opportunity to have face-to-face engagement with the Department. I have had many discussions with the Department via parliamentary questions and emails. I primarily want to raise the issue of capacity in the Greystones area. We have seen a very significant population growth there of...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Which they do, to be fair to them.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: They all work really well together.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: We are tight on time. I know that there are 75 fewer places for September 2024, regardless of the duplicates and all of that. The schools work closely together and use a good model in how they approach it. How will those 75 students be accommodated?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: That will not make any difference to the parents who are going to be on to me in a month's time asking where their children are going to go to school. Will the Department guarantee that those children in Greystones will have a place in their local community? If so, how is that going to be achieved? That is all I want, aside from responses to the other questions.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Do not let him talk again. I still want to follow up on the other issues.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I may have taken Mr. Loftus by surprise. I am not sure if he was aware of the deficit of 75 places. I ask him to come back to me on that. It is really important. On the funding for the bus, those children have been walking backwards and forwards to that-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: The school has been hearing that for a long time. My understanding is that the patron has lodged an application for that. When will that be signed off? We cannot have a situation where children have to walk to sports facilities in the rain.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Skills: Current and Future Plans of the School Building Unit: Department of Education (3 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I also raised the issue of temporary accommodation in Blessington Community College.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: Last year, the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, said he wanted to halve childcare fees over two budgets. Given that he is the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, with the power to slash fees, there was an assumption that he was serious about that promise to parents. It started out well, with an average 25% reduction last year, but cracks have appeared in the...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: When parents are dependent on two incomes to pay rent, a mortgage, soaring energy bills and all the costs associated with having a new baby, they decide that one parent must remain at work. This does not mean that fathers do not want to spend this important time with their newborns, they just cannot afford to. The Government could do something about that. It could commit and do bigger...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: I am not talking about the budget in total, I am talking about the childcare element of it.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: The Tánaiste can try to muddy the waters as much as he likes but the context that is important here is that the Minister made a commitment to reduce the cost of childcare for parents by 50%. That was the promise and that was the commitment. The question now for the Government is whether it is actually going to meet that commitment. That is the only question the Tánaiste had to...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (5 Oct 2023)

Jennifer Whitmore: What we have seen is that over successive governments, the role of parents is forgotten-----