Results 4,361-4,380 of 5,087 for speaker:Kathleen Funchion

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (9 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I think part of it is to potentially be able to bring childminders into some of the schemes which they do not currently qualify for.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (9 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I am conscious that Deputy Costello has not had the opportunity to come in. I am going to let him in now.

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Accommodation (9 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: 283. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if she will provide an update with regard to a school (details supplied) which in August 2022 was offered a purchase option on a six-room modular building; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21355/23]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: 523. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional cost of increasing the universal national childcare scheme subsidy by €1 and €2, in tabular form. [21050/23]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Childcare Services (9 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: 524. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the additional cost of increasing core funding by 50 cent, €1.00, €1.50 and €2.00 for the following early years pay grades; Educator, lead educator, graduate lead educator, duty manager, manager and graduate manager, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [21051/23]

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: We have received apologies from Deputies Brady and Cairns and Senator Clonan. The item for consideration this afternoon is the pre-legislative scrutiny of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023, which we are resuming. We are joined by Ms Teresa Heeney, chief executive officer, and Ms Frances Byrne, director of policy, from Early Childhood Ireland. From Empowering Children in Care, EPIC, we...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank Ms Quinn. We will move to questions from members. Senator Seery Kearney has had to leave to attend the Seanad. Several members will be in the Seanad because the redress scheme for mother and baby homes is currently being discussed. The timing is unfortunate.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I am informed it is four.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: We might start with the representatives from EPIC and then proceed to those from TIGALA, the Irish Foster Care Association and Early Childhood Ireland, respectively.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank Senator Ruane. We will probably have time for a second round. I call Deputy Creed and ask him to confirm he is on the grounds of the Leinster House complex.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I think there was one more question.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: Before we go to a second round I have a question for EPIC. It states at the bottom of page 2 of its submission that it is disappointed about some of the exclusions, like a dedicated section to support unaccompanied minors and much needed update to the in camerarule. Can they give the committee some more information on those, particularly the in camerarule? That comes up a lot. It is not...

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I am sorry to interrupt. There is a vote in the Seanad. Senator Ruane may need to go.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: Does the Senator want to ask anything else? The Seanad vote has just started.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: I apologise to Mr. Stitt for the interruption. He addressed the in cameraissue, but there is the matter of unaccompanied minors, which is particularly an issue now when we see everything that has been going on recently. The Department's response last week to the reason for exclusion was not great.

Joint Committee On Children, Equality, Disability, Integration And Youth: General Scheme of the Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2023: Discussion (Resumed) (16 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: Does anybody else wish to add to those points? Does Deputy Costello have any questions? No. Everyone is very co-operative. I liked what Deputy Sherlock said regarding TIGALA's submission and its example of child A and child B. Legislation on GALs was before the Dáil during its previous term. I was a member of the committee but not its chair at the time. Deputy Sherlock and I were...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Children in Care (11 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: 250. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will confirm the number of children currently in care who do not have an allocated social worker, by county; the length of time that the children have been waiting on a social worker; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22137/23]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Child and Family Agency (11 May 2023)

Kathleen Funchion: 254. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of successful family reunifications by Tusla in the five years from 2018 to 2022; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22300/23]