Results 4,781-4,800 of 7,652 for speaker:Joanna Tuffy

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Curriculum (26 Feb 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on proposals to bring in politics as a leaving certificate subject; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9950/13]

Written Answers — Department of Health: General Practitioner Services (26 Feb 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide an update on the estimated cost of introducing free general practitioner visits for all children aged six years and under; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9951/13]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Policy (27 Feb 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide an update on the rules regarding the age that children leave foster care (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10699/13]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I welcome the representatives of the European Anti-Poverty Network, EAPN, who will address us on their experiences in dealing with poverty in Ireland and their views on the new EU fund for food and clothing for those who are homeless and in difficulty. I welcome Mr. Robin Hanan, director of the European Anti-Poverty Network in Ireland, and Mr. Paul Ginnell, policy and support worker. I draw...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: That would be good. We will make our political contribution to the European Commission shortly. Please proceed and then if members have any questions they can be addressed.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: We have received the submission. We have written up a draft report but on foot of this meeting we will probably amend the draft slightly to take into account the submission and the replies to the questions from members. The broader topic of the report is meant to be poverty and the issue of income equality and the delegates have covered that topic very well. I will call on members to ask...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I will allow members to contribute and I have a couple of questions myself. At that stage we might get the witnesses to wrap up.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I have a couple of question I would like to put. Reference was made in the presentation to the political contribution to the fund. It was said that the continued focus on food aid is also important but it can only be of real value to Ireland if there is also support to develop a delivery infrastructure such as a food bank, as has been proposed. Could the witnesses provide more detail on...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I invite Mr. Hanan and Mr. Ginnell to reply to the questions and to make their concluding remarks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I am sorry to interrupt, but the Minister is waiting outside. I was hoping to conclude this session in the next few minutes. Therefore, I ask Mr. Hanan to be brief.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: A question was asked about Food Bank infrastructure.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I ask Mr. Ginnell to be very brief because the Minister is waiting outside.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Very briefly because we have gone over time and the Minister can only stay for a very short period.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Poverty Issues: Discussion with European Anti-Poverty Network (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I thank Mr. Ginnell for briefing us. We will take on board some of the comments he made on the EU fund and incorporate them in our draft. We will send a copy of the transcript of the debate to the Minister for Social Protection for her comments. With regard to our political contribution to the fund for European aid, as discussed previously, is it agreed that we send the political...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Budget: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Members will recall that before Christmas, there was a call for a meeting to discuss the impact of decisions taken in budget 2013, particularly on education services. I welcome the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Ruairí Quinn, to discuss these decisions. I ask those in attendance to respect the parliamentary practice to the effect that, where possible, they should not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Budget: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Does Deputy Ó Riordáin want to come in now or will he wait?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Budget: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Okay, I wish to ask a couple of questions myself. As regards fee-paying schools, our committee is looking at the Finnish education system. By law, schools in Finland - including private schools - cannot charge fees. That is an interesting system. They do have private schools in the Finnish system but they are not allowed to charge fees, so they must find extra funds elsewhere. In...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Budget: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: Does Deputy Ó Riordáin wish to come in now?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Budget: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: I wish to clarify that in Finland the private schools are State-funded, like here, but they are not allowed to charge fees. Their tuition is paid for by the State but they cannot charge fees. I will now ask the Minister to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Education and Social Protection: Education Budget: Discussion with Minister for Education and Skills (6 Mar 2013)

Joanna Tuffy: The committee is compiling a report on that issue and we will send it to the Minister.