Results 721-740 of 1,937 for speaker:Denise Mitchell

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (12 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: 638. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of developing a pilot for the school meals programme to youth services, early years settings and after-school programmes to address the issue of food poverty for children and young persons availing of those services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11561/19]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (12 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: 639. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the consideration that has been given to extending the school meals programme to youth services, early years settings and after-school programmes; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11562/19]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (12 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: 640. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the cost of extending the school meals programme to cover schools that do not have DEIS status but that would otherwise have disadvantaged status under the Pobal HP deprivation index; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11563/19]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: School Meals Programme (12 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: 641. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the qualifying criteria for the school meals programme; if these have been reviewed or will be reviewed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11564/19]

Period Poverty: Motion (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I welcome this motion and, in particular, recent moves by Dublin City Council and South Dublin County Council to roll out free sanitary products in their buildings. I wish to highlight the issue of period poverty among those in direct provision centres. In November, the Minister for Justice and Equality told my colleague, Deputy Adams, in a response to a parliamentary question that the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I thank the witnesses for coming before us today and for the opening statement. I have a few questions about the letter. We are getting conflicting stories in the media. This letter refers to cases A and B. Are they recent cases? By recent, I mean whether are we talking-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: In that case, we have contradictions on both sides. I am happy that Ms Creamer clarified that we are talking about 2018. The eight recommendations were mentioned. For the benefit of members of the public, will the witnesses walk us through the process when an allegation is made? What should Scouting Ireland do and what does Tusla do thereafter?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: What about case A?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Does Tusla think it incredible that a child would be interviewed on three occasions?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: That particular case seemed to be handled pretty badly. Did Tusla have any concerns at the time that Scouting Ireland was setting up a helpline?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I will draw Tusla's attention back to the helpline itself. Scouting Ireland set up a helpline and Tusla had no concerns. Tusla stated it is looking at such matters as legacy cases. Then Tusla set up a helpline. How many calls were received by the Tusla helpline?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: No. I refer to the one that it opened.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Why did Tusla close the helpline? Was it closed before Christmas?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: My concern is that there were 23 calls to the Tusla helpline to date and the one before Christmas received 45 calls. It seems that the Scouting Ireland helpline received a large number of calls. This is where I am concerned. If the State agency only had 45 calls and Scouting Ireland was getting more than 100 calls, what was happening with that information? Was Scouting Ireland passing its...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Is there full co-operation? Has Tusla been getting all that information?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: When will that take place?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I will be brief as much of what I wanted to say has been said. To be honest, when I first read the letter, I was horrified. When I read what had happened in cases A, B and C, it scared me. I have no doubt that the parents and scout leaders who read it were disgusted. However, I will focus on the here and now. According to the evidence presented, cases A, B and C of 2018 are live....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Governance and Child Safeguarding Issues in Scouting Ireland: Tusla and Scouting Ireland (13 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: On a camping trip, for instance, if something was observed, two leaders are involved straightaway, parents are notified and the relevant agencies are contacted.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I thank Ms Bond for her presentation. I want to ask a few brief questions because there was much touched on there. Ms Bond has said that the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, has 2,036 members. How does a foster carer become a member? Are the foster carers aware of the organisation? There are 4,523 foster carers so it appears to be nearly half and half. Perhaps Ms Bond could address...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Recruitment and Retention of Social Workers: Discussion (27 Mar 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Five agencies do.