Results 10,481-10,500 of 10,837 for speaker:Anne Rabbitte

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Measures (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Senator for raising this matter. I am responding on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee. Ireland is, in general, a diverse and welcoming country but there are people living here who live in fear simply because of who they are - their identity. The Criminal Justice (Incitement to Violence or Hatred and Hate Offences) Bill had been due to repeal and replace the...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Legislative Measures (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I appreciate the Senator's interest and contribution. The Minister for Justice wants to be clear; Ireland must update its incitement to hatred legislation. If this requires further discussion and debate to reach consensus on how we do this effectively, she is prepared to examine the issues with a view to finding a way forward. While that is happening, we cannot ignore the fact that we need...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Civil Registration Service (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I see the matter was addressed to the Minister for Social Protection-----

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Civil Registration Service (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I do not know on whose behalf I am answering but I will answer it as it has been scripted for me. I thank the Senator for raising this matter. The civil registration service is an important service. There is a legal requirement on every person to notify the service of births, marriages and deaths that occur in the State and to do this in a timely manner. When a birth is registered, it...

Seanad: Nithe i dtosach suíonna - Commencement Matters: Civil Registration Service (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Absolutely. The Senator saw me trying to figure out which Minister I was answering for at the beginning. The answer I received from the Department of Social Protection clearly tells me the process involved in it. It also clearly tells us how they are trying to move to that digital space to make it more flexible, timely and everything else. It is also important to have that choice. I...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy Ryan. He has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding for the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII, under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning, design and...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Projects (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Over the past 25 years, the Government of Ireland has invested heavily in our national roads network, with an extensive motorway system now in place. The motorway network has seen almost tenfold expansion since 2000. Due to the outlined funding constraints for national roads, a prioritisation exercise was necessary from the outset. In line with the NDP and Government policy, the Minister...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As the Deputy has acknowledged, I am taking this on behalf of the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton. I stress that enabling students with special educational needs to receive an appropriate education is an absolute priority for the Minister and this Government. It is the Government's priority to ensure all children have an appropriate school placement and the necessary supports are...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I will bring back the name of Shelagh National School to the Minister of State. The Deputy is a very strong advocate in this space. With the recruitment of the extra NCSEs - doubling numbers - I have no doubt there is provision for a new NCSE to look after the wee county of Louth to ensure there is proper capacity building in primary and post-primary. When you look at the numbers going...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Absolutely.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Safety (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising this matter. I am taking it on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. The Minister for Transport has responsibility for overall policy and Exchequer funding in relation to the national roads programme. Once funding arrangements have been put in place with TII under the Roads Acts 1993 to 2015 and in line with the national development plan, NDP, the planning,...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Road Safety (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy. I take on board totally what he just said and I will relay it back. This is about safety and saving lives. Yet again, though, I must read another such reply. I must read everything I am given because I am deputising. Approximately €411 million of Exchequer capital funds was provided to TII for national roads in 2024. In line with the NDP and Government...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank Deputy Wynne for raising this important issue and for offering the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, the opportunity to respond. I am taking the matter on his behalf. A key objective for the Department is for all children to participate in ECCE, the free pre-school programme. The early childhood care and education scheme, ECCE, is a free universal two-year pre-school programme...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Early Childhood Care and Education (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As I am taking this on behalf of the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, I must stick to the script. It is intended that, over time, all children with additional needs enrolled in early learning and care in school-aged children services will have access to supports under AIM. To this end, consideration is being given by officials in the Department of children to policy and mechanisms to extend AIM...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: The deal was most certainly done.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: The KOSI process was put in place last year. Would you believe it, we are still working our way through the KOSI process. Only yesterday, I visited St. Christopher's Services in Longford. Its back payment of €1.2 million has been allocated and released by the HSE to the provider and will be passed on. A number of other section 39 organisations still need to complete the...

Seanad: Final Report of the Joint Committee on Autism: Motion [Private Members] (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Seanad for allowing us to have this debate. It is not really a debate but an acknowledgement of the hard work that the Joint Committee on Autism has done on the report that was produced over 12 months ago. I thank its Chairman, Senator Carrigy, for making sure there were no barriers to this committee being an all-party, cross-party committee, where children, young adults and...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disability Services (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: The €336m in additional funding for Disability Services includes: €290m in ELS, a significant provision which recognises the challenges prevailing in the sector including the increased cost of service provision, pay cost pressures and service provider sustainability. In addition, the ELS will provide for the full year cost of new service activity in 2024 and, in a departure...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth: Disabilities Assessments (9 Oct 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As this question refers to service matters, I have asked the Health Service Executive (HSE) to respond to the Deputy directly, as soon as possible.