Results 1,141-1,160 of 5,087 for speaker:Kathleen Funchion

Living Wage: Motion [Private Members] (15 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: I pay tribute to my colleagues, Deputies Brady and Quinlivan, for tabling this motion. For as long as I have known Deputy Quinlivan, he has been passionate about this issue. I commend both Deputies. It is hypocritical of the Government to tell us that we are in a recovery and that everything is going to be okay because there is almost full employment, while then speaking about the need to...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Community Care (15 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 329. To ask the Minister for Health the provisions in place for community care homes in County Kilkenny facing a deficit in 2019. [41641/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Community Care (15 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 330. To ask the Minister for Health if community care homes are part of Sláintecare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41642/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Community Care (15 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 331. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to set up a national fund to help community care homes with the cost of improvements and upgrades as a result of HIQA visits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41643/19]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Audiology Services Provision (15 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 351. To ask the Minister for Health when an audiologist will be appointed to a clinic (details supplied); the length of time the clinic has been operating without an audiologist; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41716/19]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foster Care Provision (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 53. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps taken to rectify the state of understaffing and lack of professional oversight in the social care system for children in County Kilkenny since the recent HIQA report on foster care services in the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43281/19]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foster Care Provision (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: My question relates to the recent HIQA report on the Carlow, Kilkenny and Tipperary area. What steps has the Minister taken to rectify the state of understaffing and lack of professional oversight in the social care system for children in the areas I have mentioned since the recent HIQA report on foster care services in the area? Will she make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foster Care Provision (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: The Minister has described it as "disappointing". I would go further and say it is totally unacceptable. We have a serious issue in the region with regard to Tusla and its attitude. Part of the reason for the high staff turnover is the very defensive culture in the agency, which does not lend itself to people wanting to work there. On numerous occasions, I have tried to get answers from...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Foster Care Provision (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: I would welcome it if the Minister would specifically look into this region as to why there are such difficulties and so many problems there. Part of the problem is obviously around resources and the need for additional social workers because there are many vacancies but we also must ensure that those social workers stay in the region. We all know that the last thing a vulnerable child...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Completion Programme (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 60. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the promised review of the school completion programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43273/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Completion Programme (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: I would like an update from the Minister regarding the review of the school completion programme.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Completion Programme (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank the Minister for her reply. The Minister is aware that I am an advocate of this programme and I can never say enough good about it. This service follows the needs of the child and is not based on the child having first come to the attention of Tusla in order to get assistance. Under this programme, it does not matter who the child's parents are or what is going on in his or her...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Completion Programme (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: It is really important that the school completion co-ordinators are totally involved in that consultation process. I know there have been some governance issues and I accept that. They also did have a proposal going back a few years at this stage in respect of being brought in under the education and training boards, ETBs, for their governance issues. I had concerns when it was taken out...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Funding (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 62. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason for delays in Pobal payments or shortfalls in payments to early years service providers since August 2019; the reason there has been no correspondence or notifications made by Pobal with the service providers affected in advance of the delays; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43276/19]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Funding (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: This question relates to childcare and early years services and the delays or shortfalls in Pobal payments to them since August of this year and why there has been no correspondence or notifications made by Pobal with the services affected.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Funding (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: There has to be some misinformation somewhere regarding this because that is not the case for many services in Kilkenny which have contacted me to say that they are dipping into their own money to try to pay staff wages because there has been such a delay. The problem that they have is that nobody is talking to them. They have to chase down Pobal, and nobody is coming to them to say that...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services Funding (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: I will forward this information to the Minister afterwards. The issue relating to the service providers is not the delays. Everyone in life understands that there are delays and glitches with systems. The issue is the lack of communication and preliminary payments being made and then taken back, with no explanation. That seems to be the big issue for the services. I will forward this...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges Provision (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 70. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason a refuge (details supplied) was refused funding in Budget 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43274/19]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Regulation (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 75. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the position regarding the recently investigated crèches (details supplied); the steps being taken to address issues raised by parents of children attending this service provider which continues to be in operation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43272/19]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services Staff (22 Oct 2019)

Kathleen Funchion: 78. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the measures included in the new national childcare scheme to address the poor pay and working conditions of those working in the childcare and early years sector. [43275/19]