Results 23,281-23,300 of 23,995 for speaker:Charlie McConalogue

Written Answers — Medical Cards: Medical Cards (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: Question 670: To ask the Minister for Health if he will confirm if haemochromatosis is covered under the medical card schemes for medical card holders; if not, the plans he has to include it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7878/12]

Written Answers — Road Network: Road Network (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: Question 762: To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport the details of road projects in the country, if any, granted funding by him under the specific improvement road grants programme for 2012 to a value of less than €250,000 and the reason for the funding of any project granted funding below this threshold; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8403/12]

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister outlined many challenges that must be addressed in regard to child protection services. I agree with her entirely in this regard. One of the challenges she has had to address in the past year is the appointment of the 60 additional social workers. According to her figures, ten of the 60 were in place at the end of 2011. My question is very specific - how many social workers...

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister is now saying there is no plan for establishing the number of social workers to be in place at the end of 2012. Despite all the work over recent years, the recommendation of the Ryan report stating there should be 270 additional social workers employed, and the Minister's stating in the Dáil over the past year that she was working towards delivering these posts by the end of...

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: Question 58: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of additional social workers in place at the end of 2011 compared with the start of 2011; if there is a plan in place to deal with public sector retirements affecting social workers; if she will publish the plan; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8297/12]

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: I remind the Minister of comments she made while in opposition. On 4 November 2009 she stated in the Seanad: It is, therefore, disturbing to read about the report from the HSE in The Irish Times today that the number of children in care who have a social worker has fallen by 7% this year. It makes a mockery of the recommendations made in the Ryan report if we do not have these services in...

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister is now telling me that what was in place at the end of last year was ten more than were in place at the start of the year. Although in opposition in 2009 the Minister claimed it was a mockery not to implement the recommendations of the Ryan report, she failed to have those 60 social workers by the end of last year. In addition, 71 social workers are retiring under the HSE...

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: That is not good enough. What is the transition team doing and when was it appointed? What is the status of the Minister's commitment to appoint a further ten social workers in January? Where will she find the additional 71? Of the 60 social workers supposed to be in place by the end of last year, how many are in place-----

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: -----as opposed to being in some form of negotiation of contract?

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: To recap, the Minister stated today that the 60 social workers who the Dáil was told last year were to be recruited as part of the Ryan report recommendations were not required as the levels recommended by the report had been reached because the Minister would go back as far as 2009. That begs the question of what was the point of recruiting those social workers in the first place. They...

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: I was very disappointed to hear the Minister minimising the impact of those retirements by saying they would be spread across the country.

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: At the same time we are supposed to be putting an effort into raising the numbers.

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: The Minister has not responded on how those places will be filled.

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: I would like an answer.

Health Service Staff (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: I am disappointed they are not in place.

Children in Care (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: Question 61: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to provide guardians to all unaccompanied children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8298/12]

Children in Care (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: I thank the Minister for her reply on this matter. The key issue at stake here is how we deal with unaccompanied minors, that is, those presenting as children with no parents along with them, coming in to this country. As the Minister stated, the numbers have decreased, from over 1,000 in 2001 to just 105 last year. However, of the 79 unaccompanied minors in State care as of January this...

Children in Care (14 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: I understand three unaccompanied minors went missing from HSE care in 2011. Ensuring that our services are strong so that this does not happen is critical to ensuring this country is not seen as somewhere open to child trafficking. I encourage the Minister to ensure we make every effort so that we have a robust service to ensure children are kept safe.

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (9 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: Question 77: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if, in view of the recommendations made in the Children's Rights Alliance Report Card 2012, he will develop a blueprint for delivering the vital services and supports for children with special educational needs by finally publishing and executing the plan to implement the EPSEN Act; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7313/12]

Written Answers — Disadvantaged Status: Disadvantaged Status (9 Feb 2012)

Charlie McConalogue: Question 80: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the format his review of cuts to the DEIS programme will take; if it will involve a one by one assessment of individual schools affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7383/12]