Results 321-340 of 1,025,084 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Matt Shanahan) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: The Minister of State referenced how the Wexford model has worked. That is what I am hearing anyway, and I have discussed this with colleagues. Could the Minister of State again elaborate on this? She mentioned that 220-odd posts were required and that 126 of them have actually been appointed at this stage. There is therefore a shortfall of approximately 100 appointees that are yet to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As I said to the Deputy, of the 221 whole-time equivalent posts, 126 have been filled. Wherever they are in the country, at this stage there is a shortfall of more than 700 whole-time equivalent staff on our CDNT teams, which have a role in supporting our special schools. The Wexford model has been phenomenal in the sense that there has been real collaboration there. I have no doubt the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Is féidir teacht ar Cheisteanna Scríofa ar www.oireachtas.ie. Written Answers are published on the Oireachtas website.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Cuireadh an Dáil ar athló ar 12.15 a.m. go dtí 9.10 a.m., Dé Céadaoin, an 19 Meitheamh 2024. The Dáil adjourned at at 12.15 a.m. until 9.10 a.m. on Wednesday, 19 June 2024.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Service Executive (18 Jun 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. It is a little bit like Cinderella at this hour, 12 midnight, and Deputy O'Sullivan appears. To be honest, we normally never get to deal with this number of questions. It is the first time we have done it, so I am answering this one totally unscripted. Luckily, I was at the committee today and I do remember what was said to his question. ...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Service Executive (18 Jun 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I welcome the initiative. It is just like in 2022 when the last attempt was made to clear the backlog, especially in my CHO in Cork, CHO 4. I have considerable concerns that we are here again, two years on, with another waiting list. Will the Minister of State elaborate on the reasons for that given, as I said, we thought we had cleared the waiting list two years ago and now we find...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Service Executive (18 Jun 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Deputy O'Sullivan is right. We managed to clear the backlog with the funding that was sourced in 2020 when we had 6,500 children waiting for an assessment of need. It took us approximately 14 months to clear the entire backlog. Why have we found ourselves here again? We have found ourselves here again because of the soft model, which is the standard operational procedure, SOP, which meant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Service Executive (18 Jun 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: Despite the difficulties we have experienced, I cannot reiterate enough that I commend the Minister of State on the work she has done. I know we have talked privately and we have met with stakeholders. We have talked about the benefits of AIM classes in particular and access to language classes, especially for students who do not require an assessment of need to be undertaken. In the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Health Service Executive (18 Jun 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: This is a new concept I was not completely aware of, namely, that we have 63 specific speech and language disorder, SSLD, classes in the country, which are speech and language classes for children with very set criteria who have verbal dyspraxia. There are seven in a class with the lead teacher and a speech and language therapist. They know that with regular daily intervention over a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Special Educational Needs

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: 54. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the timeline for the reintroduction of therapists to special schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [26001/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: This might be the last question for tonight. I now get why people were smirking and laughing when I came in. Will the Minister of State give an update on the timeline for the reintroduction of therapists to special schools and make a statement on the matter?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan very much. I have no doubt, given he is a Cork TD, that the introduction of therapists to special schools is primarily focused on Cork schools. To be honest with him, a comprehensive submission has been made in recent days by David Walsh and Bernard O'Regan. Officials in the Department have been meeting with the CEO of the HSE to address the introduction of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Special Educational Needs (18 Jun 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I again thank the Minister of State. I do not doubt her bona fides in this regard. I know she has been trying her best to resolve this issue in recent years. Approximately two and a half years ago in Limerick, we met all the principals of Cork special schools. I note that the Minister of State has been working away in the background trying to resolve this issue, but she is obviously...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (18 Jun 2024)

David Stanton: I have two brief follow-up questions. Is it the case and can the Minister confirm that services which are not involved in the core funding model can charge what they like and that the Minister has no control over what they can charge? Has the Minister or his Department entered into any discussions with the Department of Education - the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte might be...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Right now, where a service is not involved in the core funding model my Department does not have a mechanism to influence how much it charges. If the service is in the NCS the Department provides a significant subsidy to parents, which is growing this year - and very significantly in September - and which will lessen the costs. However, right now the Department does not have a mechanism if...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (18 Jun 2024)

Children in Care

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (18 Jun 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: 51. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to Parliamentary Question No. 1347 of 17 January 2024, if he has followed up with the Minister for Social Protection on the issue of pension support for foster carers, as he promised in a response (details supplied); his views on whether the situation foster carers are in is acceptable; and if he will...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (18 Jun 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: My question is to ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth further to a parliamentary question response to Deputy Emer Higgins in January of this year to liaise with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, on the disgraceful fact that foster carers do not receive pension support even if their child has additional needs and Tusla has advised the foster carer to be in...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Children in Care (18 Jun 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Foster care is the preferred method of care for children in care who cannot live with their families of origin. As we know, foster care provides a safe, secure and stable home environment for some of our most vulnerable children. Tusla's assessment of any foster carer must consider the foster carer's expected availability to meet and support the needs of the child who has come into his or...