Results 3,461-3,480 of 5,087 for speaker:Kathleen Funchion

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I welcome Dr. Muldoon. He will be addressing the committee from meeting room B in LH2000. I also welcome his colleagues accompanying him, Ms Karen McAuley, head of the policy department; and Ms Ciara McKenna-Keane, external investigator. Witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of the presentations they make to the committee. This means that they have an absolute defence...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank Dr. Muldoon. He stated that the OCO found out only yesterday that something would not be happening. Was he referring to HIQA?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank Dr. Muldoon for that clarification. It is very disappointing, to say the least.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: Yes, absolutely.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: Does Deputy Dillon wish to make a further contribution?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I call Deputy Sherlock. He should unmute his microphone.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I ask Dr. Muldoon to respond. I know that some of the issues raised concern education, for example, I am not sure that Dr. Muldoon will be able to respond on the issue of the Irish-language exemption. I ask him to respond to the issues raised that he can.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I want to raise several issues. As has been said, we genuinely appreciate Dr. Muldoon coming before the committee, the report and his work in general. I have always found a very proactive approach from the Office of the Ombudsman for Children. It is very much needed, unfortunately, because as I am sure many people will agree, a child with additional needs is almost a second-class citizen....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: Yes. I know there is a name but I cannot think of it. This is just as important and sometimes it is dismissed by local authorities. It is great that we have had the opportunity to raise these issues today. If Dr. Muldoon is able to do so, I ask him to answer my question on the HIQA letter. I believe we will have to get to a stage where there is financial compensation before we see...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank the witnesses. That concludes our discussion, unless Dr. Muldoon wants to make closing remarks.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Assessments of Needs for Children with Disabilities: Engagement with Ombudsman for Children (1 Dec 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank Dr. Muldoon and his colleagues, Dr. McAuley and Ms McKenna-Keane, for appearing before us via video link. I look forward to ongoing engagement with them. I propose that we publish the opening statement to the Oireachtas website. Is that agreed? Agreed. The phrase I could not remember earlier was "sensory room".

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (25 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 157. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if his attention has been drawn to the means by which the Mother and Baby Homes Commission of Investigation is contacting witnesses that gave testimony to it; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38942/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Screening Programmes (25 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 228. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the fact that trials and pilot programmes in a number of countries, including the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands and the United States, have shown that lung cancer screening can increase early detection of the disease and thereby improve mortality; and his plans to introduce a lung cancer screening programme...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Electronic Cigarettes (25 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 229. To ask the Minister for Health if his attention has been drawn to the findings (details supplied) of a recent Health Research Board report, published on 12 October 2020; and his plans to introduce stricter regulation on the sale and use of e-cigarettes. [39035/20]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Employment and Investment Incentive Scheme (24 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 260. To ask the Minister for Finance if consideration will be given to allow a company (details supplied) to raise EIIS funding towards its equity requirements for a solar farm; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38540/20]

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Wage Subsidy Scheme (24 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 277. To ask the Minister for Finance if the current 30% threshold criterion of July to December for accessing the employment wage support scheme will be reviewed and amended (details supplied). [38125/20]

Written Answers — Department of Housing, Planning, and Local Government: Commercial Rates (24 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 331. To ask the Minister for Housing, Planning, and Local Government if consideration will be given to expanding the commercial rates waiver to cover the first quarter of 2021 (details supplied). [38126/20]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Education Policy (24 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 537. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the supports available for children diagnosed as gifted; and if she will consider adding gifted children to the diagnosis that enables carers and parents to apply for the domiciliary care allowance (details supplied). [38373/20]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (24 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 619. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the supports available for parents to pay childcare fees during a period of self-isolation (details supplied). [38122/20]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Qualifications (24 Nov 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 620. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of childminder learner fund grants awarded to childminders; the number of applications his Department has received; and the breakdown of the funding provided for 2018, 2019 and 2020. [38127/20]