Results 3,781-3,800 of 5,087 for speaker:Kathleen Funchion

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: We often hear about a lack of consultation with many other sectors so that is good to hear. What are the witnesses' opinions in general on the reopening of schools? I ask this mainly as a parent. Children have been out of school now since 12 March. Notwithstanding the academic issues and the fact that certain people are more nervous about the risks of Covid-19, it has been a long time...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I like the idea of putting the academic aspects on the back burner, even until Christmas, to give children a chance to ease themselves in again. This crisis has been difficult for children but they have handled it really well. It will be even more difficult in September when we suddenly tell them everything is back to normal even though, to a certain extent, nothing will ever be normal...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Impact of Covid-19: Education – Return to School and School Transport (2 Jul 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank the witness and I appreciate much of what she is saying. I agree with a large part of it. To be very honest, as a parent I found home schooling very difficult when trying to juggle it with work. My experience is that children react totally differently to a parent trying to teach them than a teacher doing so. I hope we will never be back in this position again but if something like...

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (30 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 165. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if clear and concise information will be provided to parents, schools and the HSE in relation to summer provision and also that children with a moderate intellectual disability or Down's syndrome that attend secondary school be included along with children that had their assessments put on hold due to the Covid-19 pandemic. [13031/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (30 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 411. To ask the Minister for Health when dental services for children with special needs will resume in St. Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny (details supplied). [12894/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Respite Care Services (30 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 412. To ask the Minister for Health the status of the home share respite project in the south-east; and if the project is on schedule in view of indications by the head of HSE disability services for the south-east. [12895/20]

Written Answers — Department of Health: Dental Services (30 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 490. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE will outsource dental appointments for children in order that waiting times to have urgent dental work undertaken can be significantly reduced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13212/20]

Written Answers — Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment: Covid-19 Pandemic Supports (30 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 616. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will introduce a bin fee waiver in view of Covid-19 in particular for households on low incomes (details supplied). [12997/20]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Childcare Services (30 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 754. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if early childcare facilities will have to re-register children post-Covid-19; and his views on whether it would be more appropriate and less time consuming if these facilities removed children that are not returning from their listings. [12896/20]

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (30 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 755. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason he indicated on 20 May and 3 June 2020 that the report into Tuam Mother and Baby Home would be published on 26 June 2020, in view of the fact on 12 June 2020 it was announced the report would be delayed by a further six months; and if his attention was drawn to the fact on 20 May 2020 that the publication of the report would...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (30 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: 756. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if a guarantee will be given that the publication of the Tuam Mother and Baby Home report will not be delayed further in view of several postponements to its publication, the most recent due to the Covid-19 crisis. [12898/20]

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank the witnesses from Inclusion Ireland for their presentations. I was really impressed with Mr. Egan's opening statement, in which he said: "Some parents noted that their child presents with behaviours that can be challenging or he or she has poor attention skills which require the support of a skilled teacher." That sums up everything we have been discussing over the past number of...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: That leads me to my second question. On Tuesday, the committee discussed the early years childcare sector which is reopening on Monday. We all accept that there will be challenges, difficulties and teething problems for everybody reopening at the moment. Given that other sectors are reopening, there is a way to provide the July provision to all children with additional needs rather than to...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Needs Education: Impact of Covid-19 (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: Parents have told me - I have also seen it - that they have to go on social media looking for tutors. Sometimes, when one puts in a parliamentary question, one gets an answer back that everything is fine and rosy in the garden when the experience is a lot different. Is there assistance available from the NCSE or from SENOs to assist people in finding tutors? From what I have seen and...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank the Acting Chairman and I thank the Department and the NCSE for coming in. My first two questions are for the Department and the NCSE and concern children who cannot be diagnosed due to the delays caused by Covid. I am talking specifically about autism spectrum disorder, ASD, and also in general. What provisions are in place to provide either resource hours, a place in a special...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: One must have a specific diagnosis on paper if one is looking for an ASD class place. I know one cannot apply for a place at a particularly school in Kilkenny unless one has a diagnosis on paper. I mentioned resource hours but I also mentioned an ASD class and special schools. What happens if one awaits a diagnosis that has been delayed due to Covid and one's child is due to start school...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: My second question relates to SNAs in a particular preschool. There is only one ASD preschool in Kilkenny and as such Ms Griffin will probably be aware of the preschool I am speaking about it. The preschool can cater for 12 children but it has only nine children enrolled, with diagnoses in respect of three other children delayed owing to Covid-19. Every year, this preschool is inundated...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I would appreciate it if Ms Griffin would do so. On the expansion of the summer provision programme, year-on-year there is much discussion and general agreement on the need for this provision to be made available to all children with additional needs rather than it being ring-fenced for children with autism and every year we end up in the same situation, although I acknowledge that the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: My final point is in regard to those people who on leaving secondary school were due to transition from children's services into adult services and for whom, as for all of us, everything was turned upside down in March. Many of them may have concerns regarding transport. I accept this is not a matter that comes directly within the remit of the witnesses. Could interim services or, perhaps,...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

Kathleen Funchion: I thank Mr. Tattan.