Results 561-580 of 1,026,121 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan OR speaker:Ossian Smyth)

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jun 2024)

Ivana Bacik: I begin by acknowledging the resignation of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, as leader of the Green Party. I wish Eamon and his family well on this momentous personal decision. I also wish Eamon’s colleagues in the Green Party well. I acknowledge his immense contribution to public service and environmentalism. Without a functioning planning system, we have no hope of achieving our...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jun 2024)

Simon Harris: I thank Deputy McDonald for raising this extraordinarily important issue. Before I answer her directly, may I acknowledge the fact that the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, has made the decision to step down as leader of the Green Party? Obviously, he has played a major leadership role in this coalition, and I want to acknowledge that. He is an honest, sincere, dedicated and decent politician....

Prelude (18 Jun 2024)

Prelude (18 Jun 2024)

Chuaigh an Ceann Comhairle i gceannas ar 2.00 p.m.

Prelude (18 Jun 2024)

Prayer and Reflection.

Prelude (18 Jun 2024)

Paidir agus Machnamh.

Gnó na Dála - Business of Dáil (18 Jun 2024)

Gnó na Dála - Business of Dáil (18 Jun 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I wish to announce for the information of the House that four Members of the Dáil have been elected to the European Parliament, namely, Deputies Barry Cowen, Kathleen Funchion, Michael McNamara and Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. Pursuant to the European Parliament Elections Act, the Deputies will cease to be Members of the Dáil when they take up their seats at the first...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jun 2024)

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (18 Jun 2024)

Mary Lou McDonald: We have an epidemic of domestic violence. This morning, Women's Aid reports that last year it received its highest level of domestic abuse disclosures in its 50-year history. The figures cited in the organisation’s impact report are frightening, with more than 40,000 disclosures of abuse against women and children made in 2023. That is a jump of 18% on the previous year. Reports of...

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

Anne Rabbitte: In relation to special schools, this has now been going on for in excess of two years. It was in May 2021 that we placed a pause on the removal of therapists from special schools. We then sourced our secure funding for 86 therapists to be replaced into schools. Overall, we secured funding for 221 therapists, and only 126 have been returned. When I say “returned”, I mean that...

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...