Results 581-600 of 1,028,375 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Michael McDowell OR speaker:Seán Haughey) in 'Committee meetings'

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...

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

Violet-Anne Wynne: I raised this issue with the Minister of State, Deputy Joe O'Brien, during the 11 June session but he pointed to the Minister as being the best person to revert to on this issue. It seems to be a complex pension issue. I point to the fact that the IFCA found that 50% of the carers surveyed said they are experiencing financial difficulties due to their commitment to caring and have...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy for keeping the spotlight on this issue because it is so important that we support foster carers. I have met IFCA and Movement for Change in Foster Care and other organisations representing foster carers regularly. In particular, I met them after, not the 2024 budget but the 2023 budget, and I said I would work with them to deal with the allowance which was a key issue...

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

Violet-Anne Wynne: The increases in the allowances are welcome and Movement for Change in Foster Care and IFCA have pointed to that as well. The fact most foster carers are women and they are inhibited on this pension issue in particular is an area that needs further progress to be made. The organisations have done a lot on this themselves over the last number of years and have met with various Departments...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: When I met IFCA and Movement for Change in Foster Care we spoke about five broad areas where they felt the State needed to be doing more. These were allowances - which the Deputy has discussed already; travel expenses - which I am working on with Tusla; and additional concrete supports particularly in terms of therapies and we now have therapist groups available to foster carers from which...

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

Question No. 52 taken with Written Answers.

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

Health Service Executive

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: 53. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the engagement he has had with the HSE regarding the need to source private contractors following the recent announcement that the Government will finance an AON initiative; how soon he expects an impact will be made on the waitlist; if he is confident that progress can be made to clear the backlog; and if he...

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

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I ask the Minister about the engagement he has had with the HSE regarding the need to source private contractors following the recent announcement the Government will finance an assessment of needs initiative. How soon does he expect the impact will be made on the waiting list and is he confident progress can be made to clear the backlog?

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

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: I thank the Minister of State.