Results 6,321-6,340 of 22,424 for speaker:Finian McGrath

Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (16 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose, and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (16 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Disabilities Assessments (16 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Occupational Therapy (16 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: The Government is committed to providing services and supports for people with disabilities which will empower them to live independent lives, provide greater independence in accessing the services they choose and enhance their ability to tailor the supports required to meet their needs and plan their lives. This commitment is outlined in the Programme for Partnership Government, which is...

Council of Europe: Appointment of Representatives (15 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: Good man, Seán.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I thank the committee for the kind invitation. I thank all my colleagues for attending for the early meeting. It is a great honour and privilege for me to take over as Minister of State with responsibility for disability. I have a long-term vision centred on the rights of persons with disabilities and on focusing on what they want. That will be the theme of my term as Minister of State...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: There are complex legal issues involved and I am not allowed to go into them in more detail. There were delays in both the Department of Justice and Equality and the Department of Health, and in recent weeks in respect of certain aspects of the legislation. People want to be very sure. Recently, I visited Galway where I met people from the Galway Centre for Independent Living and Marion...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I am reluctant and I do not want to tie myself to a date. I will not hang around and I give the Senator a commitment that I will do this as soon as possible. I hope this will take place early in the new year. I am still optimistic that I will get some work done on it before Christmas. Honestly, I have learned since coming into this job that when one adopts dates and deadlines but does not...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I am honoured and privileged to be appointed to this job and to be the first person at the Cabinet table to speak on behalf of people with disabilities. It is up to the members to decide if there has been progress. I believe I have made major progress because I have invested in services and I am transforming them. I have discovered many examples of bad practice and services, but I am...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I totally disagree with many of the arguments the Senator put forward. I am well aware of the issues in the disability sector, as the Senator well knows. I have been involved in disability rights for the past 25 years. I know about the poverty and the exclusion. I know the details. I have spent the past six months meeting all the families again. I have a strong record in that area....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: The Senator made a good point about housing to which I would like to respond.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I take on board Senator Dolan's points on housing. I have raised these issues with the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney. I accept we need to do more in terms of housing, particularly social housing for people with disabilities, and I am pushing for that.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I thank Deputy Jack Chambers for his question. A range of officials is involved, including those from the Departments of Justice and Equality, Social Protection and Health, and Children and Youth Affairs which are my line Departments. All Departments are represented on the new interdepartmental committee. On most days of the week I interact with between ten and 15 people across the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I thank Deputy Jim O'Callaghan for his comments. I assure him I am trying to become an irritant in the different Departments. In the recent debate about Irish Sign Language he made the point about the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. While I will be the advocate for this in the Cabinet, this issue is important for all members of the Government. The heads of the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I thank Senator Colette Kelleher for raising the problem of children with autism transferring from primary to second level education. Every school in Ireland, regardless of where one is geographically located, should be inclusive. I have been in many schools which have opened up and become inclusive for people with disabilities. There are some schools with appalling records where they...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: This committee can be powerful in the current politics in bringing forward issues such as the admissions Bill and getting broad cross-party support. I will get more detail on this. On the final comment, I am delighted that it was noted that we need to up our game to deal with congregated settings because we have managed to get €100 million over five years, which is €20 million...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: That is a fair point. I take the point.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: The Chairman's figure of "11" is pretty accurate on the first question. On the issue of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission, it is very difficult to micromanage it. When we refer to the lived experience of disability, we are talking about getting as many people involved as possible. It includes people with disabilities as well as carers. I cannot micromanage that and tell the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: General Scheme of the Equality/Disability (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill: Discussion (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: I thank the Chairman and the committee as well.

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Employment Support Services (14 Dec 2016)

Finian McGrath: The Comprehensive Employment Strategy for People with Disabilities was launched in October 2015. The Strategy sets out a ten-year approach to ensuring that people with disabilities who are able to, and want to, work are supported and enabled to do so. It is a cross-government approach that brings together actions by different Departments and State agencies in a concerted effort to address...