Results 8,721-8,740 of 10,824 for speaker:Anne Rabbitte

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: We will have lost a complete cycle of children before we ever start.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I second that proposal.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I am from Galway and I regularly hear about this issue. Deputy Neville is from Limerick and the Acting Chair, Senator Noone, is from Mayo. This is happening across the board.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I have a question on the vending machines for the Department of Education and Skills. Representatives of secondary schools and parents have told the committee that some schools are using vending machines to supplement income and it was an income stream for them. I was shocked and the Acting Chairman will bear me out. The witnesses have spoken about policy and everything else. Vending...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: And hospitals - everywhere. We should start with schools because officials from the Department of Education and Skills are present. We cannot write policy such as the White Paper and not be real about it. Schools see it as an income stream they cannot lose. We are talking about children's health and that message needs to be relayed from the top down. The children are not in control and...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I thoroughly agree with every word Ms O'Flaherty has said. However, I was shocked that it was seen as an income stream on the back of children's health. We know that even if it is a 60:40 spread, the 40% will sell very fast and be replenished fairly quickly.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I agree it is not good enough, particularly when it is treated as an income stream. That was said here by a member of the boards of management delegation or a representative of the union. I cannot remember exactly the group.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: Does the Department have the data from the schools given that it is aware of the income stream? Is the Department aware of the schools that have vending machines?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I think it will come to naming and shaming. As elected representatives, it is down to us. I will have no problem in naming and shaming the post primary schools that have vending machines in breach of healthy guidelines.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I would name. It arises from a parliamentary question. There are many ways to skin a cat to get the information out there. It needs to be done.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Tackling Childhood Obesity: Discussion (Resumed) (26 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: It is an income stream which shows that there is a serious shortfall for schools.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Minister for her reply. Fianna Fáil and I welcomed the commission on the mother and baby homes when established. We recognise the vital importance of the commission in delivering justice and accountability for all those affected by mother and baby homes in Ireland. The third interim report of the commission on mother and baby homes requested an extension of the deadline...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I will continue in the same vein as Deputy O'Sullivan in speaking about Tuam because it is my constituency and I hold my clinics there. Owing to the age factor, these people require an awful lot of supports. There are ways in which we can assist them. The counselling service and the wellbeing programme are essential but people are not able to access them or get feedback on the funding...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: 9. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes; the date by which she anticipates it will make its final report; and if she is satisfied by the progress of the commission to date. [37970/18]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I ask the Minister to outline the status of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, the date on which she anticipates it will have a final report and whether she is satisfied with its progress to date. I also ask her to make a statement on the matter.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: Replies to recent parliamentary questions revealed a serious shortage of ECCE places, particularly in the commuter belt of County Meath and in Cork. There seems to be a shortage of 1,050 places in Meath and 2,460 places in Cork. I am glad the Minister acknowledged that settings offering full day childcare will be prioritised because the issue needs to be addressed. Recently, I was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: We are in the pre-budget period and I am sure the Minister will not tell me what her capital funding plans are today. Some childcare providers are fully subscribed and there is a capacity issue coming down the tracks in the ECCE scheme. The Minister successfully allocated capital funding in recent years. Is this funding sufficient? Could more capital funding be found to address capacity,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: 3. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the considerable shortages within the ECCE system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38164/18]

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education Programmes (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: I welcome the Minister's comments. My question asks the Minister if she is aware of the considerable shortages within the ECCE system; and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Affordable Childcare Scheme (20 Sep 2018)

Anne Rabbitte: 1. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the status of the roll-out of the affordable childcare scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [38163/18]