Results 881-900 of 3,777 for speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I have a response to a parliamentary question submitted by my colleague, Deputy Costello, on the number of residentials managed by Tusla or its predecessor agencies since 2013. In 2014, when Tusla was founded, the figure was 44. In 2023, the figure was 39.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That shows me a direction of travel that is not in the correct one.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I am looking at the non-pay expenditure for 2018 to 2020 in the briefing note prepared by the secretariat, which is very helpful to all of us. The expenditure, say, on foster and aftercare allowances, flatlined or looks pretty much dead flat. Office administration was in and around the same. There was a slight increase in expenditure on community and voluntary charitable organisations.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: The expenditure that is going through the roof - the red line - is independent placement provision. I object even to the language of that because it obfuscates what we are actually talking about, which is private.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: A phrase that I found in the documentation, which I boked at quite honestly, is "private, for-profit sector providers". The idea of "for-profit" when it comes to some of our most vulnerable children sticks in my craw. It has been said that we have this objective to flip the ratio in terms of public and private provision but I am not seeing residential unit places coming. I have seen a...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I have no doubt. I am not casting any aspersions on them but I just do not think the care of our most vulnerable children is an area where we should be applying profit over it.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I read the Proclamation as I pass through the foyer and the obligation we are supposed to have is to care for all the children of the State. On foster provision, during my teaching career I taught a number of foster children. I also met foster parents who do an unbelievable job. My God, they should be better supported because they do an incredible job. I have seen the wonderful work...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Foster care is the best outcome and best value for money. It does not matter what type of lens one applies to foster care, if we get more foster parents into the system and better support them then we will get better outcomes for children and for the State.

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: What are we doing to provide the resources, and into public foster care placements, rather than private?

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I will focus initially on residential care and fostering. I accept that the explosion in demand in the special emergency arrangements is probably unpredictable in the sense that we have seen enormous numbers of people arriving on out shores. It is saddening to think of a child travelling without a guardian and requiring that level of service and intervention. I accept that is broadly...

Public Accounts Committee: Financial Statements 2022 - Tusla-Child and Family Agency (29 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That is why I would much if we provided this care through the State.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Does Deputy Sherlock wish to reply?

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: Amendments Nos. 50 to 59, inclusive, are related and will be discussed together.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Research and Innovation Bill 2024: Committee Stage (28 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: It is duly noted. Pursuant to Standing Order 187(3), the clerk to the committee will report specially to the Dáil that the committee has amended the Title. Is that agreed? Agreed.

Select Committee on Education and Skills: Message to Dáíl (28 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: In accordance with Standing Order 101, the following message will be sent to the Clerk of the Dáil: The Select Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science has completed its consideration of the Research and Innovation Bill 2024 and has made amendments thereto and has amended the Title.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the witnesses. I hope the witnesses from Friends of the Earth do not mind that I particularly thank the representatives of the Irish Cancer Society. I attended the launch of its report last week and I was moved by the testimony of John Joyce, who described with great bravery and dignity some of the challenges that people face towards the end of their lives. My first question is...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: What has to be acknowledged is the huge societal service that families who take the decision to care for a loved one at home at end of life do. It is an enormous contribution to society. It is a huge decision for any family and we should do all in our power to support a family that decides to shoulder that burden for the sake of the love they have for a family member. They should not be...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I would like to pick up that point with Friends of the Earth as it is a common recommendation. I am very interested in - and we discussed this at the committee previously - the middle piece, the energy transition. Retrofitting is a long-term goal, although not for everybody as some are getting there already, but it is going to be a while before we reach all housing stock. I am interested...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection: Energy Poverty: Discussion (Resumed) (28 Feb 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That is the just transition piece.