Results 81-100 of 1,030,050 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Denis Naughten OR speaker:Imelda Munster)

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Meals Programme (11 Jun 2024)

David Stanton: This is an absolutely brilliant scheme and it is really helping many children and families around the country. I compliment the Minister on that. Has the Department issued any guidelines regarding the quality of the food and consistency of quality? Are any guidelines issued on the packaging the food comes in? If a child does not avail of the meal - we all know children do not always eat...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: School Meals Programme (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: The nutritional standards applying to the school meals programme were developed by a working group led by the health and well-being programme in the Department of Health in consultation with Safefood and the healthy eating and active living programme in the HSE. Schools and organisations must reapply for funding in advance of each school year and are required to submit detailed records. ...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jun 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: I am very supportive of modernising the appeals process, particularly any system involved. The sooner, the better, the quicker and the faster. We would all agree with this. I have no difficulty in passing on the information to the Minister. I was not going to say this but I thank the Minister with regard to the issue we dealt with previously. People are very supportive of it. What we...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jun 2024)

Robert Troy: I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me in. I welcome the fact the Minister is committing to streamlining and improving the appeals process. As other speakers in the House have alluded to, I deal with constituents who are faced with lengthy waiting periods for having their appeals heard. I suggest the Minister puts a time limit on when appeals can be heard. Any applicant for a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I will increase the income disregards for carers and this will kick in next week. It will be increased. It is important that we do this. It is part of the budget and it is starting next week. The online service we are putting together is a new process. Online applications will be quicker than paper applications. It will be like the passport service. The online service is very quick, in...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

Community Employment Schemes

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

Richard Bruton: 7. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if the community employment scheme has been subject to programme evaluation; if there are plans for its evolution; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25413/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

David Stanton: Deputy Bruton sends his apologies. He wants to ask Minister whether the community employment scheme has been subject to programme evaluation, if there are plans for its evolution and if she will make a statement on the matter.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I acknowledge the important role community employment schemes play in providing valuable opportunities to participants and in supporting the delivery of key services to local communities across the country. I can confirm that in March the OECD published an impact evaluation of Ireland's active labour market programmes for long-term unemployed people finding positive labour market impacts...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

David Stanton: I thank the Minister of State for his response. Community employment schemes have always been perceived as a labour market activation instrument. Is its value in supporting valuable social enterprise now a more dominant source of its benefits, particularly as we have close to full employment? The work done by community employment schemes in communities is very valuable. Should we be...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank Deputy Stanton. From my point of view I see the benefit of community employment as threefold. It supports many very important community services. As I have said, and as the OECD has said, it helps bridge the gap between the labour market and people who have found it difficult to break into it. It also has a very important social inclusion aspect for many individuals who access it....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Community Employment Schemes (11 Jun 2024)

David Stanton: I acknowledge the great work done by the Government. We are beyond full employment. This is what I have been hearing recently. I have heard commentators use this phrase. As communities find it difficult to recruit new community employment candidates to sustain their work, do we need to think differently about the role? Do we need to think about it in a different way, potentially with...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: Go raibh maith agat for the information. It is fantastic to hear that there will be a webinar. I decided to raise this matter with the Minister of State because it has been highlighted to me by my constituents that there is an anomaly whereby some foster carers, most of whom are women, find themselves unable to qualify for full contributory State pensions. It is apparently possible to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I thank the Deputy. I should have opened by acknowledging the work that foster carers do in Ireland. There is an exceptionally high rate of foster caring for children who need care in Ireland and we must ensure that maintains. In fact, we need to grow it, which we can do by further supporting foster carers. It is important to say that the foster care allowance is payable by Tusla to...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: I acknowledge that the weekly payments have gone up. When the Irish Foster Care Association, IFCA, conducted a survey prior to the increase in the payments, 50% of the carers surveyed said they experienced financial difficulties due to their commitments to caring and have considered giving up fostering because they are worried about being able to provide an adequate level of care. The...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: State Pensions (11 Jun 2024)

Joe O'Brien: I am coming at this question from the point of view of my role in the Department of Social Protection and my knowledge of the foster caring side of matters is being added in, to be honest. It might be appropriate to send the question to the other Department to get more detail. The Deputy mentioned children over 12 and a disability requirement. I do not think the situation is that rigid....

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jun 2024)

Social Welfare Appeals

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jun 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: 6. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the current waiting times at the Social Welfare Appeals Office; if additional resources will be allocated to it; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [25416/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jun 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: I wish to ask about the current waiting times at the appeals office and if additional resources will be allocated to it. The Minister gave a general answer in respect of the times involved. We dealt with the issue of hubs previously. Some of the teething problems seem to have been sorted out but we seem to have a backlog. The sooner this can be dealt with, the better.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Appeals (11 Jun 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I thank the Deputy for raising the matter. The social welfare appeals office is an office of the Department of Social Protection which is responsible for determining appeals against decisions in respect of social welfare entitlements. Appeals officers are independent in their decision-making functions. The office is currently finalising its annual report for 2023, with the data showing...