Results 81-100 of 4,771 for speaker:Claire Kerrane

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: I want to ask the Minister about the regulations that came into effect for childminders across the State in September 2024. They have now been in place for a year and there are issues being raised, primarily by Childminding Ireland. Given the severe capacity issues we have within our early years sector and the very high turnover of early years educators, particularly out of private...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: I welcome and acknowledge the fact childminders can now provide supports of the national childcare scheme and that will perhaps encourage or allow parents the choice rather than choosing a formal childcare setting. This is particularly so in rural areas where childminders would be used a lot, especially where they can provide flexibility that perhaps the formal childcare setting cannot. I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: There will be a review between now and September 2027, which is the transition period. That is really welcome. I encourage the Minister, if she has an opportunity between now and September 2027, which I would like to think the Minister will, that she might meet with representatives from Childminding Ireland. I was very impressed with them. The organisation obviously represents a huge...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: I appreciate the decision has not been made yet, but does the Minister envisage using the building blocks scheme to build capacity and allow a new group that has come together, particularly groups of parents, to purchase an existing building? It is a win-win then. A new premise is not necessarily needed in Boyle. There is an ideal premises in the town that is well located and perfect for...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 3. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on key commitments made in the programme for Government on early years and, specifically, the commitment to undertake a broad consultation and publish a detailed action plan to build an affordable, high-quality, accessible early childhood education and care system with State-led facilities adding capacity, as well as a...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: I ask the Minister about a number of key commitments in relation to childcare in early years in the programme for Government, specifically the broad consultation, the detailed action plan to ensure accessible, affordable, high-quality childcare and also the review of core funding. I ask her to provide us with any timeframe in relation to any of those three key commitments. Within the broad...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: I want to come back to the State-led facilities, which is a significant move. The Minister talked about looking at areas of unmet need. I understand some scoping was carried out within the Minister’s Department in terms of where that unmet need is. To provide one example, which I have given here before, an analysis was carried out with the family resource centre in Boyle, County...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 1. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality for an update on her engagement with Tusla following the report of a missing child in Donabate, Dublin, to date in 2025; the steps Tusla is now taking, and the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49873/25]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: Things have moved on since I submitted this question and we now know that child was Daniel Aruebose. I take this opportunity to offer my sympathies to everybody who loved him, especially the foster carers who looked after him.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire. I appreciate, and we all respect, that the Garda investigation is under way and the force has to be allowed do its work. It is important to acknowledge those gardaí as well. It was a very difficult search, especially finding the remains. I have a couple of questions. I welcome that the closed cases will be examined, starting with those closed...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: I take it from that reply that perhaps this will be done in future by Tusla, and of course there is a role for other organisations. On one other point, there appears to be a gap for preschool-age children. When a child is born, there may be a number of visits by the public health nurse to the home. After that, depending on whether the child goes into formal childcare, there really is no...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Mother and Baby Homes (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 59. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality her views on the report by the special advocate for survivors’ in relation to the mother and baby institutions payment scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49908/25]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disability Services (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 66. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the engagement she has had with the Minister for Transport on issues being faced by disabled persons driving or as passengers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49907/25]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Disabilities Assessments (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 79. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on the waiting list for an assessment of need; the number of those waiting over one year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49906/25]

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Family Resource Centres (23 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 86. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of family resource centres that applied to come in under the national forum that were not successful; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49909/25]

Migration: Statements (18 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: I am really glad to have the opportunity to speak on these statements this evening and that the Minister is in the House to listen. My home town is Ballaghaderreen, west Roscommon. This is an issue I have raised repeatedly since my being elected in 2020 because our town was one of very few in the entire State to take in Syrian refugees back in 2017. It welcomed and gave céad míle...

Written Answers — Department of Finance: Tax Reliefs (18 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 200. To ask the Minister for Finance further to Parliamentary Question No. 668 of 29 July 2025, if the exemption from motor tax and an annual fuel grant, under the disabled drivers and disabled passengers scheme is available for people to apply and access immediately; if so, the way in which a person applies; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49331/25]

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Disability Services (18 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 294. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if he is aware that disability allowance recipients are having their allowance revoked based on his Department’s contention that the person can work despite the person’s GP (best placed) categorically stating the person is unable to work; the way in which his Department can ascertain the person can work over...

Written Answers — Department of Children, Disability and Equality: Childcare Services (18 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: 327. To ask the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the reason children with additional needs are only sponsored with the national childcare scheme until children turn four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [49406/25]

Special Education School Places: Motion [Private Members] (17 Sep 2025)

Claire Kerrane: Why is it a secret as to how many children with additional needs are without an appropriate class place? Whether it is one, ten or 100, it is one child too many, as we are talking about a child who is unable to go to school in Ireland in 2025. There are two calls in particular in this motion tonight that I want to highlight. They are reasonable and sensible. They are to establish the...