Results 10,061-10,080 of 26,430 for speaker:David Cullinane

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: He does not believe. Ms Griffin might be able to answer a question that was asked earlier, but she did not get a chance to come back. Inclusion Ireland claimed that this could potentially be a breach of the Equal Status Act. Does the National Council for Special Education agree with that?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: The NCSE accepts that it was open to challenge. Inclusion Ireland claims it could be in breach of the Equal Status Act. I will go on to quote something else in the Down Syndrome Ireland submission: There appears to be a complete disconnect between the Minister and officials in his Department, and it is students with Down syndrome who are caught in the middle. It's shocking and deeply...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Special Educational Needs: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed) (25 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: I find it shocking that an organisation that represents children with Down's syndrome is stating that there is a disconnect, that there were difficulties with its parents being blindsided and that children are being left behind, and yet the Department has a polar opposite view. Something is seriously wrong when an advocacy group is so strong and compelling in its statement and yet the...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: We are joined by representatives from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to discuss childcare. I welcome, in committee room 1, Dr. Fergal Lynch, Secretary General, Ms Bernie McNally, assistant secretary, Dr. Anne-Marie Brooks, principal officer, Mr. Toby Wolfe, principal officer, and Mr. Mark Considine, principal officer. I wish to advise our guests that by virtue of section...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: I thank Dr. Lynch. Members will have between five and ten minutes, depending on the member. I will need to keep people to those times because everybody has indicated that they want to contribute. The first speaker is Teachta Funchion. She has ten minutes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: The Deputy has been told that it will be a matter for him in the next Government.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: We will wait and see.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: Let us not be presumptuous. The next speaker is Deputy Costello and he has five minutes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: Teachta Sherlock has five minutes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: I thank Ms McNally. The next speaker is an Teachta Michael Collins.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: Our witnesses can take that as advice. I call Deputy Carthy.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: Deputy Colm Burke has ten minutes.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: The Deputy might be talking herself into a job. I am the next speaker and I have a number of questions for Dr. Lynch. Perhaps the ten minutes could be put on the clock. When they have lapsed, out session will be over. I have a follow-up question to that asked by Teachta Matt Carthy earlier, which I believe was not fully answered. The Deputy asked about the childcare scheme which was...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: As I only have ten minutes, I ask the witnesses to facilitate back and forth discussion. Dr. Lynch is in a different room and I am not sure whether he heard me.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: He stated that the Department identified risks and I understand that completely. The risks it identified related to insurance and the concerns raised by providers. He stated that he did not believe the scheme would fail. Did the scheme fail?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: No, it is a question for Dr. Lynch.

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: Did the scheme fail?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: Teachta Carthy made the point that the Department did not anticipate that the scheme would fail, but it did. How is it that nobody in the Department was able to identify that the scheme was flawed and would not work?

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: Part of the problem was that there was announcement after announcement by the Minister in particular that a scheme would be put in place. That raised people's expectations that a scheme that was going to work would be available. However, as we know, the scheme failed. Is it not the case that the expectations of front-line workers were raised? Dr. Lynch stated that his staff put...

Special Committee on Covid-19 Response: Childcare: Impact of Covid-19 (Resumed). (23 Jun 2020)

David Cullinane: I acknowledge that. Dr. Lynch earlier discussed identifying the risks. Was a formal risk assessment carried out? If so, could any existing documentation relating to identifying those risks be provided to the committee?