Results 1,101-1,120 of 2,004 for speaker:Denise Mitchell

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: 704. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of school completion programmes operating nationally; the number of staff employed in the scheme on a full-time, part-time and sessional basis in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [29787/19]

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I only have some brief questions because my colleagues have already covered much of the material. The report of the Ombudsman for Children stated that children were expressing feelings of sadness, confusion, anger and isolation. I think we all agree that is pretty tough on kids. What kind of monitoring is there of children's mental health in these hubs? Are any measures being taken to...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: On that point, we had representatives of Focus Ireland before the committee who stressed that there was a shortage of child support workers and a waiting list for families living in hubs to link with a child support worker. I want to know what is being done about that issue. The representatives could not speak enough about the need for therapeutic support services for children living in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Has Tusla contacted Focus Ireland-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Is Mr. Gibson happy that Tusla has sufficient funding to deal with this crisis?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: One of the main issues that came up throughout the hearings was the difficulties families with children faced during the summer. Therefore, I want to ask the bodies, while we have them all here together, what they have done to help families through these difficulties? The committee wrote to the Minister to ask that free Leap cards be made available to children not just during the summer...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Mr. Kelly should do so because this issue was raised consistently by the groups that came before us. They stated there were no supports available to them. There are children and young teenagers sitting in hubs away from their friends who feel isolated. If this stuff is available, people need to know about it, instead of having everybody sitting around happy-clappy, saying they are doing A,...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Can Leap cards-----

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: It is okay, Chairman.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Can the delegates look at it?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: Mr. Kelly's response is disappointing because it is not the one the Minister gave us last week. He said he would look seriously at the matter. I think other Deputies will support me. It seems that the Departments and the Minister are giving different answers. I hope Mr. Kelly can address the matter.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (9 Jul 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I hope Mr. Kelly can raise the matter at the next meeting. I am sorry for hogging the floor a little, but what is the longest time families have stayed in a hub or a hotel? The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government states it is six months, but I think there are Deputies here who know that there are people who stay for a lot longer than six months or a year. The Department...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Reform and Related Issues: Discussion (26 Jun 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I thank the Chairman for allowing me to speak at today's committee meeting. I have been trying to get a response from the Minister for Justice and Equality on a new Garda station in Clongriffin, in north Dublin. I have been raising the issue for a long time. When I wrote to the Commissioner's office in December I was told there are no plans for such a move. I was told that the current...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Reform and Related Issues: Discussion (26 Jun 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I thank Mr. Nugent for his honest answer, because in the wake of the latest feud, many people have come into the area and have talked about a Garda station being opened in Clongriffin and consequently, it is important that the information is out there. The expectation of the community is that a Garda station is on the way. The response I received from the Commissioner's office was that the...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Reform and Related Issues: Discussion (26 Jun 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I will keep this brief. Could we make a special case to the Department of Justice and Equality to secure extra funding given the level of criminality in the area?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Reform and Related Issues: Discussion (26 Jun 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I thank the Chairman and have one final question. What additional resources have been invested in Coolock Garda station in recent weeks?

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality: Garda Reform and Related Issues: Discussion (26 Jun 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I acknowledge the increase in Garda numbers. I am from the area and I regularly see more members of the Garda there. I hope we can get a handle on all that is happening. I thank the witnesses for their response.

Home Help: Motion [Private Members] (25 Jun 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I welcome the opportunity to speak to this motion. It is a matter that affects people in every city, town and village across the State and is not going anywhere. As our population ages, we need to invest more in home help services to ensure that supply is meeting increasing need but the Government has been failing miserably in this regard. It is very worrying to hear reports that home help...

Ceisteanna ar Reachtaíocht a Gealladh - Questions on Promised Legislation (19 Jun 2019)

Denise Mitchell: I wish to speak on the same subject. The Ombudsman for Children's report on homeless hubs illustrates how children and teenagers living in them feel isolated. They can be far away from their friends, they are not allowed to have friends come over and they need to be supervised at all times. Some of them stated that they felt like they were living in a prison. All we ask is that Leap cards...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs: Impact of Homelessness on Children: Discussion (Resumed) (19 Jun 2019)

Denise Mitchell: A lot has been covered and I will not repeat it. There were a few things that jumped out of the presentations, however. One was the interviewing of children in the Ombudsman's report. Some children said "nothing" was their answer. That is really sad. It is important to read here the response of the ten year old girl who said: "Some days I didn't even want to wake up because I didn't want...