Results 141-160 of 1,035,265 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Máiría Cahill OR speaker:Catherine Byrne OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Kathleen Funchion) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Peter Fitzpatrick: Over recent years, I have lost count of the number of times I have heard of people going to Newry in the North or even abroad for dental treatment due to the cost and lack of availability of dental services in my constituency of Louth and east Meath. The lack of dental services is having a detrimental effect on children. For example, I spoke to a constituent last week about the orthodontic...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Helen McEntee: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. Like him, I appreciate the frustration that families and, in particular, parents feel at not being able to access services in a timely way. We all see that in our constituencies when these queries are raised with us. This is an area that has received significant investment in recent years, with more than €200 million allocated every year...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Peter Fitzpatrick: It is not working. The cost and availability of dental services need to be tackled, as does the orthodontic situation in Dundalk. Going private is not an option, as orthodontists are too busy or not taking referrals. Medical cards are being refused by regular practices. People are waiting extraordinary amounts of time for essential medical treatment. Children are 15 or 16 years of age...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Helen McEntee: We are committed to improving services overall. On top of the €200 million budget for public oral health, there has been additional funding of €15 million for the Smile agus Sláinte policy and €17 million in one-off funding to improve waiting lists for orthodontic services. There was €10 million in 2023 to support a decrease in the number of patients waiting...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: We are way over time, Deputy.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Holly Cairns: Is there anything the Minister can say today that will lead us to believe that it will actually be any different? I mean actions rather than promises, meetings and reports.

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Helen McEntee: I can assure the Deputy and Cara, and many young people like her, that we are acting. I think that is clear from the fact that €780 million has been provided in additional funding for those with special and additional needs over the past four years of this specific Government. I can assure the Deputy that additional funding has been allocated to make sure those waiting lists are...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Paul Murphy: Around 15,000 young people in this country are legally paid less than the minimum wage. They are discriminated against for no reason other than their age. Some of those who represent those workers in Mandate are in the Gallery now. There will be a protest by those affected at 1 p.m. outside the Dáil. We have a national minimum wage of €12.70 an hour. It is an amount that is...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Helen McEntee: What I can say is that this is a Government that supports workers and also supports enterprise because without the businesses to create these jobs, where would we be? This Government understands that in order to create wealth and jobs for young people and everybody else we need to make sure our businesses are supported as well. We have supported workers by increasing sick pay. We have...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Paul Murphy: I am quite struck by the Minister’s answer. I was asking about 17-year-olds getting paid €8.89 an hour - poverty wages - and she spent probably three quarters of her answer talking about all the supports for businesses that Fine Gael is going to provide. There is legalised super-exploitation of young workers taking place right now. The Government has a commission report which...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Helen McEntee: I do not think we can be any clearer that without employers we do not have employees. I outlined the supports we are putting in place for employers. It is important we support them. It is also important that we support employees too. That is why we have introduced sick pay and remote working for those who can engage in it. That is why we have introduced domestic violence leave,...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Helen McEntee: I am not sure the Government can be any clearer in its approach here. The only way this can be resolved is by parties coming around the table together. The Government cannot force either party to come around the table. What it can do is stress, outline and highlight very clearly the negative implications that this will have for individuals and business throughout this country and also for...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Holly Cairns: Today, 13-year-old Cara Darmody will hold a protest outside the Dáil again. Cara is protesting for improved autism services and for the Government to live up to its promises to disabled people and their families. She has first-hand experience of the difficulties endured by people with disabilities. Her two younger brothers, Neil and John, are autistic and she and her family have had...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Helen McEntee: I wish Deputy Cairns well and congratulate her and her partner on their news. I thank her for raising this issue. It is the objective of all of us, including Cara, is to make sure that every young person and child can fulfil his or her full potential. That means no matter who you are, no matter where you have come from, no matter what your family situation is or what school you attend or...

Ceisteanna ó Cheannairí - Leaders' Questions (19 Jun 2024)

Holly Cairns: I thank the Minister for the congratulations. Respectfully, that is the kind of rhetoric that I am saying does not match up with reality. The Minister is talking about people reaching their full potential and people's needs being met. There is a stark contrast between that kind of language and the language that comes back in reports from the Ombudsman with titles such as "Wasted Lives"....

Hospitality and Tourism Sector: Motion [Private Members] (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: Is the motion agreed?

Hospitality and Tourism Sector: Motion [Private Members] (19 Jun 2024)

Mattie McGrath: The Government has been doing this for 18 months. It is political. The Government parties are not accepting the motion, yet-----

Hospitality and Tourism Sector: Motion [Private Members] (19 Jun 2024)

Seán Ó Fearghaíl: The motion is agreed.

Hospitality and Tourism Sector: Motion [Private Members] (19 Jun 2024)

Mattie McGrath: It is not agreed. They are accepting the motion mar dhea and then talking against it . We will have to force a vote.

Hospitality and Tourism Sector: Motion [Private Members] (19 Jun 2024)

Michael Healy-Rae: On a point of clarification, to be very clear what the Government parties have said is that they are accepting our motion. At the same time, they are not saying they will reduce the VAT rate. We cannot agree to that because we would be buying a pig in a poke. We do not know what we are agreeing to because all they have said is that they are not calling a vote on the motion or opposing us,...