Results 1-20 of 2,090 for in 'Dáil debates' speaker:Anne Rabbitte

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: On the childcare issue, I know the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, in recent weeks allocated two lots of funding to address the issue in regard to capacity. I will raise the issue that the Deputy has raised with regard to Kilkenny. The issue of ASD places was discussed at the Cabinet subcommittee on Monday. It is a priority that no child will be without a place by September.

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising the issue, which is one that was raised at the Cabinet subcommittee last Monday. It is getting prioritisation, as the Cabinet subcommittee deals specifically with youth, education and disabilities. That is an issue that was raised and we are addressing it as a priority.

Ceisteanna Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (15 May 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: No, Deputy Tóibín is disgraceful.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (1 May 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising the question. There is a whole-of-government approach to addressing the assessment of needs, under the stewardship of the Taoiseach. We have already met on the issue and option papers are being developed at this time. Regarding the use of the word "was", funding was secured in 2020 to clear the backlog of assessment of needs at that point; it was cleared...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for giving me the opportunity to update the House on the four children’s disability network teams, CDNTs, in County Meath. Network 2, where the HSE is the lead agency, covers Kells, Oldcastle and north Meath, while network 6, also led by the HSE, covers Athboy, Dunboyne, Enfield, Summerhill and Trim. Enable Ireland is the lead agency for network 4, covering...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Every figure I read out relates to filled positions. They are 248 posts that were filled over the past four years. The staff in whole-time equivalents is at 70% in County Meath. CHO 8 covers many counties, but in the Deputy's county it covers those four teams. That is the up-to-date situation with filled positions as we speak. Let us be clear; there is still a vacancy rate of 30%. I am...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Let me be very clear. The wording here is "Notwithstanding those challenges, staffing numbers across the four CDNTs now sits at 70.3 whole-time equivalents". It is not a percentage but whole-time equivalents. Are we training enough staff? In the past 12 months, I have set up a workforce planning group that I chair. All the lead agencies are part of it, along with the Department of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for bringing me on to my specialist topic, which is unions. It is important to say with regard to the pay talks concluded last year that while it was very welcome, it has really highlighted the fact that we need the employers, which are the lead agencies of the section 39 organisations, more involved when it comes to pay negotiations and talks. The question is where it is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: No, it has not been launched yet.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: There is. I will tell the Deputy in my response.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: As there was over €40 million worth of applications into the respite grant application form, which is absolutely massive, they had to spend a lot of time going through it and validating. In fact, the whole purpose of the respite grant is to provide a balance where we have a shortage in our CDNT teams, the local organisations that have the capacity to support through music, art or...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Disability Services (30 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy. The Government acknowledges the challenges faced by children and young people with disabilities and their families in accessing essential therapy services in Cavan and Monaghan. It is important to say that along with the Minister, Deputy Humphreys, and Deputies Brendan Smith and Niamh Smyth, I visited Monaghan in the past month and met the families concerned. Lead...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (25 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I welcome the opportunity to outline the position on this matter on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Eamon Ryan, and the Minister of State, Deputy Chambers. They are both very aware of the impact that decisions relating to changes in An Post operations have on communities and individuals in both rural and urban areas. An Post is a commercial State company with a mandate to act commercially...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Postal Services (25 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. As I said, I am taking it on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Ryan. I have listened with interest to the points raised by the Deputy. As I indicated earlier, decisions relating to post offices are an operational matter for An Post and not a matter in which the Minister has a statutory function. The Deputy will appreciate that the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I will relay his points directly to the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, but it is important that I relay to the House that there is no embargo on the recruitment of neuroclinical nurse specialists. We have 17 such posts filled and are going at full throttle to ensure we fill all 28. There is no embargo on filling positions on the four community...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. I will speak to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, about it. It is important to point out that, under the programme for Government, Ireland now has a neuro strategy and that, for the first time, we have put clinical nurse specialists and community teams in place.

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht - Questions on Policy or Legislation (25 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: Yes, we have. We have funded them completely and there is no recruitment embargo on them.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Diagnoses (17 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue for discussion and the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for its having been selected. As Minister of State with responsibility for disabilities, I am fully committed to the continued development and enhancement of our disability services, through the implementation of my Department’s Action Plan for Disability Services 2024-2026. As the Deputy...

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Disability Diagnoses (17 Apr 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I will continue, with the Department of Health and the HSE, to advance progress on the provision of services for those living with foetal alcohol spectrum disorder. I am also conscious, listening to the Deputy's contribution, that a lot of other agencies lean on the hub in Clare for support, including Tusla in Clare and a lot of other counties. I completely agree with the Deputy that the...

An tOrd Gnó - Order of Business (20 Mar 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I thank Deputy Smith for raising this important issue here today. The local HSE has made a proposal for a stand-alone respite centre for Cavan-Monaghan, for Cavan. It will support 50 families and it will be open 52 weeks of the year. Along with the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, I am currently finalising the national respite plan within which Cavan-Monaghan is a priority. Funding has been...