Results 121-140 of 3,447 for speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I welcome our guests in committee room 1. They are: Ms Teresa Heeney, chief executive officer, and Ms Frances Byrne, director of policy and advocacy, from Early Childhood Ireland: Ms Marian Quinn, chairperson, and Ms Paula Donohoe, member of the national committee, from the Association of Childhood Professionals; and Ms Marie Daly, CEO, and Ms Rachel Grant, HR manager, Crann Support Group. I...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I am sorry to interrupt Ms Donohoe and I am sorry for the mix-up earlier. My notes referred Ms Quinn. There are only five minutes for opening statements and we have had the opportunity to read Ms Donohoe's submission beforehand so we might press on.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I will stop Ms Daly there. We have reached five minutes.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: As one of the people involved in the establishment of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs in 2011, it is heartening to hear so much support for it at this stage. I call Deputy Costello.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Deputy McNamara is next but he is not here. I will reserve his time if he comes in later. Now it is the Fianna Fáil slot. Deputy Butler is down but perhaps I will go to the next Fianna Fáil speaker, Deputy McGuinness.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I think that point has been made several times today.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: The Chairman missed his slot.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Yes, no problem.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I have a couple of observations and questions in the two or three minutes we have left. We all have a very strong interest in this issues from our own family perspectives and the well-being of children generally. On the well-being of children generally, in advance of this debate I spoke with a number of clinical psychotherapists specialising in children and early years. Their view was that...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I thank Ms Heeney. That will be an exciting opportunity for us all. I want to ask it Early Childhood Ireland about its submission, particularly as the issues with which it deals are so concentrated. In the context of people's anxiety about what will happen beyond August, which, of course, I completely understand, I have been speaking with a number of providers in my area that may have to...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I have one question for Ms Byrne on the front-line scheme. I am asking her because she and I were on the same radio show to discuss this scheme at the time. Ms Byrne acknowledged in her submission that the sector had a sort of bespoke wage subsidy scheme, which, I suppose, could be said to be additional to the supports provided to other sectors. I recall Ms Byrne stating that the sector...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I thank the witnesses for their attendance. We will suspend until 4.30 p.m., when we meet representatives from the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. I am sure we will have plenty of questions for them.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I thank the witnesses for coming in and for all of the work done to begin next week. There is some uncertainty about the public health advice we have now which may be different from what happens in September. For example, a childcare provider local to me is a small place within two rooms. Many parents using the facility have been early childhood care and education, ECCE, only. Due to...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: Speaking with providers earlier, they were not clear about for what the reopening grant would be allowed to be used.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: If I could go back to my example because it is a reasonably foreseeable problem. Due to their physical layout, some facilities may face greater challenges than others. This has a significant impact on the tens and tens of families who may have to scramble to find somewhere else or who may have to pay more in order to take a full day instead of a half day. It has a very significant impact on...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I thank Ms McNally for that. I am providing additional feedback, which is that this is also an issue and the Department might keep it in mind. I would appreciate that.

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I thank the witnesses for coming in. Many of my questions have already been asked so I will try not to repeat them and let more people in as the day goes on. Therefore, I might take less time. I wish to ask about the impact on children at different stages of development and I thinking about the different ages. Obviously our concern is for all of the children. For many years the...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I take Mr. O'Connor's point. One of the cohorts that appears to have been left out is that comprising children with Down's syndrome transitioning to mainstream national schools in which there are no designated special classes. Is this an issue that has been highlighted often in the Inclusion Ireland survey or in anecdotal reports? I am not concerned about any one child in particular and I...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I think Ms Dempsey is right. For children without intellectual disabilities or any social vulnerabilities other than the Covid-19 period it will be difficult enough, particularly those who have been in an ECCE scheme and have had to drop out of it and may or may not go back to childcare or any sort of structured environment for July or August, in addition to the usual two months of settling...

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

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill: I understand. Being locked down has been a problem for all children, but it affects some even more. I ask Ms Dempsey to talk me through the restrictions in terms of more hands-on therapy and hands-on physiotherapy. How can we get back to the level of support required?