Results 121-140 of 6,823 for speaker:Ruairí Ó Murchú

Written Answers — Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection: Employment Support Services (19 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: 144. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection his plans to improve access to the workforce for people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32382/25]

Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We were nearly there.

Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Regarding the amendments, what we have said and why we have tabled them is straightforward. I accept what the Minister of State said regarding amendment No. 206. The big thing is reiterating the point about codes of practice and guidelines and making sure that we have internal communications where they need to be. It is always frightening to hear the figures that Deputy Clarke spoke about....

Mental Health Bill 2024: Committee Stage (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I want to speak to amendment No. 206. It is straightforward. We probably spent an awful lot of time the last day going over and back. There is probably an element, at times, when dealing with the reality out there, that sometimes what is lacking is a code of practice. It would ensure communication. It is an absolute necessity to make sure that this is happening within the service. It...

Residential Tenancies (Amendment) Bill 2025: Second Stage (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: We saw the rent pressure zones as limited and imperfect, but the idea was that it was better to have some element of defence rather than none whatsoever. We have seen that they are incapable of holding back the tide of rent increases. While we might not oppose this legislation, we are utterly opposed to what is being proposed by the Government. We have all spoken about the issues in the...

Ceisteanna ar Pholasaí nó ar Reachtaíocht – Questions on Policy or Legislation (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I have been contacted by Saint John of God Community Services regarding its approved housing body. It states that it has been privately renting a house in Meath since 2022. Four residents lived in the house, supported by staff. The owner of the property is selling the house and the Saint John of God Housing Association was in the process of purchasing the house and intended to use CAS...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The witnesses are all very welcome. I will jump straight into children's specialist disability services. I accept what Mr. Gloster said in the sense that what people want to see and want to have are therapies and supports for their children. There is a particular issue. We had Cara and Mark Darmody here, and their fear is that we have not sweated the private sector sufficiently. They...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is a fair bit actually.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: The big question I have is about the conversation the witnesses are having and this Cabinet sub-committee is having with regard to the best means of delivering assessments and then delivering therapies. I have always been a big believer in school therapies, but the witnesses are here answering to a degree with regard to what the CDNTs in particular are meant to offer.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: So, that is being done at the minute.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Would that change the nature of what the assessment of need is?

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: On the pay and numbers strategy, I just want to ensure we are filling all positions and that there are no suppressed positions. I will throw these other things out as well. Obviously, talking about adult services, the HSE relies on the likes of St. John of God. There seems to be an issue at the minute with regard to the capital assistance scheme, CAS, funding with which it would have been...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I think there has been a change in the last couple of days. I agree with that.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Go raibh maith agat. We have all been talking for a long time about ensuring there is no wrong door and a single point of access, so the sooner we get it, the better. We have also always been talking about CAMHS in Scotland and that sort of idea. It is a bit frightening when someone said we still need an electronic referral system. I understand that IT systems in the State set-up have not...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Which is obviously what we need. That makes complete sense. On some level, Mr. Gloster has dealt with a fair amount regarding therapies and assessments of need. It is about how we obtain the best bang for our buck. We all welcome the fact that those workforce planning pieces are being put in place, although they are not sufficient, it is not happening quickly enough and all the rest of...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Yes.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: I accept that everyone is coming from the one pool.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: Faster, quicker, better is what we are looking for, given that we are starting from a bad place. The big issue is what conversations there have been about the best means of offering the service on the basis that we are not going to have all of these positions filled for a period. There is the issue of the use of assistive technologies. School-based therapies also have to be a huge part of it.

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: That is brilliant. I know from the case of our Toirleach that when my wife and I went, we would have got something on a piece of paper and so on. We might have had great plans as to how we were going to build it, but two weeks later, where was that piece of paper? I know some of that is on us, but if there was something app-based or on video, to a degree it would be that reminder piece...

Committee on Disability Matters: Progressing the Delivery of Disability Policy and Services: Discussion (Resumed) (18 Jun 2025)

Ruairí Ó Murchú: My comments will be brief. It was really positive what Mr. Gloster said. Whether we are talking about the All Stars inclusive clubs programme or the High Five boxing academy or, as I have seen myself, Louth Disability Cycling Club, where kids were given an ability to cycle when they could not have previously done it, these initiatives are really good. As a follow-on, sometimes it is very...