Results 441-460 of 1,016,257 for in 'Dáil debates' OR (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh) in 'Committee meetings'

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Apr 2024)

Question No. 2 taken with Written Answers.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Citizens Information Services (25 Apr 2024)

Citizens Information Services

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Citizens Information Services (25 Apr 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 3. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection the steps she and her Department are taking to ensure workers in citizens information companies are provided with a pay increase, given the length of time since their last pay increase; and if she will provide the funding to ensure this happens [18468/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Citizens Information Services (25 Apr 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: More than tens of thousands of people rely on the citizens information service. It is a vitally important, high-quality service. To ensure it remains a high-quality service, we need to ensure quality staff are attracted to it. The pay has not changed for those in the citizens information service in 16 years, since 2008. That is an absolutely extraordinary amount of time considering the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Citizens Information Services (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I also value the important work carried out by employees of the citizens information service, or CIS. I acknowledge the role they play in providing people with free, quality and independent information, advice and advocacy services throughout the country. It is important to point out that employees of the CIS are not employees of my Department nor are they public servants. They are...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Citizens Information Services (25 Apr 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I may take some comfort from that to a small extent. I do not think it helps that there is such a baroque structure here. These are companies but they are not for profit and they are funded exclusively through the public purse. There is the Minister, the Citizens Information Board and then the citizens information service. I do not know why this is the case. Leaving that aside, it is...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Citizens Information Services (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: To be clear, there is a process under way. It has been referred to the Labour Court and a date set for 14 June. We have to let that process run its course. When the Labour Court concludes its work, my Department will not be found wanting in responding. Shortly after I was appointed, we managed to sort out a long-running issue, and it was long running, for CE supervisors. We provided...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Citizens Information Services (25 Apr 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I have a few other points. The Minister made the point these staff members are not public servants. They were aligned to the public sector pay structure until the previous recession. I also make the point that the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, CCPC, is aligned to public sector pay. Even MABS, which is a sister company of the citizens information service funded through...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Not too many measures are universally popular but I think that everybody absolutely supports the hot school meals programme. I have always been a firm believer that it is not possible to beat a hot meal in the middle of the day. I visited St. Thomas's Junior National School in Lucan with the Taoiseach last week. We saw the children getting their hot meals. They were all sitting down...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (25 Apr 2024)

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor: This is a good news story for children. Some families might not have as much as others. At least they know their children are going in every day and getting a hot meal, which is a game-changer. All schools, but particularly primary schools, should provide these meals. Schools can now reapply. We need to contact all the schools in order that they know about this. The programme needs to...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (25 Apr 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: The Minister was very good to ensure that all children in Ennis Community School received hot school meals for the entire year. It has worked really well. It is the amalgamation of three schools, one of which is DEIS. I am raising it to highlight it again with the Minister this morning so that she might consider extending that for a further year as it was a huge success. All the children...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (25 Apr 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I congratulate the Minister on advancing the school meals programme. I ask the Minister about the efforts that continue to be made to ensure a balanced and nutritious diet is maintained in what are children's formative years.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: I say to Deputy Murnane O'Connor that the hot school meals programme is running in 31 schools in Carlow, covering 5,639 children. In response to Deputy Wynne, Ennis Community School was brought to my attention. I was obviously very conscious the amalgamation, involving some DEIS and some non-DEIS schools - that was the secondary school. We were able to provide that support and solution...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (25 Apr 2024)

Bernard Durkan: I asked about the dietary balance.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: School Meals Programme (25 Apr 2024)

Heather Humphreys: Regarding dietary standards, healthy eating guidelines are set out for the suppliers. They must meet certain standards and I would expect them to do that. There are intermittent inspections by my Department in different schools. It is up to the to the principal and teachers to make sure the appropriate food is coming in because it is being paid for.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions (25 Apr 2024)

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions (25 Apr 2024)

Catherine Connolly: We will take Priority Questions now.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Apr 2024)

Social Welfare Payments

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Apr 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: 1. To ask the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if, in light of her not proceeding further with the consultation on the Green Paper on disability payments, she intends to examine a cost-of-disability payment; and whether she intends to introduce different reforms to the disability payments. [18467/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Social Welfare Payments (25 Apr 2024)

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire: I apologise to the Leas-Cheann Comhairle and the Minister for being late. I appreciate the Leas-Cheann Comhairle taking these questions now. I know Deputy Tully has a similar question, namely question No. 6. Many people welcomed the decision not to proceed further with the with consultation on the Green Paper and to walk away from the proposals examined in it. Questions now arise as to...