Results 261-280 of 1,050,473 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív61 OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Dessie Ellis)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The core funding model has been tweaked quite significantly between years one and three. In year one, funding was allocated according to the number of hours and the number of children that a service had but we recognised after year one that smaller services were disadvantaged by that. In year two, we brought in two changes. We brought in a minimum floor of core funding below which no...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I thank the Minister for his recent visit to the Waterford Childcare Centre, which is a really outstanding example in my constituency of that kind of community-owned and operated childcare model. There have been indications from the Minister and from other senior figures within the Government that we should look towards public provision as well. That begs the next question of how we see...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I really enjoyed my trip to the Waterford Childcare Centre and the beautiful poster I received from the children and staff there with the handprints on it has pride of place in my office. We will have the opportunity in the general election to really tease out issue of the degree of State involvement in the provision of childcare because I recognise parental choice is really important...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Parental Leave (2 Oct 2024)

Parental Leave

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Parental Leave (2 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: 13. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will examine the anomaly that exists within parent's leave and benefit for one-parent families; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38973/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Parental Leave (2 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I want to ask the Minister about the anomaly that exists in the nine-week payment for parent's leave and benefit for one-parent families and the fact that if someone has a baby and is part of a two-parent family there will be two nine-weeks of paid parent's leave whereas if it is a one-parent family there be just nine weeks. That is an anomaly that should be corrected.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Parental Leave (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. There have been significant developments in the entitlements to family leaves and working family payments in recent years. The Government committed in the programme for Government to supporting parents, including by extending paid leave for parents to allow them to spend more time with their baby during the first year. Under the Parent’s Leave and Benefit Act...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Parental Leave (2 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I welcome that parent's leave has increased from two to nine weeks and it is a great support for parents, particularly when maternity leave is only 26 weeks and paternity leave at the moment is only two weeks. Despite all of that, regarding the one-parent family, if a baby is born into a one-parent family and the other parent is deceased, for example, there will be nine additional weeks; but...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Parental Leave (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: This type of leave has always been seen as leave pertaining to the parent rather than to the child, as the Deputy described it. That is not to say additional types of leave could not be introduced looking specifically at the needs of one-parent families. This leave is designed to recognise a situation where there is a one-parent family as the result of maybe a relationship breakdown, and it...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Parental Leave (2 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: Perhaps that might be something the Minister may examine because it would be a very small number of parents. With regard to parent's leave and benefit, the child should get the same level of time with their parent, whether it is one parent or two. That is an anomaly that would be worth looking at. It would be a small number of people but it is important.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (2 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I thank the Minister for that clarification. I realise and openly acknowledge that the Minister inherited this issue. However, we have known for a very long time that direct provision does not work. It isolates people, creates a stigma and is inhuman. The High Court recently ruled in August of this year that the State had utterly failed in its duty to provide for basic needs, including...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: There is one other piece of context worth noting and that is the war in Ukraine. Since February 2022, in addition to the work we had been doing to deal with the needs of international protection applicants, my Department has had to deal with the needs of up to 100,000 Ukrainians and a very significant increase in the number of international applications. This is just for context which I...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (2 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Can the Minister provide context on what State-owned facilities we will have, when we will have them and what are the numbers we are talking about? Unfortunately, the Minister referred to the Peter McVerry Trust, which leaves serious questions to be answered and there are ongoing investigations into it. We are also at this stage now because the successive Governments has failed to deal with...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (2 Oct 2024)

Michael Ring: I will let Deputy O'Rourke in with a quick supplementary question. The Minister might take both questions together.

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (2 Oct 2024)

Darren O'Rourke: Regarding Thornton Hall, the Minister stated the timeline was a number of weeks. Is it still mid-October? I am conscious that the end of June and the end of September were initial dates that have passed. I am concerned the updates we are getting from the Department are not detailed, whether that is in terms of the transport plan, social protection, health, well-being, noise assessments or...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: International Protection (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: To respond to Deputy Connolly, the process is to provide a core of 13,000 State-owned beds between now and the end of 2028. That is what is set out in the comprehensive accommodation policy and that will be done through building on State land and purchasing sites. That will bring us to that capacity. I have set out the work we are doing on State land. Part of that State land is the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Childcare Services

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Steven Matthews: 12. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of childcare services that have signed a core funding contract for the coming programme year; the number of partner services that have withdrawn in each programme year to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [38547/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I am taking this question on behalf of Deputy Steven Matthews. Under this Government we have seen significant funding put into childcare, particularly through the core funding model. What is the number of childcare services that have signed a core funding contract for the coming programme year, the number of partner services that have withdrawn in each programme year to date, and could...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Childcare Services (2 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The introduction of core funding in 2022 brought a significant increase in investment for the sector. A sum of €259 million in funding was paid directly into services in year one of the scheme, of which €210.8 million was entirely new funding. This funding, which increased by 11% to €287 million in year two, increased again by 15% in year three to €331 million. ...