Results 361-380 of 1,054,722 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte OR speaker:Charlie McConalogue OR speaker:Martin Browne)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (24 Oct 2024)

Cathal Crowe: 61. To ask the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment if he will introduce a new wave of supports, beyond power-up grants, for businesses that are struggling to meet additional operational costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43330/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Business Supports (24 Oct 2024)

Cathal Crowe: Will the Minister be introducing a new wave of supports beyond the power-up grant announced on budget day to support businesses that are struggling at this time?

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Library Services (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I cannot speak our national language with the Deputy's sense of competence, to my shame. When we designed the little book bag programme, which is part of the little libraries initiative, whereby a bag of books was given to each child, in the English-language bag there was at least one Irish-language book. There were also bags with solely Irish-language books. They supported domestic Irish...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Library Services (24 Oct 2024)

Cuireadh an Dáil ar fionraí ar 10.36 a.m. agus cuireadh tús leis arís ar 10.43 a.m. Sitting suspended at 10.36 a.m. and resumed at 10.43 a.m.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I thank the Minister. It is important to note that the National Youth Council of Ireland described the budget, particularly the allocation for youth work, as a missed opportunity. It said it was disappointing and falls short of what is critically needed to support Ireland's growing youth population. The confirmed €7 million for the expansion of youth work services is less than half...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have increased funding for youth services every year because I see its absolute centrality in allowing for meaningful interventions with some of the most vulnerable young people in society. I fully believe that every young person, irrespective of his or her background or where he or she comes from in our country, should have the option to engage in youth work if he or she so wishes. We...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: While I acknowledge the year-on-year increase in funding, I want to convey the disappointment of the National Youth Council of Ireland because it released a statement and I am not sure it got the acknowledgement and the recognition it deserved. It did a lot of work coming up to the budget, as many organisations do. It sought €15 million and outlined exactly what that amount was...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I am anxious to get to one more question. I will only allow Deputy Durkan to have a brief comment.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Bernard Durkan: All my comments are brief. While the work the Minister is doing in the Department with respect to youth and youth federations, such as Foróige etc, is acknowledged, is it accepted that the needs and demand are increasing in this regard? There are more challenges facing youth. Is the Minister satisfied he has sufficient resources to meet those challenges in the future?

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The need is absolutely growing in every part of my Department, whether it is youth services, early years, disability or integration and the needs of people fleeing to Ireland. The needs across all parts of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth are growing. I have, however, always prioritised increasing the budget for youth services because it is so...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh can pick from four questions. He will have limited time, however.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Departmental Budgets (24 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That is fine. I understand the time constraints.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Library Services (24 Oct 2024)

Library Services

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Library Services (24 Oct 2024)

Brian Leddin: 13. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the My Little Library book programme for young children; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43359/24]

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Library Services (24 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: I love the library. When Tramore library closed for extensive refurbishment that ran over a couple of years, we missed it badly. My kids love the Dog Man series of books. While they might not be on the reading list of the Minister, they are great books. They cost €13 a pop, however, and the kids finish them in approximately one hour and say, thanks Dad. Getting into the library...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Library Services (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The Little Library universal initiative funded by my Department focuses on strengthening the links between families and their local libraries, as well as encouraging a love of storybooks and reading among young children. The initiative has shown great success with over 70,000 young children having joined their local library because of the Little Library programme. The programme’s...

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Library Services (24 Oct 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Deputy Marc Ó Cathasaigh will only get one chance to reply.

Ceisteanna Eile (Atógáil) - Other Questions (Resumed): Library Services (24 Oct 2024)

Marc Ó Cathasaigh: That is no problem. I am fully in support of this programme. It is fantastic. I am a Dad, but I was also a teacher in a previous life. Bringing school kids to the library and establishing those links is so important in terms of literacy and encouraging kids to read for fun. It has so many benefits in their later life, not only in their progression in literacy but in their access to so...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Care Law Reporting Project (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: It is not. The Child Law Project is very important in shining a light on where the State has failed. We learn from that. One of the responses I have made to the work the project has done and my engagement with other NGOs working in this area has been to convene a new committee of statutory agencies. We are bringing together the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána, my Department and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Care Law Reporting Project (24 Oct 2024)

Paul Murphy: We still do not have an adequate explanation. Again, this is not a surprise. The period of funding was going to run out and there was going to be a new tender process and yet there is still a gap. There are two possible explanations. One is the political motivation of leaning on the project. The Minister says that is not the case. The other explanation is no more satisfactory. It is...