Results 421-440 of 1,141,706 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Josepha Madigan OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Marc Ó Cathasaigh OR speaker:Marc MacSharry OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Ivana Bacik OR speaker:Cathal Crowe OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Patricia Ryan OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:James Browne OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Michael Creed OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Richard Boyd Barrett OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Bernard Durkan OR speaker:Paschal Donohoe OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Róisín Shortall OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Gerald Nash OR speaker:Noel Grealish OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh27 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh03 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh8 OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan)

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

Child Care Law Reporting Project

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

Paul Murphy: 11. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will estimate the length of time for which there will be no reporting on childcare cases in light of the ending of funding for a project (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43568/24]

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

Paul Murphy: The Child Law Project has done extremely important work in shining a light on the multiple ways this State fails children, especially vulnerable children. There has, however, been no reporting of childcare proceedings since June because the Minister ended funding for the Child Law Project. Will the Minister tell us when funding will restart and reporting can recommence? In particular, will...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. My Department renews the court reporting project periodically through a competitive tender process. The current iteration of the court reporting project began in November 2021 and will expire on 31 October 2024, over which period funding totalling €600,000 will have been provided to the Child Law Project. My Department is currently prioritising the development of...

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

Paul Murphy: The question that is begged is why there is this delay. This was foreseeable. The period was coming to an end and there was going to be a new tendering process, so why this gap, at the very least, in funding? I will read a selection of headlines from the last volume of reports from the Child Law Project. They include "Court hears of a 'spectacular example of statutory agencies not working...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Disability Services (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I take the Deputy's point on getting the therapists who will graduate in years to come where they are most needed. I look at what Tusla did in terms of social workers. Every social worker who graduates from an Irish university gets an offer of employment from Tusla. That is extremely attractive and has been very good in bringing not all social workers, but a significant number to do work...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Rights of People with Disabilities

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: 9. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the optional protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities will be formally ratified; what mechanisms will be available to complainants once ratified; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43343/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: The Minister has mentioned this a couple of times this morning. I think we are all delighted to hear we are moving ahead with the optional protocol on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Can we get an update on the formal ratification and on the mechanisms that may be available to complainants once it is ratified?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. She has raised this with me regularly in my time as Minister. I was pleased to announce on 8 October that the Government made the important decision to formally accede to the optional protocol to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, delivering on a key programme for Government commitment. This decision marks a milestone moment for...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: People throughout the country will be delighted to hear it hopefully will be in place before the end of 2024. A huge number of people in the past five years have worked and campaigned hard to ensure there is governance and oversight in how we implement the UNCRPD. If I understand what the Minister has outlined, it is a relationship between the UN and the people of Ireland and then the UN...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: We all want a country where people with disabilities and their families do not feel they need to take up the provisions of the optional protocol and feel that Ireland is meeting their full rights under the UNCRPD. We know we are not there yet and have a lot of work to do to get to that place. We have been able to do some important things in the past four and a half years, particularly since...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Neasa Hourigan: It is worth reiterating we would all want to live in an Ireland where nobody needs the optional protocol. Unfortunately, as the Minister said, we are not there yet. I too hope and expect the optional protocol will work as a motivator for the State because of the cost of not doing enough. The stakes are raised. Has the Minister's Department, or other Departments such as finance or public...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: I agree with the Minister that we need accountability. Regarding the announcement around the accession to the optional protocol, the lack of clarity around timelines has been quite dubious. I found it deeply strange there was no clarification. The announcement did not say when it would be signed or lodged, just that the Government was choosing to accede. This was announced after the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: There is no further delay. I am not quite sure what the Deputy is talking about. We have agreed as Government to sign the optional protocol and sent the accession documents to New York, which is how it is done. They will be delivered by the Irish representative in the United Nations to the United Nations disability committee and 30 days later the optional protocol will be binding on...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: Do we not have a date?

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Rights of People with Disabilities (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: -----and no lack of clarity on that point. On Deputy Hourigan's point, it will be a motivator. It motivated our Department on the assisted decision-making legislation and is an important motivator behind the mental health legislation passing through the Houses right now. There have been analyses and there are areas where Ireland is vulnerable. Universal design, which the Deputy has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I too welcome the publication of the report. The ECCE is an important scheme, which I acknowledge. The report acknowledges the very good points and positives in relation to ECCE. It is important for parents, children and providers because where it is provided it is very well done. Some of the challenges the report highlighted are around availability, accessibility, the hours and weeks and...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: An interesting point is that more than 1 million children have done ECCE, about one fifth of our population, as it has been available since 2009. The next steps will be a decision for the next Government. I have strong views. I agree with the Deputy. ECCE is the cornerstone of early learning and care. I would love to see it on a statutory basis so that every child would have a legal...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I thank the Minister. With that said, it is for the next Government. It is important that this report is passed on and acted upon as quickly as possible because it is an important programme. We need to ensure that where changes can be made to improve it, that happens for the benefit of everybody. That is all I can say because the report has been published, which I welcome.