Results 421-440 of 1,096,079 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Damien English OR speaker:Brendan Howlin OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Paul Donnelly OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Mary Butler OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Joe Flaherty OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl5 OR speaker:Matt Shanahan OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Bríd Smith OR speaker:John Lahart OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh)

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.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I am interested in a mid-year entry point, which there was originally but was removed. Where a child is born just on the cusp of the next year, it can be frustrating for parents. It is worth considering that day-to-day change in the operation of the scheme. We spoke earlier about early years professionals. Ultimately, it comes down to State investment because if the State is to be more...

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

Disability Services

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

Pauline Tully: 8. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider undertaking a stakeholder review of the Progressing Disability Services model; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43542/24]

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

Pauline Tully: Will the Minister consider undertaking a stakeholder review of the progressing disability services model in light of the fact that it does not work on many fronts?

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The implementation of the progressing disability services programme is agreed Government and HSE policy. This policy supports the reconfiguration of children's disability services to provide equitable child- and family-centred services based on need rather than diagnosis. Crucially, this aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The HSE's roadmap for service...

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

Pauline Tully: The progressing disabilities model is not working on many fronts. There were 91 CDNTs established before the end of 2021. According to the HSE census from a year ago, only one of those teams was fully staffed. A number were close but quite a number had vacancy rates up to 70%. A team cannot function with a vacancy rate of 70% or even 50% or 30%. Many children have no access to their...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I cannot disagree with anything the Deputy said in terms of the challenge the significant level of vacancy poses for the CDNTs all over the country and their ability to deliver crucial interventions for children and the subsequent improvements in quality of life for families. The next Government will look at the progressing disabilities model and have an opportunity to make decisions. We...

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

Pauline Tully: We have been hearing about a recruitment campaign for quite some time. The progressing disability model was drawn up in 2013 or 2014, I think. At that time, workforce planning was not done and we now do not have sufficient therapists. I acknowledge it will take time to educate enough therapists but there is no guarantee they will work in disability services. There are many other areas...

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

Disability Services

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

Rose Conway-Walsh: 5. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on children’s disability network teams in Mayo, including staff vacancies, recruitment and waiting lists for assessment and therapy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43583/24]

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

Rose Conway-Walsh: Too many children are waiting for therapies and assessment in County Mayo. I am trying to get a grasp on the staff vacancies in the children's disability network teams, CDNTs, and the waiting lists for assessment and therapy in County Mayo.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for raising this question. I acknowledge the challenges faced by children and young people in terms of accessing services, particularly essential therapy services, in Mayo. The lead agencies there are experiencing ongoing challenges in recruiting across a range of disciplines and grades to fully staff the CDNTs. Recruitment is ongoing for administrative and...

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

Rose Conway-Walsh: I thank the Minister. The reality is that there are still too many vacancies. I take what the Minister is saying in terms of trying to attract staff. However, continually having vacant posts puts pressure on the workers who are there already. Last week, I was at a wonderful initiative with Mayo Autism Camp and Manulla FC. There were many parents and children there. Although the day was...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I fully agree with the Deputy on the challenges of recruitment. It is the big challenge in disabilities services right now. The core solution to that is to train more health and social care professionals, occupational therapists, speech and language therapists, physiotherapists and psychiatrists. We need more of them because the level of demand and need has increased, both because of...

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

Rose Conway-Walsh: That is part of the problem. Fine Gael has been in Government for the past 13 or 14 years and now we are looking to address these situations. The workforce planning should have been in place well before now. It is not a big surprise that there is such a high number of children with disabilities in need of support. I would say that this Government has failed children with disabilities and...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank Deputy Conway-Walsh for her passionate advocacy on behalf of that child and his family. What I have done as Minister is to recognise that for so long disability was the poor relation within the Department of Health. We have taken it out of the Department of Health and brought it into my Department. That applied from March 2023, more than 18 months ago. There is so much more...

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

Early Childhood Care and Education

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

Claire Kerrane: 7. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to provide an update on the publication of the early childhood care and education review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43559/24]