Results 421-440 of 1,214,676 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Rory O'Hanlon OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Joe McHugh OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Cathal Berry OR speaker:Micheál Martin OR speaker:Helen McEntee OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Catherine Connolly OR speaker:Pearse Doherty OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Jim O'Callaghan OR speaker:Thomas Gould OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Dara Calleary OR speaker:Pat Buckley OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Paul McAuliffe OR speaker:Francis Noel Duffy OR speaker:Brendan Griffin OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Duncan Smith OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Catherine Martin OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Pádraig Mac Lochlainn OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:David Cullinane OR speaker:John McGuinness OR speaker:Bríd Smith OR speaker:Neasa Hourigan OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív42 OR speaker:Christopher O'Sullivan OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:Éamon Ó Cuív61 OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Mick Barry OR speaker:Michael Creed)

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.

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...

Committee on Drugs Use: Family and Community: Discussion (24 Oct 2024)

David Stanton: I was not expecting to be first but I thank the Chair. I have another meeting at 10:30 a.m on the Traveller issues Mr. McCann referenced. I have met many of the witnesses previously. They have painted a bleak picture but they also put forward solutions, suggestions and proposals that should be taken on board, at this stage, by the next Government in a very strong way. The witnesses have...