Results 441-460 of 1,045,091 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Michael McNamara OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Seán Sherlock OR speaker:Louise O'Reilly OR speaker:Thomas Pringle)

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (18 Sep 2024)

Catherine Connolly: Táimid ag bogadh ar aghaidh anois go dtí an dara Saincheist Thráthúil. Deputies Mick Barry, Pádraig O'Sullivan agus Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire wish to discuss the lack of therapists at St. Killian's special school in Mayfield, Cork city. They have one minute and 20 seconds each.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (18 Sep 2024)

Mick Barry: St. Killian's special school in Mayfield, County Cork, is the largest special school in all of Munster. No therapists have been in this school since 2019. Last November, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, met a delegation from the school which included the principal. At that meeting, the Minister of State promised to make €150,000 available to the school to hire therapists....

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: School Funding (18 Sep 2024)

Pádraig O'Sullivan: I thank the Minister of State for taking this Topical Issue. I know this is an issue she has worked on in recent years. I know it is something she wants to bring to a resolution. I also acknowledge that without her intervention, I do not think we would even have the pilot scheme that is in place. That needs to be put on the record. As outlined by Deputy Barry, St. Killian's is a very...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I was disappointed to see a good chunk of the Minister's amendment criticising the plan I launched last week. He does not have to like the plan, of course. I am not interested in that kind of politicking. I do not do it. I do not believe that the parents are interested in it either. The Minister sees our plan as having no vision. Our plan has a vision and is the actual way to get to...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Amendment put.

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Catherine Connolly: The division is deferred until the weekly division time next week.

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate (18 Sep 2024)

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (18 Sep 2024)

Defective Building Materials

Saincheisteanna Tráthúla - Topical Issue Debate: Defective Building Materials (18 Sep 2024)

Pearse Doherty: I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman, for staying for this Topical Issue matter. The next facet of the defective blocks crisis emerging in County Donegal is that within community childcare facilities. Raphoe Community Playgroup has already been forced out of the building it owns due to the fact that it was condemned, and it now has to fundraise to find a permanent home. This is despite...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Johnny Mythen: I thank Claire Kerrane and Kathleen Funchion for developing our childcare policy. Childcare is an essential linchpin in the creation and sustaining of a good, healthy society. The benefits are enormous to any state or country. The added value is immeasurable and is a solid social investment in the future of our citizens. Childcare is the fundamental block to building and sustaining...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Ruairi Ó Murchú: Sinn Féin remains absolutely committed to delivering a public model of childcare, but we cannot wait on the perfect - things have to get better. While I accept there have been changes, parents and children need us to ensure we deal with the issues of affordability, accessibility and availability. Those are vital. Our plan is straightforward, namely, €345 million to deliver...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Pat Buckley: I thank Deputy Kerrane for bringing forward the motion. I have listened to many of those who have spoken on it. There has been a bit of nitpicking as well. The Leas-Cheann Comhairle used the word "transformative" in her contribution, but this is about doing things right. If we are speaking in plain English here, this is about giving parents additional time for their child to grow up with...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Violet-Anne Wynne: In my limited time I will only get the opportunity to raise two substantive points, one being the major gap for those children who are not yet two years and nine months but who have additional needs and whom the Minister has locked out of vital supports, ECCE and AIM. I am aware the Minister knows of a particular case in Clare which has been brought to his office. He has not taken action...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Anne Rabbitte: I welcome this motion as an opportunity to debate the important issue of early learning and childcare. It is clear from the debate so far that we all recognise the importance of early learning and childcare for children and their families as well as for society and the wider economy. In opposing the Deputies' motion and putting forward a countermotion, the Government’s objective is...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Joan Collins: I am sharing time with my three colleagues. I am supporting the Private Members' motion from Sinn Féin on this childcare payment, as I would support any Private Members' motion calling for more money to be put into people's pockets. Childcare is one of the biggest costs to working families and it is a growing cost that is pricing parents, particularly women, out of employment. It is...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Marian Harkin: I thank Sinn Féin for bringing forward the motion. The only addition I would make to it is to emphasise the need to ensure that parents can access childcare. Just today the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation was in Buswells. One of the issues it raised with me was childcare. While costs are less than previously, its members have huge difficulty in accessing childcare. One of the...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Catherine Connolly: I thank Sinn Féin for the motion. Although I have concerns about it, I appreciate that the tenor of it is to reduce the cost for parents and I fully support that. What is missing is a commitment to the provision of public childcare and the operation of childcare. I know the Minister has done his best to reduce the cost and has brought in schemes, but he has ignored what the citizens'...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Thomas Pringle: I am grateful for the opportunity to speak on this motion regarding childcare. I fully support the motion, particularly as it calls on the Government to make childcare more affordable for parents and to increase pay for early years educators. However, I do not believe the motion goes far enough. Really we should be aiming for public childcare that is completely State funded. Parents are...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Danny Healy-Rae: I will support this motion because it is very important. We need childcare professionals and we need mothers and women in the workforce. They need to work to keep their homes, so we need to help those people, along with childcare professionals. The motion calls for extending parent's leave and benefit schemes to ensure parents have the choice to remain with their baby in the first year of...

Childcare: Motion [Private Members] (18 Sep 2024)

Michael Collins: I fully support Sinn Féin's motion. Childcare is essential for society, aiding children's development and enabling parents to work. Ireland faces a childcare crisis, however, with high costs, limited availability and inadequate support for professionals. This crisis demands urgent reform. Affordable, accessible and reliable childcare is crucial for families and the economy. It...