Results 481-500 of 1,055,740 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Ciarán Cuffe OR speaker:Paul Murphy OR speaker:Colm Brophy OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Joe O'Brien OR speaker:Robert Troy OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Imelda Munster)

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: That is really helpful and important. We need to give certainty to early years educators that pay increases will come and they will continue to come. It is really important because we need to retain those we have; they are highly educated, highly professional, many of them have years of experience and we also need to encourage more people to join the profession. Where there is uncertainty...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care and Education (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: Significant steps have been taken over the last four years on improving pay but we absolutely need to go further. I would love to see a process initiated where we start to look at how we align the pay of early years professionals with the pay of other educators across our society. That will be expensive and we have to recognise that. It is really good value for the State because I see the...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2024)

Childcare Services

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: 3. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the number of foster carers in 2014; the number today; the measures he will take to encourage people to become foster carers; if he will engage with stakeholders on how to do this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43703/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I met with some foster carers just before the budget and they outlined their current circumstances and the circumstances for foster carers in the Sate, which is fairly grave given how the numbers have reduced. We obviously need more foster carers. There were a number of moves made in the budget, which I very much welcome, and I know they do too. I am interested in knowing the number of...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: When a child cannot be in the care of their own family and when a child has to come into the care of the State, the very next best place for a child is in the care of another family. That is why foster carers are so important and that is why I have worked to stabilise and grow the number of foster carers we have. In 2014, we had 4,210 foster carers and this year, the most recent data shows...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: The number of carers has reduced, obviously, but over ten years it is perhaps not as stark; we lost 368 from the system which would be for many reasons. In relation to bringing new foster carers into the system, is the Minister aware of any of the reasons foster carers may have chosen to stop foster care other than those who are getting older and naturally stop providing foster care? I am...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Childcare Services (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I have found that for people departing, age is one of the major criteria. People who have fostered all their lives and are now in their mid-70s and simply are not in a position to do it anymore. That is a crucial reason. Our biggest problem is recruitment. A lot of people who come into the foster care system as foster carers are care experienced themselves and know the benefit of what...

Prelude (24 Oct 2024)

Prelude (24 Oct 2024)

Chuaigh an Leas-Cheann Comhairle i gceannas ar 9.00 a.m.

Prelude (24 Oct 2024)

Prayer and Reflection.

Prelude (24 Oct 2024)

Paidir agus Machnamh.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Mother and Baby Homes

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: 1. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he will consider looking at the criteria to apply for redress under the mother and baby institutions payment scheme, given the very high underspend in the scheme this year; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43701/24]

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I want to ask the Minister about the current position of the mother and baby institutions payment scheme. I welcome that he said yesterday there will be a review in the new year. That is important. In regard to the extension of the scheme, I have given the example a couple of times of Temple Hill in particular.

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: The mother and baby institutions payment scheme opened for applications in March this year. As of 21 October, almost 5,300 applications have been received. Nearly 3,900 notices of determination have issued to applicants, more than 82% of which contain an offer of benefits under the scheme. Applicants have six months to consider their offer before they need to respond. While my...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: Could the Minister confirm that the review will be in 2026, within six months of the second anniversary? The review will look at the operation of the scheme, but I presume it would not include the possibility of extending it even if there is money there to do that. I believe that is the case. I do not think anyone could say there is not money to do it. Will the Minister consider extending...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy very much. The review must be completed by mid-2026. That will give a span of time through which the scheme has been operating. There will also be a stronger sense then of the level of uptake of the scheme. We were expecting a surge of applications at the start, in the way we had seen with the birth information and tracing legislation, but it is now clear that the level...

Ceisteanna ar Sonraíodh Uain Dóibh - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes (24 Oct 2024)

Claire Kerrane: I may not get the opportunity to raise this again. Coming new into this role, it is only now that I am meeting the survivors. Does the Minister not wonder about Temple Hill? I cannot understand how it can be regarded as a hospital when babies were adopted to America, via newspaper advertisements. How is that a hospital? I cannot understand that at all. I have never heard of a hospital...