Results 521-540 of 1,163,198 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Tom Kitt OR speaker:Peadar Tóibín OR speaker:Jennifer Whitmore OR speaker:John Brady OR speaker:Simon Coveney OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Catherine Murphy OR speaker:Norma Foley OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Imelda Munster OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Réada Cronin OR speaker:Mary Lou McDonald OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Ivana Bacik OR speaker:Aindrias Moynihan OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl OR speaker:Neale Richmond OR speaker:Seán Ó Fearghaíl9 OR speaker:Seán Canney OR speaker:Eamon Ryan OR speaker:Pa Daly OR speaker:Michael McGrath OR speaker:Holly Cairns OR speaker:Colm Burke OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Michael Collins OR speaker:Johnny Mythen OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:Michael Lowry OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Claire Kerrane OR speaker:Patricia Ryan OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Stephen Donnelly OR speaker:Thomas Gould OR speaker:Mairead Farrell OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Frank Feighan OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:Eoin Ó Broin)

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]

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

Claire Kerrane: I wish to ask the Minister about the publication of the review of the early childhood care and education, ECCE, scheme. I believe it has been published and I welcome that. Will the Minister give us some detail on his response to that review? I understand it was completed in April. Why did it take so long to publish it? It is something for which the sector has been asking for quite some time.

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. It was published on Tuesday. We are delighted to publish it. I am delighted to have published it because I asked for this to be undertaken. There is a lot happening in the early years section in my Department. We had a busy summer negotiating another really successful budget. We have been bringing out extra support for AIMS, rolling out equal start and the new DEIS...

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

Claire Kerrane: I thought of that very point when the Minister said one of the biggest reasons people are leaving is age. Giving security to foster carers when they reach the age of 66 and ensuring they can access a State pension is important. I discussed that with the representatives. They said that perhaps a new system is needed. The best thing we can do is consider the new system introduced for family...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. There is certainly merit in considering her idea. The Deputy is probably aware that Tusla is in the AV room today, where I am hosting representatives who are coming in to talk to Members of the Oireachtas about foster caring and how some of us or our constituents who are interested in it can deliver that message and make it clear how people can sign up. Tusla is doing a...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions (24 Oct 2024)

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Child Protection

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Joan Collins: 6. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to clarify a statement in a press release by his Department on 23 September 2024 that ratifying the second optional protocol will mean that Ireland is officially bound by its terms under international law (details supplied). [42105/24]

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Joan Collins: 25. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if a guarantee can be provided that the second optional protocol to the UNCRC will be ratified before the term of the Thirty-third Dáil concludes (details supplied); if his Department has finalised the outstanding legal obstacles; and if not, the measures required before Ireland can finally ratify this...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Joan Collins: I ask the Minister to clarify a statement in a press release from his Department on 23 September 2024 to the effect that ratifying the second optional protocol would mean that Ireland is officially bound by the terms under international law. It is linked to another question. Can a guarantee be provided that the second optional protocol to the UNCRC will be ratified before the end of the...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I am taking Questions Nos. 6 and 25 together. The Government is firmly committed to the ratification of the second optional protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNCRC. Ireland signed the second optional protocol in 2000, and the Government is committed to taking the further step of ratifying it as soon as possible. Ratifying the protocol will mean that Ireland is...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Joan Collins: I thank the Minister. He said it was signed in 2000 and we are still waiting for ratification. Certain legislative hurdles have had to be dealt with before we can reach that stage. The Minister said that, following enactment of the legislation, officials in his Department will work with the Office of the Attorney General on the next steps to ensure readiness across all relevant...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. I would make a comparison with the work completed in recent weeks on the optional protocol to the disability convention. It was an optional protocol to the treaty we had signed. Ratification had been blocked by the fact that some key legislation had not been passed. We passed the assisted decision-making legislation, which was important. I brought together an...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Joan Collins: I would welcome any step that can put the protocol in place so that it is not put on the long finger again when there may be a new Minister in place. It is important to do that. The Minister had said that he expected an awareness-raising campaign to commence in early 2024, and details of the campaign had yet to be decided. Can he provide me with an update on the campaign and what he has...

Ceisteanna Eile - Other Questions: Child Protection (24 Oct 2024)

Roderic O'Gorman: I thank the Deputy. I do not have the details with me, so I will come back to her in writing on that point. It is very fair. It is important that we understand the position. My Department is highly focused on the implementation of key legislation like this. I have seen that where there is a little bit of political will behind something, we can move the ratification of an optional...

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

Claire Kerrane: It is important the Minister makes that call again, as he has now, for them to get around the table because the last pay increase was 65 cent and it took 14 months to negotiate. Frankly, that does not give me much hope. We know that SIPTU looked for a €1.50 increase. We also know that come January, when the minimum wage increases, there will be 15 cent between the minimum wage of an...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The improvements to pay are absolutely crucial and we agree on recruitment and retention. We will not attract the young women and men who graduate from early learning and care degrees around the country, both level seven and eight degrees, into this sector if they do not see a long term future for themselves. That is why when I first introduced core funding, I linked it to rates of pay....

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...