Results 721-740 of 1,170,907 for in 'Dáil debates' OR in 'Committee meetings' (speaker:Pat Deering OR speaker:Cian O'Callaghan OR speaker:James Lawless OR speaker:Chris Andrews OR speaker:Simon Coveney OR speaker:Rose Conway-Walsh OR speaker:Chris Andrews6 OR speaker:Alan Farrell OR speaker:Heather Humphreys OR speaker:Danny Healy-Rae OR speaker:Pauline Tully OR speaker:Thomas Pringle OR speaker:Carol Nolan OR speaker:Verona Murphy OR speaker:Patrick O'Donovan OR speaker:David Stanton OR speaker:Pippa Hackett OR speaker:Michael Ring OR speaker:Mattie McGrath OR speaker:Alan Kelly OR speaker:Peter Burke OR speaker:Jennifer Carroll MacNeill OR speaker:Brian Stanley OR speaker:Jackie Cahill OR speaker:Alan Dillon OR speaker:Michael Healy-Rae OR speaker:Mark Ward OR speaker:Steven Matthews OR speaker:Ossian Smyth OR speaker:Seán Haughey OR speaker:James O'Connor OR speaker:Matt Shanahan OR speaker:Roderic O'Gorman OR speaker:Maurice Quinlivan OR speaker:Seán Crowe OR speaker:Matt Carthy OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh OR speaker:Richard O'Donoghue OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh17 OR speaker:Ruairi Ó Murchú OR speaker:Marc MacSharry OR speaker:Michael Creed OR speaker:Peter Fitzpatrick OR speaker:Simon Harris OR speaker:Pádraig O'Sullivan OR speaker:Chris Andrews8 OR speaker:Anne Rabbitte OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh13 OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh25 OR speaker:Martin Heydon OR speaker:Aengus Ó Snodaigh3)

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...

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

Roderic O'Gorman: The scheme that was legislated for in this regard provides redress in the form of financial payments and enhanced medical cards for former residents of mother and baby homes and county home institutions. That was the definition and basis upon which eligibility for this scheme was decided. It was a response to the commission of investigation into mother and baby homes and county home...

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

Early Childhood Care and Education

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

Claire Kerrane: 2. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth when the joint labour committee will meet, following the announcement of funding for a pay increase for early years educators in budget 2025; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43702/24]

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

Claire Kerrane: SIPTU and others, including educators within the early years sector, welcomed the funding increase the Minister announced as part of budget 2025. As previously, I presume the joint labour committee, JLC, will meet in order to determine what that increase will be. I am conscious of the work of the committee. Is the Minister aware of when it will meet on the back of the budget announcement?

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

Roderic O'Gorman: We all recognise the hugely important work done by early learning and care staff and school-age childcare staff. We also recognise that the pay they receive does not meet the hugely important work that they undertake. It was my objective as Minister in the past four years to do more so that their pay would meet their requirements and recognise the hugely important role they play in...