Results 20,081-20,100 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (1 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I indicated in my previous reply to the Deputy the various childcare support and capital programmes which are implemented by my Department and their availability to private providers. To summarise: - The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is provided through both private and community/not-for-profit providers - The Training and Employment Childcare (TEC) programmes (i.e....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (1 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: The decision to extend free pre-school provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme was based on recommendations set out in the Reports of the Expert Advisory Group on the Early Years Strategy in 2013 and Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare in 2015. Both Groups consulted widely with a range of stakeholders, including the early years sector,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (1 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: As I stated in my reply to the Deputy's previous question, the Programmes Implementation Platform (PIP), which was introduced by my Department and launched in September 2014, provides for childcare providers to submit applications for childcare funding through an online facility. For the purposes of further clarification, when a parent decides to register a child for participation in a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (1 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: The decision to extend free pre-school provided under the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme was based on recommendations set out in the Reports of the Expert Advisory Group on the Early Years Strategy in 2013 and Inter-Departmental Group on Future Investment in Childcare in 2015. The latter Group consulted widely during the course of their work and all stakeholders in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Legal Cases Data (1 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I can inform the Deputy that there are ten legal cases currently ongoing against my Department. These do not include personal injury cases which are dealt with by the State Claims Agency. In addition, there is also one case before the Court of Justice of the European Union in respect of an Article 267 reference from the Irish Supreme Court. The most significant legal proceedings against...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Data (1 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: One person in my Department is employed under a Contract of Indefinite Duration. This employee is in receipt of incremental salary payments. My Department does not generally hold information relating to individual employees of the various agencies operating under the Department's remit, including the number of temporary contracts or contracts of indefinite duration sought or in place...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: In order to provide for the implementation of the legislative changes to the Child Care Act 1991, which were enacted through the Child and Family Agency Act 2013, it was necessary to carry out a root and branch re-examination of the 2006 child care regulations, including a restructuring of the regulations in line with the latest drafting practices. This exercise has proven to be more time...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I accept the Deputy's concern, but I must repeat the point made in my response that "the early years inspectorate has inspected 1,659 services so far this year, an increase of 68% on the same period in 2014." Therefore, the system is well advanced in terms of inspections. Inspections have not stopped because the regulations have not been reviewed and the new ones have not been put in place....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: As the Deputy will be aware from the initial answer and the passage of the Child Care Act through this House, every preschool service is required to register with the Child and Family Agency before being permitted to operate. That is a major change. Up to now, there was no way of insisting on getting into a preschool setting before opening. That is a major change and one with which we all...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme covers children who have reached the age of three years and two months by 1 September of the relevant year. From September 2016, I am expanding the programme to allow children to enrol in free preschool from the time they are three years of age and remain there until they start primary school. This extended free preschool provision was...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I am satisfied that there is additional capacity in the early years sector to cope with some of the increased demand. The annual survey of early years services which was conducted in December 2014 estimated that there were more than 24,000 vacancies in early years services across the country, with almost 13,000 of these vacancies in sessional services. I am also aware that every year a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for her question because it has now been well proved nationally and internationally that early childhood care and education has a beneficial effect for children, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is the case if it is of high quality; if it is of poor quality, it can be detrimental. Quality is very much the focus of the Department and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rights of the Child (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I can inform the Deputy that preparations for Ireland's examination by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child on 14 January 2016 are a priority for my Department. I am actively engaged in these preparations and looking forward to leading Ireland's delegation and engaging positively with the UN committee on developments in Ireland in the observance of the UN Convention on the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rights of the Child (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: It was in 1982 that the late John Boland, a predecessor of mine from Dublin North, as Minister for Education, signed the instrument to ban it in schools, although the law did not change until some time afterwards. The Revised Estimates Volume for 2016 which is being published today will confirm the significant additional resources secured in budget 2016 to deal with child related issues....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Rights of the Child (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I am not the Minister for Health but I know from talking to him and from being at Cabinet meetings that there are considerable additional funds for health this year. In fairness to this Government, we have brought in free GP care for all children under six and made a commitment to bring it in for all children under 12. That is to be welcomed. In respect of primary care, when I last...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: At present, the ECCE programme covers children who have reached the age of three years and two months by 1 September of the relevant year. From September 2016, I am expanding this programme to allow children enrol in free preschool from the time they are three years of age and to remain there until they start primary school. That is very important because parents in some instances have felt...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I am aware that every year a significant number of new preschool providers apply to participate in this programme. This increased demand for, and additional investment in, free preschool provision should encourage a greater numbers of applicants. I am clear that more capacity will be required; we are all agreed on that. Officials in my Department have identified a number of challenges that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I will respond to the Deputy because his assertions are outrageous. We put an expert interdepartmental group together across virtually all Departments. We had consultations with people involved in the sector, as well as with parents. We now have an extremely well thought out and considered plan for future investment in child care. It will provide parents with affordable and accessible...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: Nobody interrupted the Deputy. As the truth sometimes hurts, he should just listen to the facts.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (2 Dec 2015)

James Reilly: I have made it very clear from where the information comes. The results of a capacity study came through in December 2014 and the Deputy knows what they are. As I have told him, there are 24,000 vacancies in early years services across the country, of which almost 13,000 are in sectional services. The Deputy also alluded to a mapping process.