Results 341-360 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Hospital Services. (11 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this important issue. I take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. We welcome the opportunity to set out the position on cancer services at Beaumont Hospital, one of the eight cancer centres designated by the HSE last month. The implementation of the national cancer control strategy is a...

Child Care Services. (11 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Shatter for raising these important issues on the Adjournment and congratulate him on his appointment as spokesperson for the Fine Gael Party on children's matters. I look forward to working with him over the coming years in a constructive manner. I welcome the opportunity to reply to this Adjournment matter. I assume the Deputy is referring to the findings of the Health...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (16 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their childcare costs are Child Benefit and the Early Childcare Supplement. The latter payment, which is in recognition of the higher childcare costs of pre-school children, is the responsibility of my Office, and it alone amounts to expenditure of over €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (16 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their childcare costs are Child Benefit and the Early Childcare Supplement. The latter payment, which is in recognition of the higher childcare costs of pre-school children, is the responsibility of my Office, and it alone amounts to expenditure of over €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Health Services. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I think it was Albert Reynolds and his Fianna Fáil colleagues who got the CAT scanner.

Audiology Services. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I will be taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Mary Harney, the Minister for Health and Children. I am happy to have the opportunity to address the issue raised by Deputy Hayes. As the House will be aware, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility in law to manage and deliver health and personal social services or to arrange for them to be delivered on...

Child Care Services. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Kathleen Lynch for raising this matter. The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their child care costs are child benefit and the early child care supplement. The latter payment, which is in recognition of the higher child care costs of pre-school children, is the responsibility of my office, and it alone amounts to expenditure of over...

Eating Disorders. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Clune for raising this important matter and for the pertinent points she made. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. As Deputy Clune is aware, the report of the expert group on mental health policy, A Vision for Change, was published in January 2006. The report addressed all aspects of mental health services, including services for...

Crime Levels. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter. I reply on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, who is unfortunately unable to be present. I assure the Deputy that the Minister and I share his concern, and that of the public, with regard to raids and break-ins carried out in rural areas in County Galway in the recent past. Engagement with...

Written Answers — Departmental Inquiries: Departmental Inquiries (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I have not yet received the report that the Deputy refers to. However, the HSE has assured me that the Inquiry being undertaken on behalf of the HSE by Mr Conal Devine is proceeding to plan. I understand that Mr Devine is receiving full cooperation from all parties involved.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), which is co-funded under the EU Social Fund (ESF), targeted support was provided through the staffing support grant scheme whereby community based not-for-profit child-care providers with a focus on disadvantage were awarded grant aid towards their staffing costs to allow them provide services to families which otherwise...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: The national review of compliance with the 'Children First' guidelines by State bodies and NGOs, to be carried out by the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC) in partnership with all relevant Government Departments, was part of the Government's response to the publication of the Ferns Report in October, 2005. The review to date has included the following elements: An extensive...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 126 and 131 together. Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 — 2006 (EOCP), which is co-funded under the EU Social Fund (ESF), targeted support was provided through the staffing support grant scheme whereby community based not-for-profit child care providers with a strong focus on disadvantage were awarded grant aid towards their...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their childcare costs are Child Benefit and the Early Childcare Supplement. The latter payment, which is in recognition of the higher childcare costs of pre-school children, is the responsibility of my Office, and it alone amounts to expenditure of over €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Under the Health Act 2004, the provision of health and personal social services is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. Therefore, the Deputy's question has been forwarded to the HSE and I have requested that they reply to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Intercountry adoption is regulated by the Adoption Acts 1952-1998. The Acts which are most relevant to intercountry adoption are the Adoption Act 1991 and the Adoption Act, 1998. There are a number of statutory procedures regulating intercountry adoption. For example, for an intercountry adoption to be recognised in Ireland, all prospective adoptive parents habitually resident in Ireland,...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (18 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their childcare costs are Child Benefit and the Early Childcare Supplement. The latter payment, which is in recognition of the higher childcare costs of pre-school children, is the responsibility of my Office, and it alone amounts to expenditure of over €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (18 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: As signalled at the launch of the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), the successor programme to the EOCP, a new scheme to support community childcare services with a focus on disadvantage will be introduced on 1 January 2008 and will continue to complement the universal supports in place for all parents in the form of Child Benefit and the Early Childcare Supplement....

Written Answers — Judicial Proceedings: Judicial Proceedings (18 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Issues raised in the correspondence that the Deputy refers to are the subject of ongoing legal proceedings. It would be inappropriate to comment further.

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (23 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I welcome the opportunity to join in the tributes to the late John Wilson, who was a personal friend and colleague of mine for many years. I had the privilege and honour of working with John Wilson in each Department in which he served as Minister and, latterly, in his role as Tánaiste. That experience was hugely influential and beneficial in shaping my outlook on public service. John was...