Results 401-420 of 17,748 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (7 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Since the announcement of the new community child care subvention scheme in July this year, my officials and I have taken every opportunity to communicate the details of the new scheme, as it stands, to those who will be most directly affected by it, the wider child care sector and the public generally. There continues to be misunderstandings as well as genuine concerns on the part of many...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (7 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The scheme has started from the point of the two most disadvantaged categories of parents, namely, those in receipt of social welfare payments and those in receipt of family income supplement payments. Parents in receipt of the former and availing of full day care services must pay the cost of the service as reduced by the subvention. Generally, this relates to those participating in back...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (7 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Senators should re-read the script, which was fairly clear.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (8 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. Correspondence has been received by my Office from this Group which will be responded to shortly. Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare...

Child Care: Motion (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes: the success of the Equal Opportunity Childcare Programme (EOCP) in establishing a childcare infrastructure in Ireland from a very low base, creating over 35,000 childcare places, which support not just parents in accessing employment, education and/or training, but also provide many young...

Child Care: Motion (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The community child care subvention scheme is a new support scheme for community-based child care services which is being introduced under the national child care investment programme, NCIP, 2006-10 and which will come into effect in 2008. I am concerned at some of the negative reporting in recent weeks regarding the scheme which is undoubtedly causing some unnecessary concern to child care...

Child Care Services. (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The programme for Government and the progress of the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 and the national child care investment programme are confirmation of the Government's commitment to developing child care services to support the child care needs of parents. The NCIP 2006-2010 has a funding allocation of €575 million and aims...

Child Care Services. (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I am sure the officials will analyse it in great detail.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 — 2006 (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 — 2010 (NCIP), which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. The Group in question applied for interim support funding under the NCIP and were declined in September 2007 as their application had...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Office has responsibility for the Early Childcare Supplement (ECS), which is paid in respect of all children under the age of 6 who are qualified for Child Benefit. This payment is administered on behalf of my Office on an agency basis by the Department of Social & Family Affairs, which has provided me...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Youth cafés offer great potential for providing a wide range of developmental, educational and information programmes to young people. The launch of the National Recreation Policy in September this year highlighted Government's commitment to the development of youth cafés. While a number of youth cafés have emerged around the country on an ad hoc basis, funded by a variety of providers,...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: My Department is currently working closely with the Parliamentary Draftsman's Office on the drafting of the Adoption Bill, which is a priority within the Government's legislative programme. The issue of an age limit is under consideration and has been discussed as part of a wide consultation process which is informing the drafting process. The Bill will have regard to transitional issues...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The legislation governing eligibility to adopt is set out in Section 10 of the Adoption Act 1991. The Adoption Board have introduced guidelines to ensure consistency of approach in determining whether it is satisfied that the particular circumstances of a case meet the requirements of Section 10 (2) so that a sole applicant is eligible to adopt a child. The guidelines provide for a two phase...

Leaders' Questions (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The Government is to blame for the rain now.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 — 2006 (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 — 2010 (NCIP), which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children (OMC). Under the EOCP, capital grants up to €50,790 were made available to private childcare providers, up to a maximum of 65% of...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I apologise to Members for not being able to be here for the earlier debate as I had to attend a Cabinet sub-committee meeting. I understood that this debate was to be finalised yesterday. I apologise for my absence. Senator Keaveney made valid points, as she has done since August, in regard to this scheme. As I outlined to the House last week, the scheme was announced in July. It was...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I am well able to listen to people. When I was here last week the only person who I recall mentioning the word "equality" in regard to the provision of child care was Senator Mary White on this side of the House. Other speakers pontificated about what they saw as deficiencies in the scheme, but nobody made the point that as the scheme is being operated in some places, the most needy...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The tiered fee structure was a condition of the grant approval at all times.

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I remind Members that there was no child care sector in this country until recent years. We built a child care sector a number of years ago that is providing good child care throughout the country. In the decade up to 2010, €1.1 billion will have been spent by Government, mainly through Exchequer funding and some of it supported through European Union sources. We will have invested...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: We will ensure in Government that we protect and build on that investment and we will continue the major programme of investment that was undertaken under the equal opportunities child care programme and that will now be continued with greater momentum under the national child care investment programme.