Results 621-640 of 18,442 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Seanad: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Bill 2007: Committee Stage. (26 Feb 2008)

Brendan Smith: This is simply a drafting amendment. In the present draft the Short Title and commencement section is at the beginning of the Bill. Apparently, it is more usual to put such a section at the end, as the last section, and that is achieved in this amendment.

Seanad: Respite Care (27 Feb 2008)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Buttimer for raising this important issue. I am taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. As Senator Buttimer knows, St. Laurence Cheshire Home is part of the national group Cheshire Ireland. The facility provides long-term residential accommodation for 30 people with a disability. Three respite care beds...

Seanad: Respite Care (27 Feb 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Minister of State with responsibility in this area, Deputy Devins, is unavoidably absent as he is away on Government business. However, I will bring the Senator's comments to the Minister of State's attention upon his return.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (28 Feb 2008)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) which, together with the earlier Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), are implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their childcare costs are Child Benefit and the...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (4 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (4 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Child Care Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) which, together with the earlier Equal Opportunities Child care Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), are implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their child care costs are Child Benefit and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (4 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: The introduction of a State funded, nationwide pre-school system for all children is a matter on which I have not had specific discussions with the Minister for Education and Science and, as far as I am aware, there are no proposals at present to introduce such a system. As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Child Care Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (4 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 297 to 301, inclusive, together. The launch of the National Recreation Policy last September highlighted Government's commitment to the development of youth cafés. As the Deputy will be aware there are already a number of youth cafés in operation around the country. Funding for these existing initiatives such as the Base is provided through a number of...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (4 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 306 and 307 together. As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) which replaced the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), which was also administered by my Office. I understand that the Group in question received capital funding totalling €1.16 million under the...

Health Service Staff. (5 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Government has invested heavily in the education and training of health care personnel in order to secure a good supply of graduates to provide for the health care needs of the population into the future. Since the establishment of the Health Service Executive, the number of speech and language therapists has increased by 215 to 712, an increase of 43%, and the number of occupational...

Health Service Staff. (5 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: I take the points made by Deputy Jan O'Sullivan although I do not have the statistics for her own city and county.

Health Service Staff. (5 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: I will pursue the specific issues raised by the Deputy and come back to her in writing very shortly. On child and adolescent mental health, the Health Service Executive will establish eight child and adolescent mental health teams during this year. An important lesson learned from the activities of the HSE during the course of 2007 is the fact that there is a need to monitor employment...

Health Service Staff. (5 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: At present the Department and the Government are determined to ensure we come to the position where services are equal and adequate. Over the years, the Deputy would have made the call, as I would have, from different sides of the House to train more people in different disciplines.

Health Service Staff. (5 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am fully aware of the need for early intervention in instances where children need particular assistance. As Deputy Jan O'Sullivan knows, Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 will be commenced in respect of children aged five to 18 in tandem with the implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, commonly known as EPSEN. Representatives of the Department of...

Written Answers — Constitutional Amendments: Constitutional Amendments (5 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy is aware, the Twenty-Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Bill, 2007, was published in February 2007 and contained the Government's proposal to amend the Constitution in relation to children. The Programme for Government of June 2007 committed to deepening consensus on the issue and to this end, the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children [JCCAC] was...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) under which the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) is being implemented. 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 is the...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Order for Report Stage (11 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: I move: "That Report Stage be taken now."

Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (11 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: I move amendment No. 1: In page 4, line 4, to delete "13" and substitute "10". Amendments Nos. 1, 2 and 11 are technical drafting amendments arising primarily from the insertion of three new sections on Committee Stage to correct cross-references to sections in the Bill. Amendment No. 10 is a technical drafting amendment providing consistency on the use of tense.

Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad]: Report and Final Stages (11 Mar 2008)

Brendan Smith: I move amendment No. 2: In page 4, line 6, to delete "19" and substitute "16".