Results 701-720 of 18,449 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: I understand they will be subject to the law only if it is indemnity. I believe we had a fairly detailed debate on that relationship. The amendments provide for the amendment of sections 10 and 12 of the Health Insurance Act to ensure contracts that relate to relevant health services only, in other words outpatient-type services and GP services and-or to public hospital daily inpatient...

Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: The bulk of the amendments to the section improve its layout and structure. While the scope of section 7 is essentially the same as that previously considered by this House, the section has been expanded by the inclusion of the term "or otherwise". It would be undesirable to restrict the manner in which the board may provide insurance financial services after authorisation has been...

Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: The amendment clarifies that the provisions included in section 8(3) of the Bill shall also apply to the subsidiary established for the purpose of carrying on the board's health insurance business under section 10. This amendment does not encompass the provisions under section 8(1). However, it clarifies further that on establishment the activities of the relevant subsidiary shall be...

Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: This amendment was of interest to Senator Fitzgerald. This section was added to the Bill when this House accepted an amendment tabled by Senator Fitzgerald. The change made in the Dáil reflects that it would be appropriate that VHI should report on its membership as opposed to on the overall market.

Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: This amendment clarifies the liability of the board and its subsidiaries for any borrowings that may arise.

Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: Regarding the Senator's final point it is clearly relevant to competition. It is to make clear that no State aid is involved.

Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: This new section is broadly similar to an amendment tabled by Senator Prendergast in this House. On foot of consideration by the Office of the Attorney General, it specifies the orders to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.

Seanad: Voluntary Health Insurance (Amendment) Bill 2007 [Seanad Bill amended by the Dáil]: Report and Final Stages (9 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Leas-Chathaoirleach and all the Members of the House for facilitating me by deferring the debate by half an hour earlier this afternoon. I thank Senator Fitzgerald for her positive contribution to the debate this afternoon. Senators Fitzgerald and Prendergast contributed to the discussion on the Bill previously in this House. I thank all the Members for their co-operation.

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (10 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: In relation to the funding options open to support groups, play-schools and other agencies to establish communal areas, family supports and child care to children of asylum seekers, my colleague, Deputy Brian Lenihan, Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, is the Minister with responsibility for these matters.

Written Answers — Residential Care Homes: Residential Care Homes (10 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 92, 94 and 95 together. Under the Health Act 2004, responsibility for the provision of health and personal social services, including residential care for troubled children, lies with the Health Service Executive. Therefore I have forwarded the Deputy's questions to the Executive and have requested them to reply to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Residential Care Homes: Residential Care Homes (10 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: The Social Services Inspectorate (SSI) was established in April 1999, initially on an administrative basis. The main function of the Inspectorate is to support the child care services by promoting and ensuring the development of quality standards. The Inspectorate play a crucial role in ensuring a quality assured system of care for children and young people who are in the care of the state....

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (17 Apr 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 Office 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 — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (17 Apr 2008)

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

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-10, which will invest €575 million over 5 years, with €358 million of this in capital grant aid for child care services. I understand the Group in question has applied through its local County Childcare Committee for capital funding under the programme. However the committee requires...

Written Answers — Courts Service: Courts Service (17 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: As this question relates to a request for information arising from criminal court proceedings, it is more appropriate to my colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Apr 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) was introduced in January of this year. The CCSS replaced the previous staffing support grant scheme which was implemented under the EU co-funded Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) and which...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which will invest €575 million over 5 years, with €358 million of this in capital grant aid for child care services. The NCIP came into effect in January 2006, and aims to provide a proactive response to the development of quality child care supports and services, which are...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (17 Apr 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 Office 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 (17 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 278 to 280, inclusive, together. Under the Health Acts, the Health Service Executive (HSE) has statutory responsibility for the implementation of the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006. Where lapses of care have occurred while a pre-school service was operational but the service has subsequently closed, the response of the various...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (17 Apr 2008)

Brendan Smith: I assume the Deputy is referring to those young people who have been identified as being homeless on an individual basis and not within their family unit. The most recent figures collated by the Health Service Executive indicate that in 2005 approximately 378 (This figure is a national figure but does not include figure from the south western area in Dublin region) children nationally were...