Results 1,101-1,120 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews

Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (12 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy is aware the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) is implemented by my Office. Capital grant applications under the NCIP are processed in the first instance by the City and County Childcare Committees and are then forwarded to Pobal, who assist my Office in the day to day implementation of the programme, before being submitted for decision. A significant...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (12 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 175, 176, 180, 184, 209 and 212 to 215, inclusive, together. The Adoption Bill, 2009, which will give force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption, was published on 23 January, 2009. Under the proposed new legislative regime, prospective adoptive parents will be able to adopt from...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (12 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 179 and 220 together. I am arranging for the Deputy to be provided with the most recent statistics prepared by the Health Services Executive regarding inter-country adoption assessment services. I am very aware of the lengthy waiting time especially in some regions. My officials have been working with the HSE and the Adoption Board to assess ways of...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (12 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: Officials in the Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, and colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs, have been taking soundings since April, 2008, in relation to inter-country adoption in the Russian Federation. This has included contacts with the Irish Embassy in Moscow and legal and other preparatory work on the possibility of a draft Inter-Country Adoption...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (12 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 185, 210, 217 to 219, inclusive, and 252 together. Work in relation to a draft Bi-lateral Agreement for Inter-country Adoption with the Socialist Republic of Vietnam has been ongoing for over fourteen months. During this period there have been three visits by officials from this Department to Hanoi – including the most recent visit – to discuss the draft...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (12 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 188 and 189 together. A reply to Parliamentary Question No. 433 of 27 January 2009 was issued to the Deputy from the Health Service Executive (HSE) on the 8 May 2009. The HSE have informed me that the response to Parliamentary Question No. 432 is due to be issued to the Deputy this week.

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (12 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: My Office is continuing to work to create the appropriate legislative, policy and administrative frameworks which will ensure a well regulated regime of adoption. Our aim is to support and protect prospective parents, and even more importantly, the children for whom adoption services are devised and provided. My views on intercountry adoption are informed by the Hague Convention on the...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (12 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The HSE has no statutory function in relation to the provision of post-placement reports, though it has and continues to facilitate the preparation of same. The key commitment given is the legal affidavit to co-operate with the provision of such reports, required by the Russian authorities from all applicants. Where parents do not co-operate there is no legal basis to enforce their...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The Social Services Inspectorate of the Health Information and Quality Authority carries out inspections of HSE children's residential centres under Section 69 (2) of the Child Care Act 1991. Following this a report of the inspection is produced with recommendations for improvements, if required. Reports from inspections are published on HIQA's website http://www.hiqa.ie/and are forwarded...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy is aware the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) is implemented by my Office. Capital grant applications under the NCIP are processed in the first instance by the City and County Childcare Committees and are then forwarded to Pobal, who assist my Office in the day to day implementation of the programme, before being submitted for decision. A significant...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I undertook to look at this amendment prior to Report Stage. As I said on Committee Stage, it is the practice in Irish parliamentary drafting to use the word "signed" rather than "done". I have been advised by the Office of the Attorney General that this is still the practice so I do not accept the amendment.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The proposed amendment suggests inserting the words "in the English language" into the definition of the Hague Convention in section 3 of the Bill. This is considered unnecessary because if it was in any other language it would be so stated. It is considered a given that the text of the Hague Convention referred to in the Bill is the English language version.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: There is no intention to translate this into the Irish language.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: May I have the permission of the House to make a statement on the issues raised by the Senators?

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: At a human level I share the Senators' sense of the deep hurt and frustration expressed by all the people who have been sending e-mails to me and the other Members of these Houses. At a human level one cannot avoid empathising with the situation Senator Healy Eames mentioned. Many parents have come through a very long process involving attempted family formation followed by, in my view,...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: Shall I address the amendments?

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I refer to amendments Nos. 3, 24 and 65, which have been discussed. This is about trying to create a system whereby another type of adoption would be permitted outside of the Hague Convention or a bilateral agreement. The Hague Convention is a minimum standard and as I noted previously, it is clear there never will be a situation in which one is 100% guaranteed that each adoption will be...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (13 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: We must take cognisance of the inability of such states to come up to the minimum standards for which we negotiate or if they cannot sign or ratify the Hague Convention. I am not prepared to accept a parallel system of adoption in the Bill.