Results 1,161-1,180 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: It has been confirmed with the Attorney General's office.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The phrasing is what is at issue. Section 48 states the authority may take evidence orally or on affidavit. Naturally, if both formats were possible then it is understood by the way described. It is not necessary to insert the two words "or both" because it is already understood and they are not mutually exclusive. I appreciate the Senator's concerns would be well-founded if it were...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I will check this matter with the Attorney General, including the question about children and apples and bananas.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The amendment is not necessary because section 49(2)(c) covers the category referred to in the amendment. When a child is in care, the person having charge or control over the child is, in legal terms, the Health Service Executive and its specifically designated officers.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: Amendment No. 61 is not required as the Guardianship of Infants Act 1964 puts the welfare of the child as paramount. It is already understood when making any order under that Act that the child's welfare will be paramount. Regarding amendment No. 62, the reference to the 1964 Act includes amending legislation to it.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I indicated on Committee Stage that I would consider including a provision on tracing and I have consulted the Office of the Attorney General on whether the existing administrative system needs to be put on a statutory basis. The Adoption Board contains an information tracing unit and the recently established preference register has received 6,270 applications and made 500 matches. Last year...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The applications were for exchanging information.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The figures refer to the register's first two years of operation. I imagine the figure of 500 will increase.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The section does not seem to indicate that the register excludes parties from observing it. I will have to check this and come back to the Senator at another time.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: Absolutely. It is a fair point, which I will have to examine. The Adoption Board is anxious to continue carrying out publicity campaigns to notify people of the availability of the register and the traceability options that are available but, as Senator Fitzgerald said, many of the 6,270 who have contacted the board are Irish people and domestic adoptions were involved. Very often adoption...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I stand to be corrected on that and I will have to clarify it for the Senator.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I am not sure how I will approach this but I undertake to examine the section. The issues raised by the Senator are legitimate but I must give them more consideration before I make commitments on what I will do in this regard. I thank her for bringing these issues to my attention.

Seanad: Pre-school Services (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I thank Senator Fitzgerald for raising this important issue. As the Senator is aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free pre-school year of early childhood care and education, ECCE, which will be introduced from January next. The introduction of the scheme is, I believe, one of the most significant developments in early childhood care and...

Seanad: Pre-school Services (14 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: This is a national, universal, free pre-school year. It is designed to benefit all children. While there are examples where difficulties can be found, we will try to accommodate all the providers in the scheme when it is finalised. We are in consultation with the representative associations of child care facilities. They have underlined some of the issues the Senator raised, including...

Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (Protection of Debtors) Bill 2009: Second Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I wish to share my time with the Minister of State, Deputy Mansergh.

Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland (Protection of Debtors) Bill 2009: Second Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I would like to respond on behalf of the Government to Deputy Charles Flanagan's proposed Private Members' Bill. I commend the Deputy on the efforts involved in bringing forward this proposal. The motivation behind the Deputy's proposal is understandable. Many people have been significantly affected by the difficult economic situation this country is now experiencing. This has manifested...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: The Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) was introduced by my Office in January 2008, under the National Childcare Subvention Programme (NCIP) 2006-2010 to provide funding to community not for profit childcare groups to enable them to provide childcare at reduced rates to disadvantaged and low income families. I understand from enquiries I have made that, while the playschool in...

Written Answers — Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services (19 May 2009)

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

Written Answers — National Children's Strategy: National Children's Strategy (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy is aware, the National Children's Strategy, published November 2000, is intended to bring a better focus and greater impact to Government activity in relation to children through stronger leadership and co-ordination. The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (OMCYA) has the lead role in monitoring the implementation of the National Children's Strategy....

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) and for the recently-announced scheme to provide a free pre-school year in early childhood care and education (ECCE). By the end of 2007, almost 40,000 new childcare places had been created under the Exchequer/EU co-funded Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP). The...