Results 1,461-1,480 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 136 and 137 together. The Government's commitment to a major investment in child care services is reflected in the fact that it has introduced a new €575 million national child care investment programme 2006-10 in advance of the completion of its predecessor, the €499 million EU co-funded equal opportunities child care programme, EOCP, 2000-06, which will...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: While the Office of the Minister for Children, OMC, is responsible for the early child care supplement, the administrative arrangements for the payment will be dealt with by the Department of Social and Family Affairs, acting on an agency basis on behalf of the OMC. I understand that the Department of Social and Family Affairs is taking the necessary steps to put these arrangements in place...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform, through the Reception and Integration Agency, is responsible for providing accommodation and services to asylum seeking families. Where a child protection issue arises within these arrangements, the Child Protection Policy for Accommodation Centres, which I launched in October of last year, is implemented and a referral is made to the Health...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: 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 under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, the 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. The foster care...

Written Answers — Health Service Inspections: Health Service Inspections (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I understand from my colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, that the service in question is a special school and is the responsibility of the Department of Education and Science. It does not come within the remit of the inspection of children's residential centres by the Health Service Executive provided for in the Child Care Act of 1991. Neither does it come...

Written Answers — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Education (Welfare) Act 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board as the single national body with responsibility for school attendance. As part of its remit the board is responsible for the collection and analysis of school attendance data. Officials from the Department and Science have asked the board to collate the information requested by the Deputy about the level of...

Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Department of Education and Science is anxious that all children, including children with autistic spectrum disorders, receive a form of education that is appropriate to their needs. The preferred approach to the provision of appropriate education for all children, including children with autism, is through the primary and post-primary school network, whether through placement in...

Written Answers — School Attendance: School Attendance (21 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Government is determined to do all that is possible to ensure that all children get the opportunities and support they need to enable them to complete their education. Measures designed to improve school completion include the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board, NEWB, under the Education (Welfare) Act 2000, with a remit to monitor school attendance, help parents to...

Written Answers — Social Welfare Benefits: Social Welfare Benefits (22 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 to 134, inclusive, together. My office has been given responsibility for the early child care supplement which is being introduced with effect from 1 April 2006. The payment, which is non-taxable, will amount to €1,000 per annum and will be made to parents of all eligible children aged less than six years, in quarterly instalments of €250. The...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (22 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As the Deputy may be aware, the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 — 2010 is being implemented by the newly established office of the Minister of State with responsibility for children, OMC, under my auspices. This programme builds on the success of the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 — 2006, EOCP, which will conclude in 2007. The new programme aims to provide a...

Accident and Emergency Services. (23 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am responding to this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. Deputy Costello is aware, as he indicated in his contribution, that there have been particular pressures on accident and emergency services in recent weeks. A number of factors have contributed to these pressures, including increases in the number of attendances and the...

Disadvantaged Status. (23 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Ba mhaith liom mo bhuíochas a ghabháil leis an Teachta as ucht an cheist seo a phlé. The position of the Department of Education and Science in regard to the school support programme and St. Stephen's De La Salle national school, Waterford, will be outlined in this reply which I make on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. The school support programme under...

School Closures. (23 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I thank Deputy Broughan for raising this matter on the Adjournment. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. The reply deals with the planned closure of Greendale community school in Kilbarrack. Greendale community school was built in 1975 to accommodate 800 pupils. The school expanded quickly to exceed its enrolment capacity. An extension to increase...

Fire Service. (23 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am giving this reply on behalf of the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Deputy Roche. I thank Deputy Crowe for raising the matter on the Adjournment. The Minister is anxious to record the commitment of the Government to the fire service and the way that commitment has been backed up by positive action both in terms of change and financial investment. He also wants...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (23 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: While issues relating to school services, including school transport services, are appropriate to the Minister for Education and Science, the Deputy may be aware of the recently announced National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 which will provide a proactive response to the development of quality child care supports and services, including services for school age child care. The...

Criminal Justice Bill 2004: Motion. (28 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The amendments to the Criminal Justice Bill 2004 include a range of amendments to the Children Act 2001, which arise from a youth justice review initiated by the Minister, Deputy McDowell, and me in October 2004. A project team was established in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to review the delivery of youth justice services and to make recommendations on how the...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (29 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: 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 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. I am aware,...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (29 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As the Deputy will be aware, the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 is being implemented by the newly established Office of the Minister for Children under my auspices. With regard to the application for staffing grant assistance under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 referred to by the Deputy, I understand that the community-based group in question was...

Written Answers — Departmental Strategy Statements: Departmental Strategy Statements (29 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Office of the Minister for Children is adopting an evidence-informed approach to the development of the recreation policy. I recently launched the report of the public consultation which was undertaken to give all interested parties, including young people, a chance to have a say in the development of the policy. The findings of the research published late last year and the key issues...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (30 Mar 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: 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 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.