Results 18,081-18,100 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (24 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I have requested the information from the Child and Family Agency and I will revert to the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: The financial allocation for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in 2014 which was its first year of operation, was set at €609 million. This is comprised of €602 million in current funding and €7 million in capital funding. The overall level of funding available to the agency, which is significant by any measurement, is designed to ensure that the agency can provide a...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: The Deputy has raised the issue of the number of children who are waiting for further social work intervention. They have been categorised into different groups of low priority and high priority. There is no question or doubt that the agency is under pressure. However, we are employing more social workers. Over 100 social workers have been recruited and another 90 are in process. I share...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: To be clear around these figures, approximately one-third of 9,473 cases awaiting a dedicated social worker are deemed to be high priority. They comprise the following: a child subject to care proceedings, where there is an ongoing child protection concern; a child with non-approved foster carers; a child in care for less than six months; and a child in an non-stable placement. All these...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I did not interrupt the Deputy. If the truth hurts so much, perhaps he would be as well to leave the Chamber.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: Deputy Troy's Government established the HSE and this legal process.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Funding (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: It has left the inheritance for the people with which we are all very familiar. To come in here and demand that a new agency, that has inherited all these problems from his Government, should solve them all within a year of being established is preposterous, and Deputy Troy knows it.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for his question, and I have met with him on the issue. The Government is committed to establishing an effective commission of investigation into matters relating to mother and baby homes. Considerable progress has been achieved in this important task, including the publication of the interdepartmental group’s report and the announcement that Judge Yvonne Murphy...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: The Deputy will be well aware, as we all are, of the cost and duration of previous tribunals. We do not intend to put people through a long process of years before they get the answers they require and resolution they seek. My officials are consulting the Office of the Attorney General on draft wording. The challenge is to draft terms of reference that are inclusive enough to provide an...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I hope, in the interests of all concerned, that we will continue to co-operate to expedite this as quickly as possible and also to ensure the terms of reference are as comprehensive as possible. Many groups which have an interest are involved, and their interests must be represented. The Deputy has asked me to give specifics, but that would be to pre-empt the Department's work, which will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for his question and his wishes of goodwill. At the end of August 2014, there were 1,387.89 whole time equivalent social workers employed at the Child and Family Agency. Staffing vacancies arise for various reasons including retirements, resignations, career breaks, maternity leave and other unpaid leave. A system of risk analysis is in place in each area to ensure that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: The figures mentioned by the Deputy are accurate. There are 3,000 cases which are considered high priority. It is important to note that each of these cases has been reviewed by a social worker and have been triaged. They await the allocation of a full-time social worker. We have issues with recruitment. The issue is not a lack of funding, but rather difficulties in filling some posts....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: There is no question that we face challenges from a financial point of view. There will always be demand and we need to ensure that the way we are delivering care and services is done in an efficient manner. As is the case in other areas, sometimes social workers are being tasked with other work of a more clerical nature from which they could be freed in order to address the area in which...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: This is a very important service for the young people of Longford. It is an issue Deputy James Bannon has brought to my attention repeatedly since I became Minister. I raised the matter with my Department last week. In 2013, €1.5 million in capital funding was made available to my Department for a Youth Café scheme. Pobal assisted my Department to administer this scheme. In...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: My Department has supported the development of 100 youth cafés over the period 2011 to 2013. The development of youth café facilities will continue to be advanced should further capital funding become available in future years. Longford youth services receives annual funding from my Department under the special projects for youth scheme. Funding of €74,651 has been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: Some of the Deputy's questions relate to specific information which I do not have to hand. I will obtain the information and revert to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services Provision (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country, including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services Provision (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I concur with the Deputy's comments about the service provided by Kerry Diocesan Youth Service through its invaluable work. All these groups are tremendous value for money from the point of view of a return to the taxpayer. It is not just about putting a price on the services they deliver, which can be done, but it is about putting a value on the work they do and the impact they have on the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services Provision (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I refer to a breakdown of where the money is going: Killarney & South Kerry Youth Project, €55,183; Listowel-North Kerry Youth Project, €81,576; Sliabh Luachra-Castleisland Youth Project, €74,651; Tralee Youth Development Project, €173,394; and Tralee and Killarney youth information centres, €107,481. We fund a range of services. The youth service...

Other Questions: Preschool Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for his question. My Department implements the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme, which provides a free preschool year to all eligible children before they commence primary school. The programme is a free and universal provision to which all children have access. A number of additional provisions have been added to ensure the ECCE programme is more...