Results 19,301-19,320 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: My Department currently provides approximately €260 million annually to early years and school-age care and education services. This funding is largely directed towards a number of childcare programmes, which aim to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of early years and school-age care and education. These programmes support the provision of early years and school-age...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ombudsman for Children Remit (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: The Ombudsman for Children is independent in his function and is directly accountable to the Oireachtas in relation to the exercise of his functions as provided in the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002. As Minister, I have certain functions and responsibilities for the Ombudsman for Children's Office under the Ombudsman for Children Act, 2002. These primarily relate to governance matters, most...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Corporal Punishment (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: Considerable progress has been made to restrict the use of corporal punishment in Ireland. Corporal punishment in schools is banned, regulations and standards for creches, foster care and residential settings address the use of appropriate discipline. In order to copperfasten the position with regard to care settings, I have instructed officials in my Department to prepare regulations...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: Funding of more than a quarter of a billion euro is provided annually by my Department to support the implementation of a number of childcare support programmes that assist parents in accessing quality childcare services. This funding, which is in addition to the direct support provided to all parents in the form of Child Benefit, supports more than 100,000 children each year. To...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Food Labelling (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: I share the Deputy’s concerns in improving information on nutrition for children, young people and parents, and actively engaged with improving nutritional information on foods and beverages, including calorie posting in restaurants, when Minister for Health. However, in relation to the specific issue raised by the Deputy there are particular practical problems in achieving this. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Services (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: As part of the estimates process for Budget 2015 I am pleased to say that I secured gross funding of €1,027 million for my Department to deliver important reform and service developments to support children and young people next year. This includes a provision of €992 million in current expenditure and €35 million in capital expenditure, which in Vote terms, represents an...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: The Policy Proposals for Educational Provision in Gaeltacht Areas, which was launched recently by the Minister for Education and Skills, builds on the earlier Gaeltacht Review. The policy proposals include strengthening early years educational provision by: a)exploring how naíonraí could be accommodated on the site of primary schools; b)ensuring that practitioners in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Poverty (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 - 2020 (BOBF),which was published and launched by Government in 2014, provides the overarching framework for the development and implementation of policy and services for children and young people. As part of the implementation of Better Outcomes, Better Futures, the Department of Social...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: The Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes and certain related matters was formally established by Government Order on the 17th February 2015. In accordance with its comprehensive Terms of Reference, the Commission is tasked with thoroughly examining the experience of mothers and children resident in Mother and Baby Homes and a representative sample of County Homes. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: The latest figures I have to hand from Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, indicate that, in February 2015, there were 6,393 children in care. Almost 93% of children in care were in a foster care setting. Of all children in care, over 92% (5,878) have an allocated social worker and 90% (5,739) have an up to date written care plan. This indicates that 515 children in care are without a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection Services (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: The total funding provision for Tusla in 2015 is €643.401m, an increase of 5.6% over the 2014 allocation. This includes provision for capital expenditure of €12.386m in 2015, an increase of €5.5m over 2014. Tusla has recently submitted its Estates and ICT Capital Plan for the period 2015 - 2017. The Plan is designed to support and build ICT capacity in line with...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: The Disability Equality Specialist Support Agency (DESSA) was contracted by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to provide support, advice and training for Family Resource Centres across the area of disability awareness and staff/volunteer training in personal advocacy for people with disabilities. The organisation is funded by Tusla up to the end of June 2015. Family Resource Centres...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Investigations (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: Children First guidelines set out the roles and responsibilities for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, as well as for State institutions and other publicly funded services, in relation to allegations of abuse. Tusla has clear operational guidance for its staff on the assessment of allegations of abuse, whether current or historical. An Garda Siochana carries out criminal investigations...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government established an independent Working Group to report to Government on improvements to the protection process, including Direct Provision and support to asylum seekers. This is in fulfilment of its commitment under its Statement of Government Priorities 2014 – 2016 and comes under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: My Department currently provides approximately €260 million annually to early years and school-age care and education services. This funding is largely directed towards a number of childcare programmes, which aim to improve the accessibility, affordability and quality of early years and school-age care and education. These programmes support the provision of early years and school-age...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children's Rights Referendum (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: The Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Act, 2012, enshrining Article 42A into the Constitution, was signed into law on 28 April, 2015.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Abuse Reports (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: The Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (The Ryan Report) was published in 2009 and detailed disturbing and significant levels of historic abuse of Irish children who were placed, by the State, in residential institutions run by religious orders. The Government accepted all of the recommendations of the Ryan Report, and in response developed an Implementation Plan. The...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 to 118, inclusive, together. 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 some 380,000 young people. It is estimated that the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Domestic Violence Refuges (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: Tusla has concluded a review of Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Services and a consolidated national budget is now in place for these services. A roadmap for the future delivery of services has been approved by the Board of the Agency. This provides the necessary platform to ensure the provision of a co-ordinated and equitable Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Service...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (27 May 2015)

James Reilly: A care plan for each child who is received into care is required under the Child Care Regulations 1995. The regulations stipulate that all care plans are to be reviewed and updated on a regular basis and sets out the frequency for these reviews to take place. A review of the care planned for a child under the Child Care Act 1991, as amended, is a process to monitor and review the progress of...