Results 19,461-19,480 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (23 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: Family Resource Centres, funded by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, under its Family and Community Services Resource Centre Programme, provide a range of universal and targeted services and development opportunities that address the needs of children and families. There are over 100 Family Resource Centres throughout the country which are in receipt of funding from Tusla. Tusla has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (23 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: My Department administers the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which is confined to community not-for-profit childcare services. The CCS programme provides subvention support to parents on low incomes and parents in receipt of certain social welfare payments, whose children are enrolled in community childcare facilities. Parents in receipt of Family Income Support or who hold a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (23 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 395 and 396 together. The National Lottery Grants distributed by my Department, from 2011 up to 2014 are being forwarded to the Deputy in tabular format as requested. The tables give a brief description of the type of activity, for which funding was applied for by each organisation over the four year period concerned. Whether the funding granted was required...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (23 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: With effect from its establishment on 1 January 2014, Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, has taken on statutory responsibility for the care and protection of victims of domestic, sexual or gender based violence. This year, Tusla will spend over €19m in supporting: - 44 Domestic Violence services - 16 Sexual Violence/Rape Crisis services Tusla, has a total budget of €643...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care Education Standards (23 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: Prior to the introduction of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in 2010, there was no minimum qualification for staff working in the early years sector. Under the ECCE programme, all pre-school leaders were required to hold a Level 5 qualification. In addition, pre-school services could qualify for a higher capitation rate where all the pre-school leaders, in the ECCE...

Children (Amendment) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Second Stage (Resumed) (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: It will not be possible for me to answer all the questions raised in the short time remaining and to do justice to those who have raised issues. We can finish the Bill tomorrow. I thank the Members for their contributions. This Bill underpins significant initiatives and reforms that have taken place in recent years. It also has regard to the principle of equality of treatment between...

Children (Amendment) Bill 2015 [Seanad]: Referral to Select Committee (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Children and Youth Affairs pursuant to Standing Order 82A(3)(a) and 126(1).

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: The information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Child and Family Agency and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is received.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: The Adoption Act, 2010, provides for adoptions from countries that have ratified the Hague Convention on Adoption and from countries where there is a bilateral agreement in place. Currently, adoptions are taking place with countries that have ratified the Convention. The Russian Federation has not ratified the Convention and therefore a bilateral agreement is necessary. Efforts have been...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Records (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: The ICT infrastructure for my Department is provided and maintained on a shared service basis by the Department of Health which uses industry standard email security devices to assess potential threats in incoming and outgoing mail. A small number of blacklisted spam addresses, confirmed as nuisance or potentially dangerous, are (without notification) not accepted or routed to intended...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care Education (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: Prior to the introduction of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in 2010, there was no minimum qualification requirement for staff working in the early years sector. Under the ECCE programme, all pre-school leaders were required to hold a Level 5 qualification. In addition, pre-school services could qualify for a higher capitation rate where all the pre-school leaders, in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: The information sought by the Deputy has been requested from the Child and Family Agency and I will respond directly to the Deputy when the information is received.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Living Wage (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: My Department has undertaken no costing of the initiative outlined by the Deputy as the introduction of any such scheme would necessarily have to take place on a cross Governmental basis and costs determined centrally as part of the Estimates budgetary process. On a purely indicative basis it is not anticipated that the introduction of such a scheme in my own Department would incur...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, is the statutory body with responsibility for providing effective responses to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The Agency’s key priority is to ensure that the needs of survivors are met in the best way possible. Accordingly, the 2015 budget is directed towards protecting front-line services for survivors. Tusla has undertaken a...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (24 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: As I have stated on a number of occasions complex legal and constitutional issues arise in the drafting of the Adoption Information and Tracing Bill. A particular challenge has arisen in the attempt to reconcile an adopted person’s request for information about his or her identity with the right to privacy of his or her birth parent. My Department has had on going consultation with...

Topical Issues: Child and Family Agency (25 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: I thank Deputy Troy for his question in regard to Tusla's child protection and welfare services and I welcome the opportunity to address the issues raised. At the outset, I welcome and support the work of the Health Information and Quality Authority in providing independent evidence on service delivery and challenges. It is essential that there is strong independent oversight of the quality...

Topical Issues: Child and Family Agency (25 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: As the Deputy has pointed out, it is a new agency and we have to give it time to come to terms with all the challenges it has inherited. I agree with the Deputy that there is no question of anybody being allowed become complacent, as there are serious challenges ahead that must be overcome. The challenge for the agency is to bring uniformity across the system, in governance, reporting and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (25 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: Prior to the introduction of the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in 2010, there was no minimum qualification requirement for staff working in the early years sector. Under the ECCE programme, all pre-school leaders were required to hold a Level 5 qualification. In addition, pre-school services could qualify for a higher capitation rate where all the pre-school leaders, in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (25 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 147 and 148 together. The School Completion Programme aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. It is a targeted intervention aimed at school communities identified under the Department of Education and Skills DEIS Action...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care Education (25 Jun 2015)

James Reilly: The ECCE Programme is a free and universal programme for all children, including children with special needs. Approximately 65,000 children are participating in this Programme in the current school year. The issue of access to the free pre-school year for children with special needs was considered when the ECCE Programme was launched and a number of measures were introduced by my...