Results 19,561-19,580 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Care Services Regulation (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: As I said in my reply, it is accurate to say that childminders who are looking after three or fewer unrelated children do not have to register, but they are encouraged to do so voluntarily. We will need to take an incremental approach. Childminding is governed by the Child Care Act 1991 and the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006. The national guidelines for...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Care Services Regulation (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: The Deputy has asked quite a lot of questions which I do not think I can deal with in the short time remaining to me. I reassure her that Report and Final Stages of the Children First Bill will be taken in the House tomorrow and this will provide an opportunity to discuss these matters, which were discussed at some length. I note the concerns expressed by the Deputy and her party colleagues...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: I understand that the Deputy's question relates to Rape Crisis Network Ireland, and I am responding on this basis. Tusla has undertaken a comprehensive review of sexual and domestic violence services in consultation with service providers. The purpose was to identify strategic priorities and to set out a roadmap for the future delivery of these services. It is seeking through this process...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: Tusla's position, as given to me, is that it has issues with the timeliness of the data collected. I am mindful of the need to ensure that we have comprehensive and timely national data across the system to assist in monitoring and evaluating existing services and to help in planning for the future delivery and development of these services. I have raised with the board and the executive of...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Domestic and Sexual Violence Services (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: Two of the biggest centres, including the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, the centre in Galway and several others, are not members of this group and they have a considerable volume of information which would be essential for planning. I do not have the full list with me. Tusla is not the only provider of funding for the RCNI although it provides a substantial part of its funding. We maintained,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: The early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme is a free and universal programme for all children in the eligible age cohort, including children with special needs. Approximately 65,000 children are availing of this programme in the current school year. The issue of access to the free preschool year for children with special needs was considered when the ECCE programme was launched...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: As the Deputy will be aware, yesterday the Minister for Education and Skills announced additional special needs assistants, SNAs, for those with special needs in the school system. The number will be in the region of 600. As part of that conversation, I made a strong case for the need for special assistants who would provide special assistance to children in the preschool years. This...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: It was inevitable at some point during the course of these questions that Deputy Troy would revert to type. He stands there pontificating from the far side of this Chamber about the scandalous state of the services his party left us to deal with. He speaks of our lack of action when I have outlined clearly to him that serious action is being taken and that this group will report in...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: I am not prepared to allow Deputy Troy continue to try to pretend progress has not been made when it is being made-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: -----in extremely serious circumstances. If Deputy Troy continues to interrupt, I will continue to talk because I will not be silenced by him or his ilk.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: The Government is delivering the most comprehensive reform of policy and provision for children, young people and families in the history of the State and our commitment to continuing that work remains very strong. Tusla's accounts for 2014 show total expenditure of €627 million. In accordance with the establishing legislation for the agency, I will be laying its full 2014 accounts...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: I will finish what I was saying in my opening statement. Officials in my Department are working closely with the board and senior management of the agency to ensure the continued provision, within the significant resource provided, of high quality and responsive services to vulnerable children and families. A key component of this engagement is associated with the 2016 Estimates process and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: To ensure that people are very clear, notwithstanding statements made here and by the ISPCC, I must state all cases involving immediate risk are dealt with immediately. They would not be left over the weekend. If a child is at serious risk, the matter is dealt with. If a teacher is worried about a child in the morning, a social worker will have arrived by the afternoon. That is not to say...

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: Funding of more than €0.25 billion is invested annually by my Department in early-years 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. This high level of investment has been maintained despite the difficult budgetary circumstances that prevailed in recent years. ...

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: I take issue with the Deputy's analysis of the Maynooth report. It does not state it is too little too late-----

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: -----but refers to the need for further supports to achieve the better outcomes we seek. The early childhood care and education programme has helped considerably and there is a lot of evidence to support that. However, there is a need for further assistance and support, and that is why the interdepartmental group is so important. As with many steps taken in government, there is a need for...

Other Questions: Early Childhood Care Education (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: The Government is very concerned about the child poverty situation in the country. Hitherto we have not had the resources to address this issue in any meaningful way, but the resources are becoming available. I am not saying we can cure this problem overnight. It is very hard to undo a situation that grew up over many years. I will not get into political point scoring about the state of...

Other Questions: UN Convention on Children's Rights (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child establishes the Committee on the Rights of the Child, comprising independent experts, as the monitoring body for holding state parties to account regarding compliance with the convention. That process involves states submitting periodic reports to the committee and appearing before it for the purposes of discussing the report...

Other Questions: UN Convention on Children's Rights (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: The issue of homelessness has been on the Government agenda for quite some time. I am a member of the Cabinet committee on social policy. As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I am very concerned about the impact of homelessness on children. I am very concerned about the provision of accommodation and that emergency accommodation should reflect, in so far as it can, normality for...

Other Questions: UN Convention on Children's Rights (8 Jul 2015)

James Reilly: I have met all the individuals the Deputy mentioned on more than one occasion. The Government's homeless policy statement was published on 21 February 2013 and makes explicit the Government's commitment to a housing-led approach to end long-term involuntary homelessness by the end of 2016. Significant measures are being taken, under the Dublin region homeless pilot scheme, including the...