Results 2,061-2,080 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews

Spent Convictions Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: There is a provision for all offences in the Children Act.

Spent Convictions Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I thank Deputies for their contributions and for their welcome for the Bill. The intention is that the Bill will be used by judges, probation officers and those working with ex-offenders, including prison officers. Judges when considering what sentence to hand down to a person must have regard to the need to punish an individual, the need to deter others, the need to protect society and to...

Spent Convictions Bill 2007: Referral to Select Committee (18 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I move: That the Bill be referred to the Select Committee on Justice, Equality, Defence and Women's Rights, in accordance with Standing Order 122(1) and paragraph 1(a)(i) of the Orders of Reference of that committee.

Spent Convictions Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I am pleased to present the Spent Convictions Bill 2007 to the House as a Government supported Bill. I am especially pleased for the opportunity since I introduced it as a Private Members' Bill in October last year. The core message in the Bill concerns the need to facilitate the rehabilitation of convicted persons and to do so in a way that not only benefits the individuals concerned, but...

Spent Convictions Bill 2007: Second Stage (18 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I thought so too. I was in a meeting when it came up in the Chamber.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 -2010 (NCIP), which will invest €575 million over 5 years, with €358 million of this in capital grant aid for childcare services. I understand that the service in question was initially approved capital grant funding under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) 2000 — 2006...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (17 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 227, 253 and 265 together. My Office will shortly be publishing the Adoption Bill, 2008 which will ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Under the new legislation, prospective adoptive parents will be able to adopt from countries which have also ratified the Hague Convention, and...

Seanad: Foster Care: Motion (17 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I thank the speakers and Senator Glynn for raising this issue. I was asked to appear before the Seanad and, while it is not for me to decide, I was delighted to speak on this issue, which is an area of which we can be proud in terms of the delivery of services. I wish to refer to some items that will not be covered in my main contribution. This matter was encapsulated in the question asked...

Seanad: Foster Care: Motion (17 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: The public hue and cry which followed this case was right and proper in a democracy. However, there is often an overreaction to a particular scandal. I am asked to guarantee that something similar will not happen in Ireland. I cannot guarantee this because we cannot observe every moment of every hour of every day of every child's life. We must ensure people are aware of their obligations....

Seanad: Foster Care: Motion (17 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I apologise for not having copies of the speech to distribute but I will undertake to get them to the Senators as soon as possible.

Seanad: Foster Care: Motion (17 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I understand it is in the best motivation. My apologies. To operate successfully, the nature of our foster care services must adapt and develop over time. In long-term foster care arrangements, many foster carers sought increased autonomy when making day-to-day decisions in regard to the children who had been, in essence, members of their families for several years. In 2007, an amendment...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 107, 210 and 211 together. My Office will shortly be publishing the Adoption Bill, 2008 which will ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Under the new legislation, prospective adoptive parents will be able to adopt from countries which have also ratified the Hague Convention, and...

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: My office was sent a report by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC) relating to the Catholic diocese of Cloyne in July, 2008. As soon as the report was received officials from my office requested the NBSCCC to forward the report to the HSE. As it later became clear that the NBSCCC had not forwarded the report to the HSE, and did not intend doing so,...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: My Office is continuing to work to create the appropriate legislative, policy and administrative frameworks which will ensure a well regulated regime of adoption which reflects both the changing nature of adoption and the growth in intercountry adoption. The Government's aim is to support and protect prospective parents, and even more importantly, the children for whom adoption services are...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 -2010 (NCIP), which will invest €575 million over 5 years, with €358 million of this in capital grant aid for childcare services. I am aware that concerns regarding the new Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) have been expressed by some community childcare services and I have...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 326 to 328, inclusive, together. Most of the information requested by the Deputy is contained in my replies to Questions 301 to 303 of 18th of November 2008, and Questions 343 and 345 of 25th November 2008. As regards the additional information now being sought, I can confirm that 20,016 children were referred to the Garda Youth Diversion programme in 2006,...

Seanad: Juvenile Offenders (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I thank the Senator for raising the matter on the Adjournment. The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is unable to be present this evening due to other business but I assure the Senator and the House that the Minster and I share his concerns. The death of Mr. O'Kane is deplored by all right-thinking people and our sympathy is with his family and friends as well as the community...

Child Abuse. (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: Since I came into this office, the 2005 and 2006 figures have been received. I have also received information on the 2007 interim data set and the section 8 reports arising from it. I have a commitment from the HSE that it will have the information published before the end of this year, which means the next few days. Furthermore, the HSE has committed to having the 2008 figures by April or...

Child Abuse. (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: I have information from the HSE service plan in terms of its monthly monitoring reports, the latest of which is for October 2008. Obviously, the information that comes with the section 8 reports is more detailed and focused on the specifics. With regard to the IT projects, we are making significant progress. There are different IT systems in different areas, again a legacy and hangover...

Child Abuse. (16 Dec 2008)

Barry Andrews: We are making significant progress on this and hope, in the HSE service plan for 2009, to ensure it is a priority and that we can deliver it. With regard to contemporaneous delivery and when it will happen, we already piloted the standardisation of the business process and therefore we will know the initial referral figures and the assessment figures at the same time. We undertook to do...