Results 2,121-2,140 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Other Questions: Child and Family Agency Services (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for his question. Children and young people’s services committees or CYPSCs - God knows, there are a huge amount of acronyms in my Department - are being put in place to develop and implement a local planning model for inter-agency working to improve outcomes for children and young people. The age remit of the committees has been extended to include 18 to 24 year...

Other Questions: Child Protection Services (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I could not agree more with the Deputy. The issues need to be dealt with before referral to social workers. That is the point of the Child and Family Agency and of all the non-governmental organisations, NGOs, the Department interacts with. On Monday we launched an excellent programme Tusla is introducing around far earlier intervention. We are moving away from crisis intervention and...

Other Questions: Child Protection (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I reiterate what I said in response to the earlier question from Deputy McLellan, that all children who are known to be at immediate and urgent risk are seen immediately and have a social worker assigned to them by Tusla, the Child and Family Agency. Comments about the Health Information and Quality Authority, HIQA, report for the Cork area may have given the impression that these most...

Other Questions: Child Protection Services (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: My Department works closely with Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, to ensure that all children identified as needing a social worker service receive one. Tusla figures indicate there were 27,710 open cases at the end of January 2015. These provisional figures show that 7,787 of these were waiting to be allocated a social worker. Around 30% of these were deemed to be high priority....

Other Questions: Child Protection (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: We touched on this matter when dealing with Deputy McLellan's question. I mean no disrespect to Deputy Boyd Barrett but Deputy McLellan asked whether I believed that child care services were worse under Tusla than they had been under the HSE.

Other Questions: Child Protection (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I state categorically that they are far improved and continue to improve. The inspection of the Cork child protection services was carried out by HIQA in October 2014. Overall, the report noted the good quality of the service provided to children and families when they had an allocated social worker. Two areas of significant risk were found and were addressed immediately. An action...

Other Questions: Child Protection (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I supplied those figures in reply to the earlier question. High priority does not constitute immediate risk. I made that clear in response to the previous question also. Any child who is in immediate danger or at immediate risk is seen as an emergency and is seen immediately. That is the reality. As I read out in the response, the category of "high priority" also includes children who are...

Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I absolutely respect the feelings of the individual the Deputy referred to regarding her two brothers. The terms of reference laid down for the commission of investigation allow it to order exhumations if that is what it decides is appropriate in certain instances. This is right and proper, but I do not wish to prejudge what the commission may find. I understand, notwithstanding section...

Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: The commission has enormous powers as is only proper and right. I welcome the Deputy's support for the social history element of the investigation because context is important. It is equally important that people have an opportunity to tell their story. Many of the stories I have heard have been particularly harrowing. It is important also they have the right to tell their story in public...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Early Child Care Education (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I will actually be having that chat with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and look forward to speaking with him as we approach the budget. I know that he is interested in this issue and that he is as concerned as I am about the well-being of children who are our future. In respect of the scheme, the Deputy must accept that during the worst recession and darkest fiscal...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Early Child Care Education (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I did not interrupt the Deputy. The work they do is invaluable and they are trained to a high standard. We want to continue supporting that work. One of the ways we provided support was through putting in place a learner fund to support and fund people in attaining a higher level of training. All of these matters will be considered by the interdepartmental group and the Government will be...

Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: The Commissions of Investigation Act 2004 provides an effective, prompt and transparent mechanism to investigate complex and sensitive matters, while also respecting fair procedures and natural justice. The Act gives the commission robust powers to conduct investigations within its terms of reference in the manner it considers appropriate, while adhering to the rules and procedures contained...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Early Child Care Education (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: The early childhood care and education programme, ECCE, provides a free preschool year to all eligible children in the age range three years and two months to four years and seven months before they commence primary school. A standard capitation fee of €62.50 per week per eligible child is paid to participating child care services. A higher capitation fee of €73 per week is...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Early Child Care Education (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I am pleased the Deputy and I agree on one matter, namely, that the ECCE programme offers good value for money and is critically important. I also agree with him that the investment of money, resources and personnel in educating children in the early years brings about the greatest return for such children and for society in general. There is no doubt about that. I further agree with the...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Child Care Services Provision (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: The short answer to the question is that I am awaiting the outcome of the interdepartmental group's deliberations and it would be premature to make any statement about it before then. This is a broadly based group of interdepartmental individuals who have engaged in a number of open consultation days with many of the stakeholders in the area. Shortly, an online questionnaire will be issued...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Child Care Services Provision (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: I respectfully disagree with the Deputy's contention that the Government is putting the cart before the horse. I have already described the child care education and training support programme and the Deputy's contention that there are no services available is simply not true. There is also the after school child care programme, which is designed to support low-income and unemployed people...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: Clearly, the Deputy is confusing two inspection regimes. Under the early years programme the Department of Education and Skills will inspect the educational aspect, inspection of the overall regime will be the responsibility of the Child and Family Agency. In fairness to it, while it is studying how to go about this, it is awaiting the revised regulations.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: Because the provisions are being developed in association with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. In the drafting of the new regulations a review of the draft national quality standards was required, as well as of the 2006 child care regulations and the associated guidance document, with an input from the Child and Family Agency which will have responsibility for implementing the new...

Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed) - Priority Questions (Resumed): Child Care Services Provision (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: This question relates to the one-parent family payment. As the Deputy knows, this is, in the first instance, a matter for the Department of Social Protection. However, my Department has been working closely with that Department to develop a range of targeted child care support programmes for low-income families, parents returning to the workforce and parents engaging in training and-or...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (15 Apr 2015)

James Reilly: Under the legislation we introduced, this is an operational matter for Tusla as it sets about putting these inspections in place. One of the issues revealed in the report was the need for information technology and communications, ICT, infrastructure to support Tusla's national preschool inspectorate. I was pleased to provide €350,000 to fund development of ICT infrastructure for...