Results 2,181-2,200 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews
- Telecommunications Services. (4 Nov 2008)
Barry Andrews: As of October 2008, 3,905 schools have been provided with broadband connectivity under the schools broadband access programme. As the Deputy will be aware, this programme is being undertaken in partnership with industry in the context of a Government-IBEC-Telecommunications and Internet Federation, TIF, agreement to provide local broadband connectivity to schools. The programme has three...
- Telecommunications Services. (4 Nov 2008)
Barry Andrews: First, there is 99% coverage of broadband in schools, rather than the 90% referred to by the Deputy. I cannot account for the discrepancy between 1,826 schools and the figure of 1,500 as suggested by the Deputy. I can only rely on the figures that were presented to me today. If some clarification is required, this can be considered. As for the technology itself, the Deputy is referring to...
- Telecommunications Services. (4 Nov 2008)
Barry Andrews: The standard that is aimed for by the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Deputy Eamon Ryan, in his next generation broadband announcement last July was both clear and ambitious. He seeks 100 megabyte per second broadband connectivity for secondary schools and wishes to ensure that such connectivity is wireless-based to the greatest possible extent. Although these...
- Telecommunications Services. (4 Nov 2008)
Barry Andrews: While it has been announced a number of times that the tendering process is due to be completely very soon, I am informed that some legal issues remain outstanding. However, they are at an advanced stage of finality and the process should be completed very soon.
- Telecommunications Services. (4 Nov 2008)
Barry Andrews: My best information is that implementation will be on a phased basis.
- Telecommunications Services. (4 Nov 2008)
Barry Andrews: Money is available in the capital programme for next year.
- Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (30 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: My Office has been working to finalise a new Bill which will ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption. The purpose of ratifying the Hague Convention is to protect children in the process of adoption. The Hague Convention emphasises the importance of regulatory systems in protecting the fundamental rights of children, and...
- Written Answers — Foster Care: Foster Care (30 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: Decisions in relation to the foster care rates for 2009 have yet to be taken.
- Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (30 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: The Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) was introduced by my Office in January 2008, under the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP). The introduction of the CCSS was announced in July 2007 when the initial framework for the scheme was outlined. Community childcare services which at that time were in receipt from my Office of staffing support grants, were invited...
- Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (30 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, requests for assessment for intercountry adoption assessments are continuously increasing. The Study on intercountry adoption, undertaken by the Children's Research Centre in Trinity College, revealed that Ireland has one of the highest rates for intercountry adoption in Europe. It is against this background that my Office is continuing to work to create the...
- Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (29 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE) under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (29 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) under which the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) is being implemented. The CCSS, which has an allocation of â¬154.2 million over 2008 â 2010, came into effect in January this year replacing the previous support scheme which was implemented under the Equal...
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (21 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have the matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.
- Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (21 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 â 2010 (NCIP), which will invest â¬575 million over 5 years, with â¬358 million of this in capital grant aid for childcare services. I understand that the service in question has applied for â¬647,000 in capital funding through it's local County Childcare Committee. This application...
- Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (21 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006 â 2010 (NCIP), which will invest â¬575 million over 5 years, with â¬358 million of this in capital grant aid for childcare services. I understand that the service in question has applied for â¬1.2 million in capital funding through it's local County Childcare Committee. This...
- Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (21 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: The Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECDE) was established in 2002 as part of the implementation of Ready to Learn, the White Paper on Early Childhood Education (1999). It was sanctioned initially for a 3 year period. This was extended for a further 3 years in 2005. The original remit of the Centre included the development of a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education. This...
- Written Answers — Early Childhood Education: Early Childhood Education (21 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: The Centre for Early Childhood Development (CECDE) was established in 2002 as part of the implementation of Ready to Learn, the White Paper on Early Childhood Education (1999). It was sanctioned initially for a 3 year period. This was extended for a further 3 years in 2005. The original remit of the Centre included the development of a Quality Framework for Early Childhood Education. This...
- Medical Cards: Motion (21 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: We have to take responsibility for the fear sown in some people's minds and we must move on from that. Some 95% of over 70s will now have a full medical card. That is the most important message that will come out of this debate tonight. We listened to what the people, our councillors and our backbenchers said as well as to what anybody else who cared to share their opinions with us had to...
- Medical Cards: Motion (21 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: We have a situation where medical cards are being given to people who, by their own admission, do not need them. Large numbers of people over 70 years of age have not applied for them because they are genuinely patriotic people who know they do not have the need for that provision. They know the spreading of resources around our economy is more appropriately served by issuing cards to those...
- Medical Cards: Motion (21 Oct 2008)
Barry Andrews: People have bandied the word patriotism around this House, but what it means to people is that their patriotism can assist us in a practical way to get through this difficult period. I do not say this in an effort to achieve some short-term political dividend or to get us out of the hole in which we find ourselves. I say it because all of us must contribute to some extent. I know that...