Results 221-240 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (6 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: The Children and Youth Services Unit of my Office provides funding to Youth Work Ireland for its youth service provision, through a number of funding programmes. Youth Work Ireland acts as the grant administering agency for distribution of the funding from my Office to the projects, administered by that organisation, under the different schemes. Details of the monies allocated in the past...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: The Government's Implementation Plan for the findings of the Ryan Report on the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse committed to the recruitment of an additional 270 social workers before the end of 2011 to enable the HSE to fulfil its statutory obligations that every child in care should have a care plan and an allocated social worker. The Government provided an amount of €15m in 2010...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: The Government and the HSE remain committed to the development of a comprehensive needs-based service for children at risk. In this context, the HSE established the Emergency Place of Safety Service in June 2009. This service makes provision for Gardaí to access an appropriate place of safety for children found to be at risk out of hours under Section 12 of the Child Care Act 1991. The...

Written Answers — Constitutional Amendments: Constitutional Amendments (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: I presented a copy of the third and final report of the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children to Cabinet in early March. The Cabinet decided that, in view of the complex nature of the issues involved, all Ministers and Government Departments as well as the Attorney General should consider the report and examine the implications of the proposed wording for their...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: The new Childcare Education and Training Scheme (CETS) was introduced in September of this year and is being implemented by my Office, on behalf of FÁS and the Vocational Educational Committees (VECs) under the Department of Education and Science. The CETS scheme replaces the previous childcare support schemes implemented by FÁS and the VECs under which qualifying students and trainees...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 201 to 204, inclusive, together. I have responsibility for implementing the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, which was introduced in January of this year. Children qualify for the free pre-school year where they are aged more than 3 years 2 months and less than 4 years 7 months in September of the relevant year. This...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: I have responsibility for implementing the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, which was introduced in January this year. The number of pre-school services in County Laois, currently participating in the ECCE scheme, is seventy-six. All services participating in the scheme are required to return information to my Office at the start of each pre-school...

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 225 together. As these are service matters they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: The Child Care Act, 1991, provides the statutory basis for child welfare and protection. Under the Act, the Health Service Executive (Est. 2005) has responsibility for the delivery of services. The Office of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, was established in December 2005 to improve the lives of children under the National Children's Strategy and bring greater coherence to...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: I have responsibility for implementing the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme, which was introduced in January this year making a year of free pre-school provision available to all children when they fall within the qualifying age range. Under the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations, staff working in pre-school services are not subject to...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Child Care (Amendment) Bill 2009 [Seanad]: Second Stage (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time." Special care involves the civil detention of a child in the interest of his or her welfare and protection in a special care unit where educational and therapeutic supports are provided to the child in a secure environment. Special care is provided where it is in the best interests of the child, and as a last resort, when other forms of...

Child Care Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: In the course of discussions with the HSE in June 2010, I raised the need for the appointment of an individual at national director level who has a proven track record to lead the reform of children and family services. I envisaged that this appointment would be for a time limited period of approximately two years. Following those discussions, I briefed my Cabinet colleagues on the...

Child Care Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: That is correct. I spoke about this at the joint committee meeting when I said that I hoped the appointee would be in place before Christmas, so that "shortly" could be within the next few weeks. Clearly, the person appointed will have to service notice, assuming he or she is employed somewhere else. I have referred to deficiencies and clear defects and this is not a euphemism. Rather, it...

Child Care Services (5 Oct 2010)

Barry Andrews: The appointee will have a reporting structure within the HSE, pursuant to the Health Acts. However, I have provided for monthly meetings with the assistant national director in the HSE with responsibility of children and families, and his appointment was pursuant to the PA Consultants' recommendation in September 2009. That has worked out very well and I believe we need to enhance this...

Hospital Building Programme (30 Sep 2010)

Barry Andrews: The Government's priority is to provide the best standard of complex hospital care for children in Ireland. To further that priority the Government is fully committed to the construction of the new national paediatric hospital at the Mater Hospital site. We are also committed to providing the associated ambulatory and urgent care centre at Tallaght Hospital. This is an essential part of...

Foster Care Services (30 Sep 2010)

Barry Andrews: I welcome the opportunity to reply to Deputy Clune. In general, the HSE is required under the Child Care Act 1991 to promote the welfare of children and there are a number of procedures under which the HSE take children into care. Foster care is the main source of alternative care provided by the HSE for children in care. As of July 2010, there were 5,877 children in the care of the State,...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (29 Sep 2010)

Barry Andrews: I have discussed the proposal to put in place a hotline for missing children that is operation in some EU Member States with members of charitable organisations and non-Governmental organisations with a view to providing some level of service. My office is currently involved in discussions with other relevant Government Departments in relation to the establishment of this service. I will...