Results 2,401-2,420 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: This amendment seeks to prohibit a brand and variant name from appearing on a cigarette stick and instead place an alpha-numeric code. The Bill allows for a brand and variant name to appear on the cigarette stick itself in order to distinguish one brand of cigarette from another. The Bill provides for the colour of the stick and limits the tobacco industry to white paper with a white or...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: It is.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: Everything is possible, but whether it is wise is another day’s work. Cigars and pipe tobacco are tobacco and they do cause harm such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, impotence and a host of other problems. Notwithstanding that those particular forms of smoking are not currently popular, one must consider what might happen if the other forms of tobacco become very unpopular. Where...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: The EU directive on tobacco control also applies to safety issues around e-cigarettes. In relation to nicotine vaping and the Chairman's anxiety to use this Bill to address it, I would caution against anything that would delay or alter this Bill because it will delay it and we would have to go back to-----

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: It is seen as cool and safe. I am loth to get into this because it is not part of the Bill. Having said that, I am very concerned about e-cigarettes and their availability to people under 18 years. I am very concerned that they would be used to sell a lifestyle and to normalise the habit of smoking, which is something we are trying to de-normalise to protect our children. We made a...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: Absolutely. The elements include colour, minimum size, etc., and they will pertain to pipe tobacco in the same way as they pertain to rolling tobacco.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: Exactly, and that is how the tobacco industry feels as well. It uses this element to argue that a product has low tar or carbon monoxide content to make it look like a product is safer somehow. Of course, it is not, as it is every bit as much of a killer as a product with higher levels.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: That is a very salient question and the answer is "Yes". There will be environmental health officers enforcing this in the same way they enforce the smoking ban in public spaces.

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: I thank everybody who participated today and particularly members from the Opposition for their support for this Bill. It is very clear that this Parliament understands the importance of this measure. It will not be intimidated by external forces, regardless of where they come from. The health of our people is a primary concern to this Legislature, not just the Government but the...

Committee on Health and Children: Select Sub-Committee on Health: Public Health (Standardised Packaging of Tobacco) Bill 2014: Committee Stage (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: As I said to the media earlier, tomorrow is Ash Wednesday and many people take the opportunity to consider trying to quit smoking again. Let me reiterate that it is a case of try, try and try again. The day a person gives up smoking is the day he or she will make the most important impact on his or her longevity and well-being. To address the concerns of the retailers, there is a certain...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Standards (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is implemented by my Department and provides a free pre-school year for all children before they commence primary school. It is currently a requirement of the programme that all the pre-school leaders in participating childcare services must hold, as a minimum, a qualification at Level 5 on the National Framework of Qualifications of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: My Department administers a range of funding schemes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country including those from disadvantaged communities. Particular regard is had to the needs of young people between the ages of 10 and 21 and to those who are socially or economically disadvantaged. The Department provides the supports through funding programmes...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: Pre-School services are regulated by the Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No 2) Regulations 2006. Responsibility for ensuring compliance with these regulations was a matter for the HSE at the time of the complaint, and is now a matter for Tusla. I understand that this matter was examined by the Early Years Inspectorate and that following this a number of recommendations were made in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: The revised Child Care Regulations, which are required under the new amendments to Part VII of the Child Care Act 1991, are currently being developed in association with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel. These new Regulations, which will be finalised shortly, will provide for a number of reforms being introduced by my Department under the Early Years Quality Agenda. The reforms...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (17 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: The organisation in question was not successful in its request to secure funds under the 2014 National Lottery Funding Scheme and was advised of this in writing by my Department in December 2014. In this regard the Deputy might wish to note that over 800 applications for grant support were received from groups and organisations for funding under this scheme in 2014. The overall value of...

Seanad: Appointment of Ombudsman for Children: Motion (12 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: I thank all the Senators for their contributions to the debate on this motion. I have much pleasure in recommending to the House that Dr. Niall Muldoon be appointed by the President to be the Ombudsman for Children. Dr. Muldoon comes to this post with a wealth of experience, as has already been acknowledged. He is currently the director of investigations at the Office of the Ombudsman for...

Seanad: Appointment of Ombudsman for Children: Motion (12 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: I ask the House to recommend Dr. Niall Muldoon for appointment by the President to be the new Ombudsman for Children. Senators will be aware that the position of Ombudsman for Children fell vacant on the resignation of Ms Emily Logan in September 2014, following her appointment as chief commissioner of the newly established Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. Dr. Muldoon was...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (12 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: Childcare services in this country are provided by private commercial or community childcare providers. To support parents who are accessing childcare services through these services, my Department allocates funding in the region of €260 million annually to provide for the implementation of a number of childcare support programmes. The support programmes enable more than 100,000 to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mental Health Awareness (12 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: Our flag policy is to operate in accordance with guidance issued from the Department of the Taoiseach.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Cafés Provision (12 Feb 2015)

James Reilly: In 2013, €1.5m in capital funding was made available to my Department for a Youth Café scheme. Pobal assisted my Department to administer this scheme. In all 95 applications with proposals were received and some 30 proposals for new youth cafés facilities around the country were approved for funding. These projects are now working with Pobal to develop their projects to the...