Results 2,981-3,000 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: If the figures are readily available, the Deputy will have them. If not, he will not. Given what I said earlier, it is not reasonable to expect we would have completeness in this when some people do not submit their bills for four years.

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: Yes, we can tell the Deputy what was paid. However, if X million euro is spent this year for bills for services incurred three years ago, how will that inform the Deputy what were the actual legal costs incurred in this year alone? I hope he accepts this point. On the 91% increase in reported cases, much has changed since 2005 with the Ryan report and other issues leading to a greater...

Other Questions: Child Poverty (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: Through the implementation of the Department's document, Better Outcomes, Brighter Futures, and its supporting strategies, the Government aims to achieve the following transformational goals to support the achievement of better outcomes for all children and to address the concerns that Deputy Tom Fleming raised. One of the most important aspects to address in this context is support for the...

Other Questions: Child Poverty (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I thank Deputy Fleming for his comments. It is a serious matter, from the Government's perspective, to help the parents of whom he speaks who have worked so hard and sacrificed so much in helping the economy recover. That is why it is so important in the budget that our focus will be on continuing reform of the tax system in order that more unemployed people are encouraged to go back to...

Other Questions: Departmental Expenditure (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: As I mentioned already, the financial allocation for Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, in 2014, its first year of operation, was set at €609 million. This comprised €602 million in current funding and €7 million in capital funding. It is acknowledged that delivering the range of services required of the agency within this budget is challenging. Notwithstanding the...

Other Questions: Preschool Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I reiterate that the initial supports for children with special needs availing of services in mainstream child care settings remain a matter for the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. I hope that clarifies the position for the Deputy.

Other Questions: Child Protection Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: Measuring the Pressure, a report prepared by the Child and Family Agency, indicates that at the end of June 2014, the agency was providing 19,766 children with a social work service. The report also highlights the increasing service challenge facing the agency, with 9,548 cases waiting to be allocated to a dedicated social worker. Approximately one third of these were deemed to be high...

Other Questions: Child Protection Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: As I indicated in response to previous questions, additional posts have been filled and recruitment is under way for additional posts. To be specific, 106 social work posts were filled by the Child and Family Agency in the first eight months of 2014 and a further 148 posts are at various stages of recruitment. The Deputy asked how many social workers are employed in total. The Child and...

Other Questions: Child Protection Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: It would be extremely devious of the Deputy to so do.

Other Questions: Child Protection Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I reiterate that a further 148 posts are at various stages of recruitment. Vacancies are, therefore, awaiting filling while the recruitment process proceeds. As I indicated in previous replies, it is difficult to recruit social workers in some areas for various reasons, just as it is difficult to recruit doctors in some areas. The bottom line is that 106 social work posts were filled by...

Other Questions: Child Poverty (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: Support for families who require income support to meet basic needs is provided through the social welfare system, which is the responsibility of my colleague, the Minister for Social Protection. A range of income supports is available to parents who are unemployed or on low incomes. The Department of Social Protection also has lead responsibility for the national action plan for social...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services Provision (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I refer to a breakdown of where the money is going: Killarney & South Kerry Youth Project, €55,183; Listowel-North Kerry Youth Project, €81,576; Sliabh Luachra-Castleisland Youth Project, €74,651; Tralee Youth Development Project, €173,394; and Tralee and Killarney youth information centres, €107,481. We fund a range of services. The youth service...

Other Questions: Preschool Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for his question. My Department implements the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme, which provides a free preschool year to all eligible children before they commence primary school. The programme is a free and universal provision to which all children have access. A number of additional provisions have been added to ensure the ECCE programme is more...

Other Questions: Preschool Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: One should be careful about extrapolating the figures based on the survey because that may not be accurate. I do not say that is unreasonable but it may not be accurate. We are reviewing this area because the Government is keen to support a second free preschool year at some point in the future and there is concern among providers that we need to address inconsistencies in quality,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: My Department has supported the development of 100 youth cafés over the period 2011 to 2013. The development of youth café facilities will continue to be advanced should further capital funding become available in future years. Longford youth services receives annual funding from my Department under the special projects for youth scheme. Funding of €74,651 has been...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: Some of the Deputy's questions relate to specific information which I do not have to hand. I will obtain the information and revert to the Deputy.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services Provision (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: My Department administers a range of funding schemes and programmes to support the provision of youth services to young people throughout the country, including those from disadvantaged communities. The funding schemes support national and local youth work provision to 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth work staff in 477 projects and 40,000 volunteers working in youth...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Youth Services Provision (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I concur with the Deputy's comments about the service provided by Kerry Diocesan Youth Service through its invaluable work. All these groups are tremendous value for money from the point of view of a return to the taxpayer. It is not just about putting a price on the services they deliver, which can be done, but it is about putting a value on the work they do and the impact they have on the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: I thank the Deputy for his question and his wishes of goodwill. At the end of August 2014, there were 1,387.89 whole time equivalent social workers employed at the Child and Family Agency. Staffing vacancies arise for various reasons including retirements, resignations, career breaks, maternity leave and other unpaid leave. A system of risk analysis is in place in each area to ensure that...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Social Workers Recruitment (25 Sep 2014)

James Reilly: The figures mentioned by the Deputy are accurate. There are 3,000 cases which are considered high priority. It is important to note that each of these cases has been reviewed by a social worker and have been triaged. They await the allocation of a full-time social worker. We have issues with recruitment. The issue is not a lack of funding, but rather difficulties in filling some posts....