Results 821-840 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: I say to look to the positive-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: Not alone that-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: Could I please have a chance to respond, a Cheann Comhairle?

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: But I did not get an opportunity because they were shouting-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: I am here to answer the question-----

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: I must speak to the fact that the Government has put aside €3.8 billion in capital for direct social housing building.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Homeless Accommodation Provision (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: That is 35,000 units, and there are 75,000 other homes to be supported through local authority initiatives and over 300 projects underway, as we speak, in local authorities around this country to address this issue.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: At the outset, I would like to be associated with the Ceann Comhairle's comments and wish Deputy McLellan all the very best in future. I am sure that whatever she chooses to do, it will be done with her usual attention to detail and commitment. At my recent appearance at the review of Ireland by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in Geneva, I confirmed that the Irish...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: I will underscore the actions that have been taken. Poverty is seven times more likely in households where people are jobless, and that is why the Government's focus has been on jobs and getting people back to work. There have been 135,000 new jobs created already, and another 50,000 are planned for this year. The Pathways to Work strategy is working and helping to ensure that a high...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: We all know where it went wrong and there is no doubt about that with regard to the last Government. Family homelessness and child poverty are two issues that the Government takes very seriously. There is a regular meeting of Cabinet dealing with social policy and the issue of homelessness is discussed at every one. I go to all of them. The Deputy mentioned the link between jobs and...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Investigations (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: The total number of complaints received by the early years inspectorate of Tusla has fallen from 361 in 2013 to 274 in 2014 and to 258 last year. Information about the category of complaint is first available from 2015, and I am circulating details of these in a table accompanying this reply. In brief, the table indicates that of all complaints received in 2015, 169 related to governance,...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Investigations (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: The complaints are being compiled, and it is intended that this will be done by a centralised complaints office, so that they can be filtered, categorised, risk-rated and prioritised for investigation. I have no issue with publishing the final lists and having transparency. It would require some internal discussions, I have no doubt, and some discussions with the sector. I believe...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Investigations (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: Part 7(a) of the Child Care Act was amended by section 92 of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. Under that Act, all service providers notified to the HSE prior to the commencement of the Act were deemed registered for a period of three years. Under the Act, the agency may attach conditions to a registration, or remove a provider from the register. The agency may choose to do this where...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Agency Investigations (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: Hear, hear.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: I acknowledge the considerable support of the child care sector, along with the flexibility of child care providers and staff, in ensuring the range of child care support programmes administered by my Department are implemented. From September 2016, I am expanding the free preschool programme to allow children enrol in free preschool from the time they are three years of age and to remain...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: Every year a significant number of new preschool providers apply to participate in this programme. This increased demand for and additional investment in free preschool provision should encourage greater numbers of applicants. It is clear more capacity will be required. Officials in my Department are working closely with the city and county child care committees and voluntary child care...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: There is capacity. Some of it has been taken up. Since the introduction and the announcement of the scheme, people who have been holding back sending their children to preschool, hoping to save the one year available up until now to start in September 2016, have availed of it. Over 5,000 extra children are now in the early childhood care and education programme as a consequence of the...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Preschool Services (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: There is the restoration of capitation rates to pre-2012 levels from September 2016. The additional capitation for preschool providers was recently announced as part of the suite of Government-funded supports for children with a disability accessing the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme, and I know that is something the Deputy would be supportive of. There is funding of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Traveller Community (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: The Programme for Government commits the Government to promoting greater co-ordination and integration of delivery of services to the Traveller community across Government, using available resources more effectively to deliver on principles of social inclusion, particularly in area of Traveller education through the DEIS programme. My colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (28 Jan 2016)

James Reilly: I have been conscious for some time of the difficulty experienced by some children with a disability in accessing and benefiting fully from the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) Programme. With this in mind, I requested that an Interdepartmental Group, led by this Department, be established with a brief to bring forward recommendations to address this issue. The Group has...