Results 1,081-1,100 of 21,128 for speaker:James Reilly

Seanad: Commencement Matters: Early Childhood Care and Education (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: It is just a technical situation. To be honest, nobody has lost out as a consequence of the change, although some have not gained as much as others. Senator Noone's point about the school starting age is an issue that did consume us for a while. We were very concerned about the fact that due to expense, many parents feel under pressure to send their children to school a little bit younger...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care Education (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: At present, children qualify for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme when they are within the qualifying age range which is 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months in the September of the relevant year. This means, for example, that children born between 2 February 2011 and 30 June 2012 qualified for free pre-school from September 2015. Children who turn 3 from 1...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Agencies (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency is the only agency established by my Department since the Department itself was established in June 2011. Tusla was established on 1st January 2014 under the Child and Family Agency Act 2013. It has statutory responsibility for services previously provided by the National Educational Welfare Board, the Family Support Agency and Children and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Programmes (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: The Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) Programme supports disadvantaged parents, parents in low paid employment and parents in training or education, by enabling those who qualify to avail of reduced childcare costs at participating community/not-for-profit childcare services. Due to economic constraints, Budget 2012 closed the CCS Programme to new applications from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care Education (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: At present, children qualify for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme when they are within the qualifying age range which is 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months in the September of the relevant year. The recent Budget decisions, which introduced an extended provision under the ECCE programme that allows children to access the free pre-school programme from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Funding (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: I propose to take Questions Nos. 158 and 159 together. 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 some 380,000 young people and involve approximately 1,400 youth...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (25 Nov 2015)

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. In 2016, current funding of €51m will be provided by my Department for these schemes. The Value for Money and Policy Review of the Youth Funding programmes 2014 examined three of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Youth Work Advisory Committee (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: Sections 17 and 18 of the Youth Work Act 2001 provide for the appointment of a National Youth Work Advisory Committee. The Committee has an advisory and consultative role to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs in matters to do with youth work, including the coordination of youth work programmes and services. In line with these provisions, a new National Youth Work Advisory Committee...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: EU Programmes (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: The EU Structured Dialogue process with young people aims to ensure that the opinion of young people is taken into account in the formulation of youth-related policies of the European Union. The process involves bringing together young people, youth organisations, youth representatives and policy-makers across the EU to jointly discuss issues affecting young people and feed into youth policy...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (25 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: The 8thReport of the Government appointed Child Protection Rapporteur was submitted to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs on 10th April 2015. The Report relates to developments for the year 2014. While the report was submitted to the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, the Report’s recommendations relate to a number of Departments and Agencies and on receipt, it was...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (24 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: Some community childcare services are dependent on Community Employment (CE) participants to make up the numbers to satisfy the adult/child ratios set out in the Pre-School Regulations. There is currently no minimum qualification standards for staff working in the childcare sector. However, this will change next year with new minimum qualification standards being introduced as part of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care (24 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: The Foster Care Allowance is currently €325 per week per child under 12 and €352 per week per child of 12 and over. It is provided in order to allow foster carers to meet all of the child's daily living needs including food, clothing, basic travel, education costs and hobbies and sporting activities. There is no intention to increase the rate of the Foster Care Allowance at this...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (24 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: All provisions of the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 were commenced with effect from 1 January 2014. The relevant Statutory Instrument is the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 (Commencement) Order 2013 (S.I. 502/2013).

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (24 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: In Budget 2016 it was announced that, from September 2016, children will be eligible to start free pre-school when they turn age 3, and can continue in free pre-school until they start primary school (once the child is not older than 5½ years at the end of the relevant pre-school year i.e. end June). This extension of free pre-school will increase the number of children benefitting...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Reports (24 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: Tusla, the Child and Family Agency, inspects and registers children’s residential centres run by the private and voluntary sectors. The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) inspects Tusla child welfare and protection services under the Health Act 2007, and children’s residential care centres and foster care services under the Child Care Act, 1991. All inspections are...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care Education (24 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: At present, children qualify for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme when they are within the qualifying age range which is 3 years and 2 months to 4 years and 7 months in the September of the relevant year. The recent Budget decisions, which introduced an extended provision under the ECCE programme that allows children to access the free pre-school programme from...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Care Education (24 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme is implemented by my Department and provides free pre-school for children before they commence primary school. Parents of a child with special needs can make an application to my Department for an exemption which will allow the child to access the ECCE programme over a two year period. My Department has not received any...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (24 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: I have requested information from the Child and Family Agency and I will forward the reply to the Deputy once I have been furnished with this information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency (19 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: There are a number of commitments with regard to the provision of support for parents set out in Better Outcomes, Brighter Future;the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People. With regard to positive parenting initiatives I am informed that the Child and Family Agency continues to implement the Parenting Support Strategy which was launched in 2013. This gives a mandate for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Funding (19 Nov 2015)

James Reilly: The total budget for Tusla in 2015 is €643 million. This is made up of €631 m in current funding and €12 m in capital funding. In the Budget 2016 announcement I was successful in securing significant additional resources for Tusla. In 2016 Tusla will have an overall budget of some €676 m, which includes €662.4 m in current funding and €13.6 m...