Results 1,221-1,240 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 303, 304, 308, 311, 312, 347, 348, 378, 398, 405, 412, 424, 439, 447, 449, 461, 462, 463 and 465 together. The issue of intercountry adoption and, in particular, the negotiation of a new bilateral agreement with Vietnam has been given considerable priority by my officials over the last year. I have advised the House and parent/prospective adoptive parent...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme which is being introduced in January 2010. Services participating in the scheme in January 2010 will accept enrolments over the coming months. The ECCE scheme is a general one and services participating will be required to make reasonable...

Written Answers — Teaching Qualifications: Teaching Qualifications (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the new Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) scheme which provides a free Pre-School year to eligible children and which will be introduced in January 2010. It is a requirement of the ECCE scheme that pre-school leaders in services participating in the scheme hold a qualification in childcare which is...

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: I have seen a copy of the correspondence to which the Deputy has referred. Guidance on the reporting to the HSE of an allegation of abuse in a school or elsewhere is set out under the Children First National Guidelines for the Protection and Welfare of Children. In 2001 and 2004 the Department of Education and Science issued Child Protection Guidelines and Procedures to all primary and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006 - 2010 under which capital grant funding is made available to community and commercial childcare providers for the development of childcare facilities. Applications for capital grant funding under the NCIP were processed, in the first instance, by the City and County Childcare...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy is aware I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006 - 2010 under which the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) is implemented. I understand that an application for CCSS funding for the service in question has been approved, subject to sufficient funding being available to the Scheme in 2010. A letter issued to the group on the...

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (16 Sep 2009)

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

Written Answers — Sexual Offences: Sexual Offences (16 Sep 2009)

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

Written Answers — Child Care: Child Care (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the new Early Childhood Care and Education scheme (ECCE) which provides a free Pre-School year to eligible children and which will be introduced in January 2010. It is also a condition of the pre-school year that services who wish to participate will be required to provide an appropriate educational programme for...

Written Answers — Rights of the Child: Rights of the Child (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to answer Questions Nos. 392 and 413 together. Planned expenditure levels for my Department will be considered as part of the Estimates and Budgetary process for 2010. This will include consideration of the report of the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, and the decisions on all of the issues arising will be a matter for the Government. It would...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: Declarations of eligibility and suitability are issued on an ongoing basis by the Adoption Board. Such declarations are not country specific although applicants will have indicated which country they intend adopting from as part of the assessment process. My understanding, at this stage is that over 350 applicants who have received declarations have indicated a preference for adopting from...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Pre-School year of Early Care and Education (ECCE) to eligible children and which will be introduced in January 2010. Services can choose to deliver the Pre-School Year from a range of options. A full or part-time day-care service will normally provide the place for 2 hours 15...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the new Early Childhood Care and Education scheme which provides a free Pre-School year to eligible children and which will be introduced in January 2010. As part of the preparations for introducing the new scheme, the Childcare Directorate of my Office wrote to almost 5,000 private and voluntary pre-school service...

Written Answers — Departmental Correspondence: Departmental Correspondence (16 Sep 2009)

Barry Andrews: A substantial reply to the correspondence sent by the Deputy (details supplied) on 31 July, 2009 has not issued because there is no record of the letter having been received by the Department on or after this date. This information has been communicated to the Deputy and arrangements are being made to have the letter resent and the query answered.

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (9 Jul 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 170 to 172, inclusive, together. As these are service matters they have been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (9 Jul 2009)

Barry Andrews: The youth sector has received considerable financial support over the past number of years. Funding expanded from €35.5m in 2004 to €52m in 2008. This funding has allowed for expansion in the sector including the roll out of a number of sections of the Youth Work Act, 2001 and priority actions cited in the National Youth Work Development Plan. These include the development of a child...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (9 Jul 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2000 - 2006 under which capital grant funding is made available to community and commercial childcare providers for the development of childcare facilities. With the economic downturn Government expenditure, particularly in the area of new capital commitments, was reviewed earlier this...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (9 Jul 2009)

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

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (9 Jul 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 213 and 218 together. As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Pre-School year of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) with effect from January 2010. It is a fundamental principle of the scheme that the free Pre-School Year will be available free of charge to parents. All participating...

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (9 Jul 2009)

Barry Andrews: The Adoption Bill, 2009, which will give force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-country Adoption, was published on 23 January, 2009. The Bill, which recently passed all the stages in the Seanad, will continue to be prioritised by the Government for its passage through the Oireachtas. Under the proposed new legislative regime,...