Results 14,401-14,420 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (14 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. As part of the process of closing the EOCP, the final date for processing capital applications under the EOCP and reaching contract stage was...

Order of Business (14 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Deputy McGrath should register himself as a political party on the Internet.

Written Answers — Detention Centres: Detention Centres (13 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: On 13 December 2005 the Government approved youth justice reforms following a review carried out by the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The rationale for these changes is to provide leadership and restructuring of the delivery of the State's services in the area of youth justice which, up to now, were dealt with by several Departments and agencies. It is intended that these...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (13 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The foster care allowance can only be paid in respect of children who are taken into the care of the Health Service Executive and placed in foster care or relative care in accordance with the Child Care Regulations, 1995. In 1998 the then Minister of State in the Department of Health set up a Working Group on Foster Care. The task of the Working Group was to make recommendations on all...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (13 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The National Recreation Policy, which is to be published in the near future, recognises that youth cafés offer great potential for providing a wide range of developmental, educational and information programmes to young people and acknowledges that such services will require a cross-Departmental and inter-Agency collaborative approach through a partnership process. Operational responsibility...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (13 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Child care Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) and the National Child care Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. An application previously submitted by these applicants for capital grant assistance under the EOCP was approved in September 2003, for...

Written Answers — School Absenteeism: School Absenteeism (13 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 570 and 589 together. This government is determined to do all that is possible to ensure that every child gets all the opportunities and support they need to enable them to achieve their full potential and participate fully in education. Steps designed to improve school attendance include the establishment of the National Educational Welfare Board in 2002,...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (8 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. The Group in question has recently been approved €34,500 in staffing grant assistance under the EOCP. I understand the Childcare...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (8 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) and the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), which are being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. The NCIP came into effect from 1 January 2006, with an allocation of €575 million for the 5 year period of 2006-2010. The NCIP is a key...

Written Answers — Health Funding: Health Funding (8 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: In 2007, total health funding is €14.6 billion, which represents an underlying increase of 8.6% in revenue spending over 2006. The vast bulk of this funding is provided under the vote of the Health Service Executive which has statutory responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services. This continuing high level of investment by the Government provides...

Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (8 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy will be pleased to know that, following a review of the salary scale for persons engaged in the same category of employment as the person referred to by the Deputy, my Department is making the necessary arrangements to place this person on the appropriate point of the salary scale and to pay any arrears due.

Accident and Emergency Services. (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney, and I thank Deputy Kirk for raising it. The HSE established a steering group and a project group to oversee a programme designed to improve safety and standards for patients in the north east region. The decision was taken having regard to the issues raised in the report prepared for the...

Health Service Reform: Motion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Government, in accordance with the wishes and votes of the House, has invested almost €15 billion in health services this year. In 1997, we spent €3.6 billion. Normally when we have debates on the business of different Departments, some word of praise is uttered on all sides for those involved in the provision of the service.

Health Service Reform: Motion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: For the tremendous work that is done within the health services, the social services and the associated primary care services, I have nothing but unqualified admiration. In the tenor of this debate, there is no recognition of that from the Opposition. Instead, there is constant identification and isolation of problems which inevitably arise in any system involving the administration of...

Health Service Reform: Motion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: There may be no good word in the document the Deputy is brandishing, but there is the good word of the many who have a good experience of what happens in our health care service. There is the good word of many who have had their physical and mental infirmities, difficulties and incapacities addressed by our health service and who have had good outcomes because of our outstanding medical...

Health Service Reform: Motion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: This year 1.2 million patients will be admitted to hospital, the HSE proposes to carry out more than 2.75 million procedures in outpatient departments and we expect 1.3 million visitors to accident and emergency departments. We also have care for the 65,000 births that take place in the State.

Health Service Reform: Motion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am not saying that, but I am saying that if we examine the volume of the statistics, particularly those on activity levels relating to outpatient procedures, we can see an enormous increase in the number of outpatient procedures carried out in the past decade. This increase in volume reflects the amount of assistance medical science now provides for individuals and the corresponding...

Health Service Reform: Motion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy will be glad to hear I have intensified my efforts in the area of visiting constituents since the summer months and have heard complaints and comments about many different public services.

Health Service Reform: Motion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: It would not be normal for a Deputy to hear no complaints. The Taoiseach has always been assiduous in visiting constituents, but I confess that I have always belonged to the class which, like leaving certificate students, only prepares for the exam in the last year or two. I accept I am fully into the senior cycle phase of the election at this stage and am aware that the exam is drawing...

Health Service Reform: Motion (Resumed) (7 Feb 2007)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: There are many good stories to be heard in our health and social services. There are many successes, but it is the job of the Opposition to focus on the failures and difficulties. A significant volume of investment is going into the system. Much of the public debate has focused on how we can get value for money and how we can invest to the best benefit of the patient.