Results 14,721-14,740 of 16,537 for speaker:Brian Lenihan Jnr

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The new National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006-2010 will provide a proactive response grounded in an understanding of local needs, to the development of quality childcare supports and services, including services for school going children. As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the NCIP and the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme (EOCP) 2000-2006, which are...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (6 Jul 2006)

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 newly established Office of the Minister for Children. The need to support the further development of childcare services for children of school-going age, including before and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (6 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Proposals for the process of development of the National Childcare Training Strategy are currently under consideration. It is envisaged that this process will build on the work of the Certifying Bodies Subgroup of the National Childcare Co-ordinating Committee, which drew up a Model Framework for childcare training in 2002. The process will be fully inclusive of all stakeholders who will...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (5 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal social services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE) under the Health Act 2004. Accordingly, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I have sent the Deputy the report concerned which has been provided by the Health Service Executive. The Executive's report contains the information sought on costs requested. The issue of security following the incident referred to by the Deputy has been the subject of a review by the HSE which has statutory responsibility for the provision and management of health and personal social...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (5 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The management and provision of health and personal social services including the service referred to by the Deputy under the Health Act, 2004 is the statutory responsibility of the Health Service Executive. I have therefore forwarded the Deputy's question to the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive and asked them to investigate the matter and to reply to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: With reference to the information provided to the Deputy in Parliamentary Question No. 238 of 23 May 2006, regarding the number of enquiries received by City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) from childminders, in relation to voluntary notification since the introduction of the tax exemption in respect of income from childminding, I am advised that further updated information is not...

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I propose to take Questions Nos. 33, 85 and 86 together. Ensuring the protection, health and welfare of children is a key concern for the Government, parents, agencies that work with children and society generally, and the Government is determined to do all it can to keep our children and vulnerable adults safe. In the education sector, vetting is currently available in respect of prospective...

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: There is a plan to ensure a comprehensive roll-out of vetting to all sectors, as I outlined in my reply, with substantial unsupervised access to children. Deputies should not underestimate the task involved. In Scotland, a comparable jurisdiction, the number of vets sought and obtained in a calendar year can be as high as 8 million. The numbers involved are staggering. In England, Wales and...

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Deputy asked about the anticipated future staff requirement of the vetting unit. The personnel at present are sufficient to deal with work in the short term but the question of volume may arise if we move towards the Scottish model. We are trying to plan so that it does not automatically end up that way. Decisions will be taken on the need for an increase in staff and if charges should be...

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: There was no lack of enthusiasm to move to north Tipperary. Deputy Enright also raised the question of our liaison with pre-employment consultancy services in Northern Ireland. At the first meeting of the North-South Ministerial Council on 3 February 2000, the council decided to establish a joint working group on child protection as one of a number of working groups to take forward matters...

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: As regards special needs children who avail of a taxi rather than a bus service, I can confirm that this matter will be addressed within the scope of the protection envisaged by the Department. As regards protection for children of other nationalities who attend our schools from other parts of the world, I am not quite clear what point the Deputy is driving at concerning obligations.

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I cannot see that there is because children of that age would be in attendance at second level schools. Clearly, if the school was aware of a concern, the normal practice would be for the principal of the school to alert the local social services about the difficulty. That would be the best practice to follow for a school principal who was worried that there might be a child protection...

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Summer camps and the like.

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Yes.

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: It is a private matter. Agencies generally organise this and it would be their responsibility. We are currently examining whether we should have more robust requirements. The problem is that unless one lays down this principle as a matter of general legislation, one is in the area of practice. Ultimately, it is a matter for the HSE to intervene if an abuse is established. In so far as one...

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I agree.

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: I am not sure to which legislation the Deputy is referring. A child care Bill was approved——

Garda Vetting Services. (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: Harmonisation legislation will take some time because it is difficult to harmonise a jurisdiction where the Queen is sovereign with one where citizens have written guarantees. There is an incompatibility between them. In my earlier reply I said that one cannot harmonise legislation with a country that does not provide its citizens with a basic guarantee of their reputation in the...

Written Answers — Disruptive Students: Disruptive Students (4 Jul 2006)

Brian Lenihan Jnr: The Education (Welfare) Act, 2000 established the National Educational Welfare Board. Under Section 23 of the Act schools are required to have in place a code of behaviour. The Act requires that each Board of Management formulates a code of behaviour in accordance with guidelines from the NEWB. The Board, which ensures that children attend school regularly or receive an adequate education,...