Results 1,521-1,540 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (19 May 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 Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced recently by the Minister for Finance. The scheme, which is being introduced from January 2010, will allow eligible children to avail of a free playschool place in their pre-school year, which will be...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (19 May 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 Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced recently by the Minister of Finance. The ECCE is being introduced from January 2010 as a free scheme to benefit children in the key developmental period prior to commencing school. The scheme will allow...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (19 May 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 in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE), which was announced recently by the Minister of Finance. The ECCE which is being introduced from January 2010, will allow eligible children to avail of a free pre-school year in the year before they commence primary school....

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (19 May 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. A core principle of the Hague Convention is that inter-country adoption should be child-centred – that is, in all stages of the process, the child's interests must be paramount. I firmly believe...

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (19 May 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 Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced recently by the Minister for Finance. The scheme, which is being introduced from January 2010, will allow eligible children to avail of a free pre-school place in the year before they commence school....

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (19 May 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 Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced recently by the Minister of Finance. The ECCE is being introduced from January 2010 as a free scheme to benefit children in the key developmental period prior to commencing school. The scheme will allow...

Written Answers — Mental Health Services: Mental Health Services (19 May 2009)

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

Written Answers — Pre-school Services: Pre-school Services (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware I have responsibility for the implementation of the new scheme to provide a free Preschool year of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) which was announced recently by the Minister of Finance. The ECCE is being introduced from January 2010 as a free scheme to benefit children in the key developmental period prior to commencing school. The scheme will allow...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy is aware I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) under which capital grants are provided to community and commercial childcare providers to assist them with the construction and renovation of childcare facilities. By the end of 2008, approximately €180 million of the NCIP's capital allocation of €358 million had been committed...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I was speaking to the Senator in private.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I met representative associations last Friday and we discussed some of the issues that have been raised in the Seanad. I also spoke to The Irish Times and the matter of fees and consents was mentioned. We discussed the circumstances in which the Government made a decision last December based on a visit to Vietnam, the report arising from that visit and the circumstances in which the...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: It is very unfair that Senator Heady Eames should ventilate in public what I said to her in private. In my professional life as a school teacher, a barrister and a politician, I never experienced someone betraying such a confidence. It is despicable. It is highly unfair to have such a matter discussed or referred to in any other circumstances. I cannot "un-say" what the Senator said but I...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I have simply clarified the distinction to Senator Healy Eames and she should have the patience to let me speak about this issue-----

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: -----rather than losing the run of herself and getting hysterical again.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I have answered the questions asked. The distinction is that at the time we were considering this in the autumn, those issues were raised by another jurisdiction. We were satisfied that we had safeguards in place, which I also underlined and to which I referred in the article that caused such upset. We have safeguards in place. I also mentioned that we seek relations with countries with...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: I accept that and apologise. I withdraw the remark.

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: This amendment suggests the adoption authority should be involved in "promoting the development of post adoption services". The use of the word "promoting" tends to suggest something should be encouraged in some way, for example to ensure it happens. The use of that word needs to be examined in the first instance. It has been said many times in this House that the assessment process is a...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: Section 98 of the Bill covers membership of the authority. The Government amendment is proposed to replace references to "Medical Practitioners Act 1978" with "Medical Practitioners Act 2007". It is a technical amendment that arises because the register of medical practitioners referred to in section 98(3)(d), which was established under section 26 of the Medical Practitioners Act 1978, has...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: Whatever about the issue of a charge on the Exchequer, we are asked to consider the membership on the adoption authority of a person who has been adopted. It is open to members of Fine Gael and the Labour Party to introduce this amendment in the Dáil. I do not mean any slight against the Seanad in that regard. It is not for me to explain the issue of the charge on the Exchequer. I have...

Seanad: Adoption Bill 2009: Report Stage (Resumed) and Final Stage (19 May 2009)

Barry Andrews: It is open to people to raise this matter in the Dáil.