Results 17,701-17,720 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Consultancy Contracts Data (3 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: In order to deliver key commitments in relation to children and young people and to put in place a unified framework of policy, legislation and provision across Government in respect of children and young people, it is at times necessary to commission reports and utilise expertise from a range of expert individuals and bodies. My Department ensures that all reports commissioned are of direct...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Inter-Country Adoptions (2 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I accept that the Senator in his capacity as a public representative and a Member of this House for many years is entitled to ask questions. and that I have a duty to provide answers. It is my intention to meet the Adoption Authority of Ireland during the next few weeks. I will specifically address with it the issue of a timeframe for completion of the review. On the accredited agencies...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Inter-Country Adoptions (2 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I am pleased to have the opportunity to address the Seanad on this issue and I thank Senator Mooney for raising it. In the course of the few moments available to me, I will inform the Seanad of how the landscape has changed in respect of inter-country adoptions and provide a better picture of what inter-country adoption might look like in the future. The decrease in the number of...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (2 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme, which is one of a number of childcare support programmes implemented by my Department, was introduced to provide funding to support childcare costs for parents participating in Solas and the Education Training Board's training and education courses. Eligibility for this support is determined by the Department of Education and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (2 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: My Department administers the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme which is confined to community not-for-profit childcare services. The subvention is used by the services to reduce the weekly fees charged to disadvantaged or low income working families based on eligibility criteria. The CCS programme is available in all counties throughout the country. Information on the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (2 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The School Completion Programme (SCP) aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve the school attendance, participation and retention of its target cohort. The SCP is a targeted intervention aimed at those school communities identified through the Department of Education and Skills’ DEIS Action Plan for Educational...

Topical Issue Debate: Early Child Care Education (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I thank my constituency colleague, Deputy Corcoran Kennedy, for raising this important matter. Members will be aware that my Department provides approximately €260 million annually to support the parents of preschool and after-school children with the cost of child care. This funding is provided through approximately 4,300 child care service providers, both community and commercial,...

Topical Issue Debate: Early Child Care Education (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I will communicate with the Deputy in so far as the review she mentioned is taking place. In 2012 and 2013, my predecessor secured capital funding totalling €9 million to support the ongoing improvement of established child care services participating in the child care support programmes as implemented by my Department. A further €2.5 million already has been secured in 2014...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: On the commission of investigation, whose terms of reference I expect to be approved by the Dáil before we rise for the summer, it is not my intention that it will in any way hamper, curtail or delay the process under way between my Department and the Office of the Attorney General in advancing the heads of the Bill for further discussion. The Deputy referred to an individual case....

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: My Department is continuing work on the adoption (information and tracing) Bill and I hope to be in a position to seek Government approval to publish heads of the Bill as soon as possible. While I am anxious to improve the legal basis for access to adoption records, proposals to government must reflect the constraints on the Legislature in providing such access if it is not to fall foul of...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I agree with Deputy Keaveney. I also remind Deputies from all sides of the existence in the Adoption Authority of Ireland of a dedicated section that provides assistance, including appropriate information, records, access, advice and guidance. I urge Deputies, through their constituency clinic network or otherwise, to alert constituents and interested parties to the existence of this unit...

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I accept what Deputy Troy has said. However, I again advise him as to the complexity involved and I do not make this point lightly. Earlier, I referred to the Supreme Court case and if Members will indulge me, I must state the advice from the Attorney General indicates that any right to know one's own identity, such as was found in a legal judgment in the case I mentioned earlier, flows...

Other Questions: Early Child Care Education (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The first and most important objective for me as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs is to ensure that there is a level of competency on a mandatory basis in order that all existing staff are in a position to meet an appropriate level of qualification.

Other Questions: Adoption Legislation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The right to privacy has been firmly established as a constitutional right through a series of legal cases beginning in 1974 with McGee v. the Attorney General, which concerned marital privacy, and culminating in the Kennedy v. Ireland case in 1987 where a general constitutional right to privacy was fully recognised. The right to privacy was also recognised in the IO'T v. B case, a Supreme...

Other Questions: Early Child Care Education (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: International evidence indicates that raising the qualification levels of staff working with children is key to improving the quality of services. As part of the ongoing progression of the early years quality agenda, it was announced last year that by September 2015 all early years services staff working directly with children in the zero to six years age category would have to have a...

Other Questions: Early Child Care Education (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I agree with Deputy Troy that the object of the exercise must be to ensure a level of quality. The Deputy speaks of consistency, and there needs to be an element of balance. He is aware a panel of more than 50 training providers has been approved to deliver the training programmes following the completion of the expression of interest process. More than 2, 200 staff have already applied....

Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I acknowledge the Deputy's contribution on this. As I said earlier, there is a wide range of documentation before the interdepartmental committee. I agree that a social historian or archivist should be involved to ensure all documentation is appropriately logged. Issues exist relating to burial arrangements and high mortality rates at mother and baby homes. There are other issues too,...

Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Government has undertaken to establish a commission of investigation into the issues relating to mother and baby homes. While I have confirmed that the intended scope of this investigation will go beyond the home operated by the Sisters of Bon Secours in Tuam, County Galway, the process to develop specific terms of reference is being advanced in collaboration with relevant colleagues...

Other Questions: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: It is not my intention to prejudge the outcome of the Government's deliberation on the commission to investigate mother and baby homes. I hope the detailed terms of reference could be formulated in the coming weeks. It is my intention that the commission will commence work during the summer and that prior to 17 July, the last Dáil sitting day, the formal terms of reference will be...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Poverty (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: In addition to what I said already, approximately €260 million is invested annually by the Government specifically to support the provision of early childhood care and education through three child care support programmes. This benefits in excess of 100,000 children each year. A number of these programmes are targeted at those on lowest incomes. The Child and Family Agency provides...