Results 17,841-17,860 of 18,372 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (30 Jan 2008)

Brendan Smith: At present, there is no limit in Irish statute in relation to intercountry adoption, nor is one applied by the Board in relation to the decision to issue a Declaration of Eligibility and Suitability, the legal document required by prospective adoptive parents to complete an intercountry adoption. The Board advises applicants who are given a Declaration and who are 45 years of age and over...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (30 Jan 2008)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) which is being implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. With regard to the application for capital grant assistance referred to in the question, I understand that the Group have applied for €100,000 under the NCIP and that the application is in the final phase...

Written Answers — Foster Care: Foster Care (30 Jan 2008)

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

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (30 Jan 2008)

Brendan Smith: 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 — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (30 Jan 2008)

Brendan Smith: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP) which, together with the earlier Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), are implemented by the Office of the Minister for Children. The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their childcare costs are Child Benefit and the...

Written Answers — Inquiry into Child Abuse: Inquiry into Child Abuse (30 Jan 2008)

Brendan Smith: I am not in a position to comment on the exact sequence of events relating to the letter referred to by the Deputy. However, I can confirm once again that a substantial body of correspondence was received from the person concerned, outlining a range of concerns and allegations regarding Finglas Child and Adolescent Centre and related matters. On receipt of correspondence from that person in...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: This section simply deals with the funding of the hospital's development board. As all of us will be aware, a decision on the siting of the new national paediatric hospital has been made on expert advice which has been dealt with in detail in both of these Houses. The new hospital will contain tertiary facilities. I do not want to mislead the House or Senator Fitzgerald, but to my...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: These proposed changes to the Bill are not appropriate given that we are acting on advice given by the Attorney General's office. The advice is that some technical amendments are required to strengthen the transitional provisions of the Act which will allow for the nomination and election processes provided for in the Act regarding a new Medical Council to take place as early as possible in...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: The Attorney General's advice to a Government is always privileged and that has been the position on advice from the Government's legal adviser to the Government.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: Schedule 1 provides for the amendment of particular functions of certain corporate bodies. The establishment audit for the corporate bodies established under the 1961 Act provides that certain powers, functions and activities relevant to the bodies are to be carried out by the Minister, or in other instances are exercisable by the bodies themselves, subject to ministerial approval or with...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: As already indicated, the purpose of these provisions is to put beyond any doubt the capacity of St. James's and Beaumont hospitals to enter into co-location arrangements. During the period 2003 to 2004, the Department of Health and Children came under considerable pressure from the former Mid-Western Health Board to sanction the development of a private hospital on the grounds of Limerick...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: Senator Fitzgerald asked about the clear legal advice that was made available to officials from the Department of Health and Children on foot of their discussions with their counterparts in the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel. The proposed new Article 4A has been designed to allow public land to be leased, and no more, for the development of co-located hospitals. There will be an...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: Senator Fitzgerald mentioned staffing. As stated by the Minister in previous debates, the project agreement between the HSE and the private provider requires that the private facility in each hospital will be capable of treating all private patients that are currently in the associated public hospital. The specific minimum requirements for the co-located hospitals include the ability to...

Seanad: Health Services (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senator Maria Corrigan for raising this important issue. I will take this item on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney. I assure Senator Corrigan that the Government is committed to the full implementation of A Vision for Change and has accepted the report as the basis for the future development of mental health services. The report...

Seanad: Health Services (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: My colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jimmy Devins, is anxious to ensure that the funding allocated for these services delivers real outcomes for the people who need them. The Minister of State, Deputy Devins, will be vigorous in his work in this area and I have no doubt that substantial improvements will occur in the lifetime of this Government under the stewardship of the Minister of...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Senators Prendergast and Fitzgerald for their contributions. The intention of the amendment is to delay the commencement of the provision inserted in respect of the establishment orders for St. James's Hospital and Beaumont Hospital which is designed to put beyond doubt their capacity to enter into co-location arrangements. As the Minister, Deputy Harney, pointed out on Second Stage...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: I will group the relevant queries raised by Senators Prendergast, Fitzgerald and Feeney. This amendment is intended to delay the initiative which was launched in 2005. There has been considerable debate, in particular leading up to the general election in May. St. James's and Beaumont hospitals are both anxious to move forward on co-location projects as quickly as possible. Senator...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: Senator Fitzgerald made the point for me in the sense that she agrees we need extra beds for public patients. This initiative is designed to make 1,000 extra beds available for public patients. Under the programme for Government we are committed to providing an additional 1,500 public acute hospital beds. The co-location initiative aims to deliver 1,000 of these beds for public patients...

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: That is what we are trying to achieve. Senator Fitzgerald makes my point. That is what we want to achieve.

Seanad: Health (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2007: Committee and Remaining Stages (20 Dec 2007)

Brendan Smith: No.