Results 17,861-17,880 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Records Provision (10 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Constitutional and legal barriers to providing access to adoption records, including birth certificates, without the consent of the birth mother have been repeatedly highlighted. The Adoption (Information and Tracing ) Bill will address this matter but the legislature will be constrained in the nature of any access which can be granted to adoption records by these legal issues. My...

Topical Issue Debate: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (5 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the Deputies again for raising this important issue. The object of the interdepartmental exercise is to seek and uncover the truth, which is not something that can be done overnight. The deadlines we have imposed will ensure there is no delay in dealing with this issue. Deputies Creighton and Keaveney asked about my contact with the Garda Síochána. I have not initiated...

Topical Issue Debate: Mother and Baby Homes Inquiries (5 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I wish to thank the Deputies for raising this important issue which has been met with shock and horror over the past few days. The situation in Tuam, in particular, is almost too graphic and horrible to believe - young, innocent children, their lives so short and harrowing were, it seems, even in death not even given a proper, decent or humane burial. While the revelations in Tuam are...

Topical Issue Debate (5 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The relevant Minister will be available on Tuesday.

Topical Issue Debate (5 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Deputy Hogan, will be available for the debate on Tuesday afternoon.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Provision (5 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Young people who leave State care are entitled to advice, guidance and practical support. This is delivered in partnership with the young person, his or her family, foster carers, social workers, key residential social care workers and other statutory, community and voluntary agencies. Approximately 450 children leave care annually. Aftercare is the planning and support put in place to meet...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (4 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: My Department has forwarded the information provided by the Deputy to the Chief Executive Officer of the Child and Family Agency for his attention having regard to the statutory responsibility of the Agency in respect of such matters. I wish to thank the Deputy for bringing this matter to my attention.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (4 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Capital funding of €2.5 million is being provided in 2014 under the Early Years Childcare Capital 2014 programme for the maintenance and upgrade of community/not-for-profit childcare services. The objective of this funding is to ensure that previously-funded community facilities remain fit-for-purpose, maintain and improve quality, and to make community services more efficient and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (4 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Adoption Authority has accredited Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency to facilitate intercountry adoptions from India. The Authority has informed the Indian Central Authority, CARA, of the Authorities decision and sought a favourable and speedy decision on approval from the Indian authorities. Helping Hands Mediation Agency has lodged an application for accreditation with CARA in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (4 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: International evidence tells us 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 pre-school quality agenda, it was announced last year that by September 2015 all staff working with children in early years services would have to have a minimum Level 5 qualification on the National...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Visa Applications (29 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I speak on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, and thank the Senator for raising this issue. As the Senator will be aware, the Minister's predecessor published a detailed policy document on the matter of family reunification as it applies to non-EEA nationals at the end of last year. The document set out the various factors that arise in considering...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Visa Applications (29 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I am sure Senator Burke was not expecting that I would have the details of the case to which he referred but I thank him for raising the matter. As I stated earlier, anybody wishing to stay in this jurisdiction for a period longer than the standard 90-day period can make such an application which requires registration with the GNIB. This, in effect, is a temporary form of residence. The...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Child Care Services Provision (29 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I thank the Senators for raising the matter. I have been discussing the matter with Senator Keane and I am happy to respond to Senator Zappone, who raised the issue in the House. Almost all of the early years services in this country are provided by either private commercial or community not-for-profit providers. A small number of these services are provided in workplace locations. In...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: Child Care Services Provision (29 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I will certainly take on board the point about the evidence in the matter of the regulations. The matter was mentioned by both Senators. I am not satisfied it is the case but if the Senators have evidence in that regard I will be glad to receive it. My Department funds the South Dublin County Childcare Committee and I will make contact with the committee in order to see whether matters can...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (29 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I refer the Deputy to my recent reply on 27th May, 2014 in which I set out the current position.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (28 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Almost all the pre-school services in this country are provided by commercial or community providers. A small number are provided in workplace locations. All of these services are developed in response to local or employment needs and the ongoing viability of such enterprises is a matter for the service providers. My Department has no responsibility in relation to the sustainability of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Semi-State Bodies (28 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I can confirm that there are no semi-State companies currently in operation under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (28 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Responsibility for the funding of the Rape Crisis Centres and Refuges previously funded by the HSE became the responsibility of the new Child and Family Agency upon its establishment on 1st January, 2014. In 2013 the HSE spent over €17 million on the provision of domestic and sexual violence services. This included the funding of 60 services throughout the country comprising: -...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: School Completion Programme (27 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 991 and 992 together. 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...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (27 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 993, 998, 999 and 1008 together. I am happy to provide an update for the House on the position in relation to Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Ltd. The Centre has been experiencing widely reported cash flow difficulties over recent weeks. The Centre incurred expenditure of €2.022m in 2013 and received funding amounting to €1.96m,...