Results 17,961-17,980 of 18,372 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 143 and 144 together. As the Deputy will be aware, my Office has responsibility for the Early Childcare Supplement (ECS), which is paid in respect of all children under the age of 6 who are qualified for Child Benefit. This payment is administered on behalf of my Office on an agency basis by the Department of Social & Family Affairs, which has provided me...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Youth cafés offer great potential for providing a wide range of developmental, educational and information programmes to young people. The launch of the National Recreation Policy in September this year highlighted Government's commitment to the development of youth cafés. While a number of youth cafés have emerged around the country on an ad hoc basis, funded by a variety of providers,...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: My Department is currently working closely with the Parliamentary Draftsman's Office on the drafting of the Adoption Bill, which is a priority within the Government's legislative programme. The issue of an age limit is under consideration and has been discussed as part of a wide consultation process which is informing the drafting process. The Bill will have regard to transitional issues...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The legislation governing eligibility to adopt is set out in Section 10 of the Adoption Act 1991. The Adoption Board have introduced guidelines to ensure consistency of approach in determining whether it is satisfied that the particular circumstances of a case meet the requirements of Section 10 (2) so that a sole applicant is eligible to adopt a child. The guidelines provide for a two phase...

Child Care Services. (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. The programme for Government and the progress of the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 and the national child care investment programme are confirmation of the Government's commitment to developing child care services to support the child care needs of parents. The NCIP 2006-2010 has a funding allocation of €575 million and aims...

Child Care Services. (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I am sure the officials will analyse it in great detail.

Child Care: Motion (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I move amendment No. 1: To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following: "notes: the success of the Equal Opportunity Childcare Programme (EOCP) in establishing a childcare infrastructure in Ireland from a very low base, creating over 35,000 childcare places, which support not just parents in accessing employment, education and/or training, but also provide many young...

Child Care: Motion (13 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The community child care subvention scheme is a new support scheme for community-based child care services which is being introduced under the national child care investment programme, NCIP, 2006-10 and which will come into effect in 2008. I am concerned at some of the negative reporting in recent weeks regarding the scheme which is undoubtedly causing some unnecessary concern to child care...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (8 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: 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 Office of the Minister for Children. Correspondence has been received by my Office from this Group which will be responded to shortly. Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (7 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their childcare costs are Child Benefit and the Early Childcare Supplement. The latter payment, which is in recognition of the higher childcare costs of pre-school children, is the responsibility of my Office, and it alone amounts to expenditure of over €400 million in a full year. These payments are universal...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (7 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The main supports the Government makes available to parents to assist them with their child care costs are Child Benefit and the Early Child care Supplement. The latter payment, which is in recognition of the higher child care costs of pre-school children, is the responsibility of my Office, and it alone amounts to expenditure of over €400 million in a full year. These payments are...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (7 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Since the announcement of the new community child care subvention scheme in July this year, my officials and I have taken every opportunity to communicate the details of the new scheme, as it stands, to those who will be most directly affected by it, the wider child care sector and the public generally. There continues to be misunderstandings as well as genuine concerns on the part of many...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (7 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The scheme has started from the point of the two most disadvantaged categories of parents, namely, those in receipt of social welfare payments and those in receipt of family income supplement payments. Parents in receipt of the former and availing of full day care services must pay the cost of the service as reduced by the subvention. Generally, this relates to those participating in back...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (7 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Senators should re-read the script, which was fairly clear.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (6 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: 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 Office of the Minister for Children. A list of childcare facilities in County Cork who have received funding under the EOCP will be sent to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (6 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 135 and 152 together. 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 Office of the Minister for Children. With regard to the application for capital grant assistance under the National...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (6 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: 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 Office of the Minister for Children. The Group in question has recently been approved an interim NCIP staffing grant of €31,200 for the period to 31 December 2007. I...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (6 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The Adoption Board approved the guidelines for determining the eligibility and suitability of sole applicants in September, 2007. These guidelines were developed by the Adoption Board in co-operation with the HSE to guide its decision making when considering whether a sole applicant is eligible and suitable to adopt in accordance with Section 10 of the Adoption Act 1991 and Section 13 of the...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (6 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The Department of Health and Children is currently drafting legislation to ratify the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. Considerable progress has been made in drafting this legislation and it is expected that the Bill will be published around the end of this year. Once the new legislation has been enacted it will be possible...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (6 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Adoption in Ireland is regulated by the Adoption Board, which is an independent, statutory body. The Board must make decisions regarding adoptions in line with its assessment of the situation in each country, and its responsibility to ensure that all activities are undertaken with the best interests of the child as a paramount consideration. The Adoption Board has discontinued the issuing of...