Results 18,021-18,040 of 18,372 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 114, 126 and 131 together. Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000 — 2006 (EOCP), which is co-funded under the EU Social Fund (ESF), targeted support was provided through the staffing support grant scheme whereby community based not-for-profit child care providers with a strong focus on disadvantage were awarded grant aid towards their...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (17 Oct 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 €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Under the Health Act 2004, the provision of health and personal social services is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive. Therefore, the Deputy's question has been forwarded to the HSE and I have requested that they reply to the Deputy directly.

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Intercountry adoption is regulated by the Adoption Acts 1952-1998. The Acts which are most relevant to intercountry adoption are the Adoption Act 1991 and the Adoption Act, 1998. There are a number of statutory procedures regulating intercountry adoption. For example, for an intercountry adoption to be recognised in Ireland, all prospective adoptive parents habitually resident in Ireland,...

Audiology Services. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I will be taking this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, Deputy Mary Harney, the Minister for Health and Children. I am happy to have the opportunity to address the issue raised by Deputy Hayes. As the House will be aware, the Health Service Executive has the responsibility in law to manage and deliver health and personal social services or to arrange for them to be delivered on...

Child Care Services. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Kathleen Lynch for raising this matter. 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...

Eating Disorders. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Clune for raising this important matter and for the pertinent points she made. I am replying on behalf of the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. As Deputy Clune is aware, the report of the expert group on mental health policy, A Vision for Change, was published in January 2006. The report addressed all aspects of mental health services, including services for...

Health Services. (17 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I think it was Albert Reynolds and his Fianna Fáil colleagues who got the CAT scanner.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (16 Oct 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 €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (16 Oct 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 €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Child Care Services. (11 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy Shatter for raising these important issues on the Adjournment and congratulate him on his appointment as spokesperson for the Fine Gael Party on children's matters. I look forward to working with him over the coming years in a constructive manner. I welcome the opportunity to reply to this Adjournment matter. I assume the Deputy is referring to the findings of the Health...

Hospital Services. (11 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank Deputy McGrath for raising this important issue. I take this Adjournment matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Harney. We welcome the opportunity to set out the position on cancer services at Beaumont Hospital, one of the eight cancer centres designated by the HSE last month. The implementation of the national cancer control strategy is a...

Establishment of Committees (11 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: The Tánaiste and Minister for Finance, Deputy Cowen, would not allow such a siege to occur.

Establishment of Committees (11 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I wish to share time with Deputy Darragh O'Brien.

Establishment of Committees (11 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I am glad to have the opportunity to inform the House of the intention to establish a joint committee of the Oireachtas, to be called the Joint Committee on the Constitutional Amendment on Children, to further the proposal to amend the Constitution in respect of children's rights. The establishment of this important committee will be the latest in a series of key developments in improving the...

Written Answers — Child Care Payments: Child Care Payments (10 Oct 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 Childcare 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 €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (9 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: As signalled at the launch of the National Childcare Investment Programme 2006-2010 (NCIP), the successor programme to the EOCP, a new scheme to support community childcare services with a focus on disadvantage will be introduced on 1 January 2008 and will continue to complement the universal supports in place for all parents in the form of Child Benefit and the Early Childcare Supplement....

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (9 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), which is co-funded under the EU Social Fund (ESF), targeted support was provided through the staffing support grant scheme whereby community based not-for-profit childcare providers with a focus on disadvantage were awarded grant aid towards their staffing costs to allow them provide services to families which otherwise would...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (9 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 223 and 224 together. 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...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (9 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 225, 251 and 260 together. Under the Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP), which is co-funded under the EU Social Fund (ESF), targeted support was provided through the staffing support grant scheme whereby community based not-for-profit childcare providers with a strong focus on disadvantage were awarded grant aid towards their staffing...