Results 18,061-18,080 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (20 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Transitional arrangements have been made under which existing Equal Opportunities Childcare Programme 2000-2006 (EOCP) staffing grant recipients will continue to be funded at their current levels until 1st July 2008, provided they enter the new Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) by submitting the data required as part of the application process of the new scheme. Therefore I would...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (20 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Separated children seeking asylum going missing from care is not a phenomenon unique to Ireland. Evidence from other countries indicates this is a substantial problem. The HSE have reported that 53 Unaccompanied Minors/Separated Children Seeking Asylum went missing from care in 2006 with 6 subsequently relocated, and that 27 Unaccompanied Minors/Separated Children Seeking Asylum went...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (15 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 €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (15 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: Following disclosures from An Garda Síochána that the then Midland Health Board had been informed about the incident concerning Mr. Niall McElwee, I asked the HSE to investigate the incident and report to me. The HSE have informed my office that the inquiry is being conducted thoroughly and expeditiously and while the report has not been completed the HSE understand full cooperation has...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (14 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 (OMC). Under the EOCP, capital grants up to €50,790 were made available to private childcare providers, up to a maximum of 65% of...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The Department's officials at every seminar they attended insisted we wanted all the data possible. In the past, as the scheme grew we had only generalised data available, whereas now we want specific data to ensure we have the profile of the beneficiaries who use the service. I am very glad to report to the Seanad, as I did to Dáil Éireann last night, that we indicated to all groups that...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I obviously did not miss too much earlier, when I was not here if that was the type of contribution. I just want to thank all the people who contributed.

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I apologise to Members for not being able to be here for the earlier debate as I had to attend a Cabinet sub-committee meeting. I understood that this debate was to be finalised yesterday. I apologise for my absence. Senator Keaveney made valid points, as she has done since August, in regard to this scheme. As I outlined to the House last week, the scheme was announced in July. It was...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I am well able to listen to people. When I was here last week the only person who I recall mentioning the word "equality" in regard to the provision of child care was Senator Mary White on this side of the House. Other speakers pontificated about what they saw as deficiencies in the scheme, but nobody made the point that as the scheme is being operated in some places, the most needy...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: The tiered fee structure was a condition of the grant approval at all times.

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I remind Members that there was no child care sector in this country until recent years. We built a child care sector a number of years ago that is providing good child care throughout the country. In the decade up to 2010, €1.1 billion will have been spent by Government, mainly through Exchequer funding and some of it supported through European Union sources. We will have invested...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: We will ensure in Government that we protect and build on that investment and we will continue the major programme of investment that was undertaken under the equal opportunities child care programme and that will now be continued with greater momentum under the national child care investment programme.

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: It is always useful in the House for Members to listen to the facts.

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I have been in Leinster House for a number of years and I have listened to Opposition parties and people who belong to other political groups——

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: ——run down consistently the equal opportunities child care programme. When I moved a Supplementary Estimate for the Department of Health and Children, particularly for the Office of the Minister for Children, in the Dáil two weeks ago, I was delighted that every member of the Fine Gael, Labour and Sinn Féin parties who spoke about that scheme was fulsome in his or her praise of it. I...

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: In that Dáil debate when I was securing extra money for the Office of the Minister for Children towards the early child care supplement and towards the national children investment programme, the Fine Gael and Labour parties voted against that Supplementary Estimate.

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: That summed up their commitment to this sector.

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I have much I wish to say——

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: ——but, unfortunately, I am losing out on the time I have available.

Seanad: Community Child Care Subvention Scheme 2008-2010: Statements (Resumed) (14 Nov 2007)

Brendan Smith: I want to comment on a number of points that were well made by Senator Keaveney. She outlined cogently the value and great contribution that the community child care sector has done throughout the country, with which we are all familiar. Senators Keaveney, Wilson and I, who all come from rural communities, appreciate it is not always possible for a facility in a remote rural area to have...