Results 18,121-18,140 of 18,496 for speaker:Brendan Smith

Regional Airports. (24 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: While it was recognised that Aer Lingus was not an instrument of Government policy, there was an expectation that it would take these wider policy issues into account in making commercial decisions. The Minister also made the point that Aer Lingus should have engaged more with its customers and wider stakeholders before announcing its decision. The Aer Lingus Chairman informed the Minister...

Regional Airports. (24 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: ——particularly in relation to business travellers to the Middle-East, Asia and Australia. The Minister is very committed to ensuring that the mid-west region will continue to have the widest possible range of connectivity options available for the benefit of business and tourism throughout the region.

School Services. (24 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I thank the Deputy for raising this important issue and will convey the contents of his contribution to the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, who is unavoidably absent. I wish to clarify the position regarding the provision to schools of interpreters, or funding, to assist deaf parents in communicating with teachers. Schools' running costs are met by the Department's scheme...

Written Answers — Foreign Adoptions: Foreign Adoptions (24 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: The Adoption Board entered into an informal working arrangement with Belarus in 1999, to facilitate the adoption of children from Belarus to Ireland. In 2005, the Belarusian Authorities sought to formalise this arrangement in a draft Protocol. The Adoption Board referred this draft Protocol to the Attorney General's Office, and were advised that it was not compatible with Irish law as it...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (24 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 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 €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (24 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 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 €400m in a full year. These payments are universal and...

Written Answers — Education Services: Education Services (23 Oct 2007)

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 Office 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 — Child Care Provision: Child Care Provision (23 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 Provision: Child Care Provision (23 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I propose to take Questions Nos. 196 and 220 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 costs to...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (23 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I am aware that many prospective adoptive parents are concerned about the waiting times for an assessment. I appreciate the frustration the waiting list causes to those who are anxious to adopt, and who are more than willing to participate fully in the necessary assessment procedures. As the Deputy may be aware, requests for assessment for intercountry adoption are continuously increasing....

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (23 Oct 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...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (23 Oct 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 — Health Services: Health Services (23 Oct 2007)

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 Office 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 — Child Care Provision: Child Care Provision (23 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 — Community Development: Community Development (23 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Ready, Steady Play: A National Play Policy, which was published in 2004, provides a framework for the development of public play facilities in Ireland with the overall aim of ensuring that children have access to a range of quality play opportunities to enrich their childhood. While the Office of the Minister for Children has an overall role in supporting implementation of the Play Policy,...

Written Answers — Departmental Schemes: Departmental Schemes (23 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: This group are eligible to apply for National Lottery Funding. Application forms are available from the Finance Unit in the Department of Health and Children.

Death of Former Member: Expressions of Sympathy. (23 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: I welcome the opportunity to join in the tributes to the late John Wilson, who was a personal friend and colleague of mine for many years. I had the privilege and honour of working with John Wilson in each Department in which he served as Minister and, latterly, in his role as Tánaiste. That experience was hugely influential and beneficial in shaping my outlook on public service. John was...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (18 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 (18 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 — Judicial Proceedings: Judicial Proceedings (18 Oct 2007)

Brendan Smith: Issues raised in the correspondence that the Deputy refers to are the subject of ongoing legal proceedings. It would be inappropriate to comment further.