Results 1,841-1,860 of 2,723 for speaker:Barry Andrews

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (10 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 184, 185, 187, 211, 221, 230 and 234 together. The Adoption Bill, 2009, which will give force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption, was published on 23rd January, 2009. A core principle of the Hague Convention is that intercountry adoption should be child centred, that is, in all...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (10 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: As the Deputy will be aware, I have responsibility for the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006-2010, under which the Community Childcare Subvention Scheme (CCSS) is being implemented. Services participating in the CCSS receive annual funding on the basis of the number of qualifying parents recorded as using the service in a particular reference week, generally set in late...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (10 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I understand that the youth project concerned is the Gweedore Youth Project, Co. Donegal. An application for funding was received by the Department of Education and Science, on behalf of this project in 2008 under the Special Projects for Youth Scheme. This was one of 85 new applications received under the Scheme in 2008. The Department of Education and Science was not in a position to...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (10 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: In relation to the safety and security of children in the care of the State, I would like to give the Deputy a brief overview of the legislative, regulatory, policy and good practice measures that are currently in place in the child welfare and protection services. The Child Care Act, 1991 places a legal obligation on the Health Service Executive (HSE) to promote the welfare of children who...

Challenges facing the Health Service: Statements (10 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this timely debate which anticipates what will happen in the next several weeks. Child protection services, provided by the Health Service Executive, are sometimes forgotten and considered a poor relation in these debates. They only seem to arise in debates on a crisis, not allowing for calm and rational debate. According to the 2008 Euro Health...

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (5 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: A reply to Parliamentary Question No. 431 of 27 January 2009 was issued to the Deputy from the Health Service Executive on the 3 March 2009.

Written Answers — Parliamentary Questions: Parliamentary Questions (5 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 103 together. I have been informed by the Health Service Executive (HSE) that it does not routinely keep the information required by the Deputy in the format requested by him and therefore it has to be generated and collated across each of the 32 Local Health Offices. I have also been informed that the HSE is actively pursuing the responses on the...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: The National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) 2006-2010 is implemented by my Office with the assistance of Pobal, who manage the day to day operation of the programme. As the Deputy may be aware, applications for capital grant funding under the NCIP are processed, in the first instance, by the County Childcare Committees (CCCs) and are then forwarded to Pobal. Final consideration of...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: The Child Care Act 1991 provides for the making of Regulations for the purpose of securing the health, safety and welfare and promoting the development of pre-school children attending pre-school services. The Child Care (Pre-School Services) (No. 2) Regulations 2006 came into effect in 2007 and currently govern the provision of pre-school services. A pre-school service offered by a person...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I have advised the House over recent weeks on the situation regarding inter-country adoption in Vietnam. I can inform the Deputy that officials met the group in question today to discuss their concerns.

Written Answers — Grant Payments: Grant Payments (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: My Department does not operate a Montessori grant scheme. If the Deputy has further information on the grant scheme or some reference number that can be checked I will be happy to have this further checked out within my Department.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: There are circumstances in which older children, such as 16 and 17 year olds, are adopted, and whenever a child is over seven his or her own opinion is taken into account. If a child, particularly an older child, were to say he or she wanted to be adopted by the partner of his or her mother or father, that could not happen under the current legislation and our constitutional position....

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: Senator Bacik asked me about the statutory declaration procedure for guardianship. I understand the father must be named on the child's birth certificate in order to make such a declaration. Prior to the 1997 Act, one was required to apply to the High Court.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: The statutory declaration is clearly unable to address the issues raised by Senator Bacik. I would not wish to make a commitment in this regard. The guardianship rights afforded to natural fathers in an unmarried situation are limited to those who are named on the birth certificate in respect of making a statutory declaration in the absence of applying to the courts.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: They can apply by way of statutory declaration.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: We make major policy decisions on the basis of consultation and comparisons with other jurisdictions. I do not want to make any commitments until we have considered the issues in more detail.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: Must not the father be named on the birth certificate?

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I think he does.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: The 20th century.

Seanad: (4 Mar 2009)

Barry Andrews: I thank Senator Bacik for her work in helping me to get the Bill through the House. She is right. We do need to read the Bill in light of the sections coming up and clarify some of the issues legitimately raised. The rights of the father are much improved in this legislation. The father's consent cannot be dispensed with without reference to the High Court and that is a dramatic...