Oireachtas Monitor
Published: 02 July 2012
Contents
1. This Week in the Oireachtas (02-06 July 2012) http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=21416&&CatID=60
2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate ( 25-29 June 2012 ) - Children’s Rights Referendum - Education: including special needs, minorities, disadvantage, literacy and numeracy, school staffing, school buildings, school patronage, curriculum - Asylum/Immigration - Child Services/ Children in Care: including foster care and social work services, HSE staffing, youth services - Child Abuse/Child Protection: including vetting, child abduction - Family: including adoption - Health and Wellbeing: including disability, mental health, substance misuse, primary care, health services, hospital services, obesity, sports facilities - Child Benefit/Social Welfare/Poverty - Justice Issues/Human Rights/Equality
2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate (25-29 June 2012)
Children’s Rights Referendum
Constitutional Convention (26 Jun 2012)
Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
… Can this process be broadened out by using social networking and other methods? Can we reduce the age to bring in young people? It must be remembered that the constitutional referendum on the protection of children is coming up also, so we should let young people be heard in this convention. Can we bring in people who are not on the electoral register, particularly those from the Six Counties?... http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-26.215.0
Education: including special needs, ECCE and childminding, minorities, disadvantage, literacy and numeracy, school staffing, school buildings, school patronage, curriculum
Written Answers — Department of Health: Child Care Services (26 Jun 2012) Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Question 497: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of applications under the recent childcare capital grant aid scheme that were received from County Laois; the number of such applications that were from the private sector as opposed to from the community; the reason no community funded scheme in County Laois was grant aided; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.1786.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport (27 Jun 2012) Pádraig MacLochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Question 54: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the practical difficulties being experienced by parents of pupils in Dunmore East and Portlaw in County Waterford as a consequence of the implementation of the post-primary school transport system; his views on the lack of flexibility in the scheme; and the steps, he will take to assist the families affected. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.866.0
Priority Questions: School Textbooks (27 Jun 2012)
Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Question 1: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to meet with school book publishers to discuss the fact that they are failing to abide by the code of practice on publishing unnecessary new editions of textbooks; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-27.404.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2012) Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Question 77: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide a list of the 2012/2013 resource teachers and special needs assistant posts allocations and the schools they have been allocated to in the Dublin 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 areas. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06- 28.580.0
Written Answers — Special Educational Needs: Special Educational Needs (28 Jun 2012) Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) Question 95: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide details of the National Council for Special Education’s review of the policies relating to special educational needs here; when he expects to receive this review; if he will ensure structures are in place for parents of children with special educational needs to input into this important review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-28.643.0
Seanad: Schools Building Projects (28 Jun 2012) http://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2012-06-28.320.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Jun 2012) Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Question 15: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to instruct the National Council for Special Education to extend the schools appeals process it intends to have in place for the 2012/2013 school year. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.714.0
Written Answers — Special Education Review: Special Education Review (27 Jun 2012) Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)
Question 24: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the date by which the National Council for Special Education will complete its major strategic review of special education. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.751.0
Written Answers — School Staffing: School Staffing (27 Jun 2012) Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
Question 34: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the date by which he intends to provide an updated circular in the way special needs assistants posts are to be allocated to schools. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.791.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Jun 2012) Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
Question 36: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the methods by which the National Council for Special Education has circulated its recently published Children with Special Educational Needs Information Booklet for Parents. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.801.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Jun 2012) Brian Stanley (Laois-Offaly, Sinn Fein)
Question 50: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the terms of reference for the National Council for Special Education schools appeals process which it intends to have in place for the 2012/2013 school year allocation process; and the input he has had with the NCSE in developing these guidelines. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.850.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs (27 Jun 2012) Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Question 85: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent to which he has been able to meet the special needs assistants requirement in all schools throughout the country in the current year; the prospect in this regard for the future; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.979.0
Priority Questions: Special Educational Needs (27 Jun 2012) Various question from Deputy Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail). http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-27.432.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (27 Jun 2012) Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein)
Question 16: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will provide an update on the publication of the Report of the Advisory Group to the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism; if he will provide details of the way the report’s recommendations will be implemented including a breakdown detailing the allocation of resources that will be necessary to ensure that comprehensive changes in school patronage and pluralism are introduced in a speedy manner.. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.718.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (27 Jun 2012) Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Question 87: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the progress made to date in the determination of the patronage of the proposed new second level schools in Maynooth, County Kildare; the extent to which local preferences continue to be taken into account; when he expects the projects to proceed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.987.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (26 Jun 2012) Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour)
Question 189: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if legislation will be needed to implement the recommendations of forum on patronage and pluralism; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.724.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (26 Jun 2012) Shane Ross (Dublin South, Independent) Question 202: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if he will re-examine the administration of the block grant by the State Examination Commission; if the grant for all children attending a minority faith school, regardless of the child’s faith, is paid to the SEC; if this is the case, to then determine the reason majority faith families are excluded from applying for a grant to the SEC; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06- 26.776.0
Asylum/Immigration
Child Services/ Children in Care: including foster care and social work services, HSE staffing, youth services
Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (27 Jun 2012) Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Labour)
Question 173: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of persons employed by her Department by grade; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.1275.0
Written Answers — Department of Health: Child Care Services (26 Jun 2012) Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
Question 498: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to the threat to the complementary funding stream to Donegal County Childcare Committee; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that this funding is directed towards child protection and upskilling of employees and that cuts to this funding will result in job losses and in childcare providers being unable to upskill their workers, taking into consideration that almost 800 employees are directly affected by this reduction; and if she will ensure that complementary funding stream is retained by the committee. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.1790.0
Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (26 Jun 2012)
Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Question 501: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has received a copy of the Health Service Executive’s Review of Adequacy of Services for Children and Families, as required annually under section 8 of the Child Care Act 1991, for the years 2009, 2010, 2011; the reason for the delays in publishing the reviews; when the reviews are expected to be published; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.1804.0
Written Answers — Department of Health: Youth Services (28 Jun 2012) Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Question 243: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she has any funding scheme in place for the provision of youth cafes in communities; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-28.1166.0
Written Answers — National Carers Strategy: National Carers Strategy (26 Jun 2012)
Michael Healy-Rae (Kerry South, Independent)
Question 515: To ask the Minister for Health if he will give a clear timeframe for the implementation of the carer’s strategy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.1852.0
Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (26 Jun 2012) Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Question 505: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the total number of social work team leader posts filled with acting team leaders; the total number of principal worker posts filled with acting principal social workers; the number of acting positions that have been backfilled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06- 26.1820.0
Child Abuse/Child Protection: including vetting, child abduction
Written Answers — Department of Health: Child Care Services (26 Jun 2012) Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
Question 503: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the numbers of social workers available in each local health office who have been trained to conduct specialist child interviews as part of the joint protocol with the Gardaí; the resources available to them to assist in the carrying out of such interviews; her future plans for this area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.1812.0
Written Answers — Department of Health: Child Care Services (26 Jun 2012)
Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour) Question 511: To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the steps she will take in response to the report of the independent child death review group; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.1836.0
Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill (27 Jun 2012) Dessie Ellis (Dublin North West, Sinn Fein)
Question 55: To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the extent and content of the consultation process that was undertaken with victims of residential abuse in advance of the drafting of the Residential Institutions Statutory Fund Bill, 2012. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06- 27.870.0
Priority Questions: Residential Institutions Redress Scheme (27 Jun 2012) Various questions from Deputy Seán Crowe (Dublin South West, Sinn Fein) http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-27.412.0
Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012 [Seanad] - Second Stage (Resumed): Second Stage (Resumed) (28 Jun 2012) See re. ‘Mandatory reporting’, ‘best interests of the child’, ‘social workers’, ‘Children First Guidelines’, ‘Ryan Report’ http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-28.157.0
Health and Wellbeing: including disability, mental health, substance misuse, primary care, health services, hospital services, obesity, sports facilities
Written Answers — Department of Health: Substance Misuse (28 Jun 2012)
Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
Question 251: To ask the Minister for Health if he will respond to the public health recommendations in the recent report of the strategic response group to build sustainable street level drug services and address related public nuisance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-28.1198.0
Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (26 Jun 2012)
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein) Question 589: To ask the Minister for Health if minimum staffing levels exist for approved mental health centres; if so, if he will give details of these staffing levels are, particularly in relation to the new mental health unit at Beaumont Hospital, Dublin; the number of posts from the 414 promised for community mental health teams that will be converted to nursing posts; if he will confirm that these nursing posts will be allocated to the community mental health teams as intended; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.2112.0
Child Benefit/Social Welfare/Poverty/Housing
Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (28 Jun 2012)
Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
Question 129: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will confirm that parents of children diagnosed with autism, aspergers and other similar conditions are entitled to a domiciliary allowance payment; the reason there is so much inconsistency in respect of this payment; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-28.760.0
Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (28 Jun 2012)
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Question 132: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the consultation she has had with parents of children with autism or autistic spectrum disorder in relation to the domiciliary care allowance scheme; details of what this consultation involved; the meetings she attended with such parents parents’ groups or support groups; any meetings her officials attended with such parents; parents’ groups or support groups; the measures she will put in place to guarantee that the concerns of parents are to the fore of her policy review of the DCA scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-28.772.0
Topical Issue Debate: Domiciliary Care Allowance (28 Jun 2012) http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-28.169.0
Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (27 Jun 2012)
Robert Troy (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail)
Question 101: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if he will include parents representation on the committee she is establishing to review the domiciliary care allowance. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.1032.0
Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Domiciliary Care Allowance (27 Jun 2012)
Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Question 113: To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide a breakdown of the number of persons in County Louth in receipt of domiciliary care allowance. www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-27.1067.0
Written Answers — Social Welfare Appeals: Social Welfare Appeals (26 Jun 2012)
Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)
Question 294: To ask the Minister for Social Protection the average and longest waiting times for appeals against refusals of domiciliary care allowance; and if she will arrange for the recruitment of additional staff in order to address the backlog of appeals. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.1089.0
Written Answers — Social and Affordable Housing: Social and Affordable Housing (28 Jun 2012)
Various questions . http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-28.408.0
Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (26 Jun 2012) Robert Dowds (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Question 375: To ask the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government the numbers of persons known to be homeless in the Dublin area in the years 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011; and his proposals to address the issue of homelessness. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.1359.0
Justice Issues/ Human Rights/Equality
Written Answers — Department of An Taoiseach: Constitutional Convention (26 Jun 2012)
Ciara Conway (Waterford, Labour)
Question 130: To ask the Taoiseach the version of the Electoral Register that will be used to select the 66 persons who will be consulted as part of the constitutional convention; if he will consider using the Electoral Register for local elections in order that immigrants or non-Irish nationals might also be included in the focus group; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-26.520.0
Ceisteanna - Questions (Resumed): Constitutional Convention (26 Jun 2012) http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-26.215.0
Criminal Justice (Withholding of Information on Offences Against Children and Vulnerable Persons) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (27 Jun 2012) http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2012-06-27.369.0
Written Answers — Public Sector Reform: Public Sector Reform (28 Jun 2012)
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Question 220: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the tangible results that have been delivered in his Department through the implementation of the Croke Park Agreement; the implementation plan in place in his Department to ensure reforms envisaged through this agreement are delivered on; if he is satisfied with the pace of reform in his Department and the agencies under his remit; the further reforms the taxpayer and Irish citizens may expect to witness in the running of his Department and its agencies through the public sector reform agenda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2012-06-28.1083.0