1. This Week in the Oireachtas (20 May - 24 May 2013)
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Oireachtas Monitor Published: 20 May 2013 Contents 1. This Week in the Houses of the Oireachtas 20 May - 24 May 2013 http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=23490&&CatID=60 2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate 13 May - 17 May 2013 Education: including special needs, minorities, disadvantage, literacy and numeracy, school staffing, school buildings, school patronage, curriculum Child Services/ Children in Care: including foster care and social work services, HSE staffing, youth services Family: including adoption Child Abuse/Child Protection: including vetting, child abduction Health and Wellbeing: including disability, mental health, substance misuse, primary care, health services, hospital services, obesity Child Benefit/Social Welfare/Poverty/Housing Justice Issues/ Human Rights/Equality 1. This week in the Oireachtas (20 May - 24 May 2013) http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=23490&&CatID=60 2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate (13 May - 17 May 2013) Education: including special needs, ECCE and childminding, minorities, disadvantage, literacy and and numeracy, school staffing, school buildings, school patronage, curriculum Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (16 May 2013) Ruairi Quinn: ...resource allocation purposes. I wish to advise the Deputy that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) has a formal role under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act, 2004 in advising me in relation to any matter relating to the education of children and others with disabilities. My Department initially asked the NCSE in November 2011 to consider... Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (15 May 2013) Brendan Smith: ...schools in relation to the increase in the pupil/teacher ratio; if his attention has been drawn to the serious impact such increases will have on such schools, particularly schools under the patronage of Protestant Churches; his views on whether such schools provide a very important educational resource for many children in rural areas; the proposals, if any, he has to assist such schools... Topical Issue Debate: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (14 May 2013) Pearse Doherty: ...the 24 children per year the resource service as an automatic right allowing the parents to get on with caring for their children and not have to take on the State or the Government to get their children's rights. Given that this would cost approximately €5,000 per child, when will the Minister act on the recommendations of the National Council for Special Education? Will he... Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (14 May 2013) Ruairi Quinn: ...behaviour Education and training Prevention strategies including awareness raising Established evidence-based intervention strategies There is space within all subjects at junior cycle level to foster an attitude of respect for all. Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE) is particularly relevant to the prevention of bullying and promotion of respect for diversity and inclusiveness... Child Services/ Children in Care: including foster care and social work services, HSE staffing, youth services Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Funding (14 May 2013) Seán Fleming: 566. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the level of funding for special projects for youth services; the reason there was such a large cut in expenditure for youth services this year compared with other headings in her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22646/13] Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Work Projects Funding (14 May 2013) Seán Fleming: 568. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if funding for youth services which was traditionally paid through Youth Work Ireland is now being channelled through City of Dublin Vocational Education Committee who have no experience in dealing with youth services in various counties throughout the county; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22648/13] Written Answers — Department of Health: Social Workers Register (14 May 2013) Andrew Doyle: 607. To ask the Minister for Health regarding who may sign certified copies of documents for current social workers looking to register with the Social Worker Registration Board through CORU, his views on whether the category of persons who may verify certified copies is adequate; the number of persons that have registered to date; the number he expects to register in the coming weeks; and if... Family: Including adoption Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (15 May 2013) Pearse Doherty: 244. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will confirm for each of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012 the total number of adoption registrations here. [23165/13] Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foster Care Provision (15 May 2013) Joan Collins: ...To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs further to Parliamentary Question No. 500 of 26 March 2013, there were 368 Health Information and Quality Authority audits of the Dublin north west foster care service, there was 34 cases of serious concern, if birth parents who have reported concern of their children in foster care to social services and have not been contacted by social... Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (14 May 2013) Derek Nolan: 569. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if he will indicate a time-frame within which Irish couples through the Irish Adoption Authority will be formally able to adopt a child from the USA; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22692/13] Child Abuse/Child Protection: including vetting, child abduction Topical Issue Debate: Child Protection Services (16 May 2013) Ann Phelan: ...it is very important that we take on board its findings. I understand it is the first of its kind and it serves to make us aware of the mammoth task we face, as legislators, as we attempt to combat child abuse and neglect. I am also mindful of the staff who provide services in this area, whose work has been approved in the report. It is essential that they be given the full support they... Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (14 May 2013) Seán Kyne: 572. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the progress made on establishing the Family Support Agency; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22937/13] Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Homeless Persons Supports (14 May 2013) Nicky McFadden: 331. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she has considered the Moving On proposal from Focus Ireland to address unnecessary youth homelessness; if her Department will lead a network of relevant agencies to construct an activation package of education, training and support for young people in emergency accommodation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22260/13] Health and Wellbeing: including disability, mental health, substance misuse, primary care, health services, hospital Seanad: Adjournment Matters: National Disability Strategy Implemenation Plan (16 May 2013) Alan Shatter: ...resources, and ensure whole of government involvement and monitoring of the Strategy, in partnership with the disability sector.The Minister of State with responsibility for disability, equality, mental health and older people, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, has established and is chairing a new group to develop an implementation plan for progressing the strategy in line with the commitment in the... Written Answers — Department of Health: Health Services Expenditure (16 May 2013) Pearse Doherty: 250. To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide in tabular form on a county basis, the way the €35 million allocated for additional staff in mental health services in Budget 2013 was spent; the locations at which the positions were created; the amount of additional posts that were created; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23376/13]; 251. To ask the Minister for Health if he will outline the way the extra allocation of €35 million for mental health services in Budget 2013 has benefitted service providers and users; if he is satisfied that the allocation has been utilised to the maximum extent possible to increase the level of frontline mental health services available to the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23377/13] Written Answers — Department of Health: Alcohol Pricing (16 May 2013) Alex White: ...our own proposals for a minimum unit pricing policy. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that real and tangible proposals are currently being finalised on foot of the recommendations in the National Substance Misuse Strategy report. These proposals cover all of the areas mentioned in the report, including legislation on minimum unit pricing which is about setting a statutory floor price... Order of Business (15 May 2013) Tom Fleming: I have a question about the health information Bill regarding suicide prevention and the proposals for preventative methods. Donal Walsh, who died aged 16, will be laid to his eternal rest in his home town of Tralee today. Written Answers — Department of Health: Services for People with Disabilities (14 May 2013) Kathleen Lynch: ...as a disability. There are a number of definitions of disability contained in legislation