Monitor Published: 30 April 2013 Contents

1. This Week in the Houses of the Oireachtas 29 April-3 May 2013

2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate 22-26 April 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, sports facilities Child Benefit/Social Welfare/Poverty/Housing Justice Issues/ Human Rights/Equality

1. This week in the Oireachtas (29 April - 3 May 2013) http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=23351&&CatID=60 2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate (22 April -26 April 2013)

Education: including special needs, ECCE and childminding, minorities, disadvantage, literacy and and numeracy, school staffing, school buildings, school patronage, curriculum

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Pupil-Teacher Ratio Deputy Pat Deering asked the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn if he will confirm that the pupil teacher ratio for English as an additional language, EAL, used to be 14:1; if he will indicate the ratio for the school year 2013/14; and if he has any concerns on this new ratio impacting negatively on literacy scores; if he will confirm the reductuion in the number of less EAL teachers there will be in schools in the next school year; and if he will provide a breakdown of the figures according to primary and post-primary. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300063?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Schools Mental Health Strategies Deputy Michael McCarthy asked the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn if he will provide an update on the drafting of guidelines for schools in relation to mental health in the State's education system; if he will provide a provisional timeline on the planned publication of the guidelines and further actions that will follow from same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail20130 42300065?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Childcare Services Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald if she will outline the progress being made in relation to the development of infrastructure for after school services; the extension of subsidies for after school services and raising quality standards; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Childcare Services Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald if she will outline the progress being made in relation to reforming the qualification requirements for workers in early care and education services and regulation, supported by a training fund; the progress being made in relation to reform of the inspection system; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument&highlight=children%20in%20care#WRBB01350

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Childcare Services Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton her views on whether a Scandinavian model of childcare could be adapted to an Irish context; her plans to develop same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400063?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Pupil-Teacher Ratio Deputy Damien English asked the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn with regard to the pupil-teacher ratio, if he will outline the way that this figure is calculated for primary schools; if he will list the posts that are used for this calculation and the posts that are not used for this calculation; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400071?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Pupil-Teacher Ratio Deputy Olivia Mitchell asked the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn if a decision has been taken to continue to increase the pupil teacher ratio in fee paying schools until it reaches 28:1 being the option included in the McCarthy report; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400071?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Special Educational Needs Services Provision Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn his plans to put in place special needs educational units within existing mainstream second level schools acknowledging that new second level schools are being built with such facilities but recognising that existing second level schools are in the main lacking in such facilities and leading to large numbers of students with special needs availing of such facilities at primary level but they do not have this option when they reach second level; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400071?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Capital Expenditure Programme Issues Deputy Martin Heydon asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald with regard to the proposed allocation of €2.75 million under the childcare capital funding programme, if applications will be considered from childcare facilities that have not previously received funding under other capital programmes; if not, the other funding alternatives available for such facilities that wish to access the capital funding programme but find themselves excluded in view of the fact that they are not previous recipients; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400086?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Childcare Education and Training Scheme Deputy Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald the reason persons on the jobbridge schemes are treated differently from other persons on activation schemes and persons in receipt of social welfare for the purposes of the childcare subvention scheme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400086?opendocument

Child Services/ Children in Care: including foster care and social work services, HSE staffing, youth services

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Departmental Staff Remuneration Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald if he will provide in tabular form the number of civil/public servants under the remit of his Department who earn more than €500,000, between €400,000-€500,00, €300,000 - €250,000, €250,000 - €200,000, €200,000 - €150,000, €150,000 - €100,000, €100,000 - €80,000, €80,000 - €60,000, €60,000 - €40,000 and less than €30,000. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Health Services Staff Numbers Deputy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald the number of aftercare workers employed directly by the Health Service Executive. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Children in Care Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald the number of young people who left care in 2012; and the number of those who received aftercare support. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Children in Care Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald the number of young people in receipt of aftercare services. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument&highlight=children%20in%20care#WRBB01350

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Child Death Review Group Report Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald if she will provide an update on her plans to strengthen the new investment to aftercare as announced at the hearing of the child deaths last July. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Children in Care Deputy Jerry Buttimer asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald if she will detail the external agencies and NGOs which are funded by the Health Service Executive or her Department to provide aftercare services. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Departmental Expenditure Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald if she will provide the month by month profile for her Department's 2013 capital expendiuture; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400086?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Youth Services Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald when a decision will be made on applications for funding for youth cafes under the capital programme. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300081?opendocument

Family: Including adoption

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Inter-Country Adoptions Deputy Brian Walsh asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald if the Irish Adoption Authority will engage with its counterpart in the Philippines with a view to removing or increasing the recently applied limit on the number of Filipino children approved for adoption by Irish parents; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400086?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Inter-Country Adoptions Deputy Sean Fleming asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald under the standardised framework for intercountry adoption assessments her understanding of the assessment process in relation to prospective adoptive parents in relation to their body mass index requirements; if the BMI target which was originally at 45 was reduced in 2010 to 40 and subsequently in 2012 to 35, her views on whether people who are above this level should be prohibited from being approved under the adoption assessment process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400086?opendocument

Child Abuse/Child Protection: including vetting, child abduction

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Garda Vetting of Personnel Deputy Eric Byrne asked the Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter in view of the delay in implementing the National Vetting Bureau Act 2012 if he will clarify the categories of employees currently are legally required to have been Garda vetted in order to take up employment; . if persons working on State sponsored work experience programmes – CE, Tús, JobBridge and so on are subject to the same requirements as for other employees who are legally required to have been Garda vet ted; when the new requirements regarding Gardavetting under the 2012 Act will come into effect. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300077?opendocument

Seanad Éireann Debate 23/04/2013: Child Abuse Senator Jillian van Turnhout: At the weekend I had the pleasure of attending the Scouting Ireland delegate conference, which brought together 800 delegates representing 40,000 members… http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/seanad2 013042300005?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Departmental Reports Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs Frances Fitzgerald if she has received the Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection for 2012; and if so when she will publish same. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400085?opendocument

Health and Wellbeing: including disability, mental health, substance misuse, primary care, health services, hospital services, obesity, sports facilities

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Mental Health Services Provision Deputy Colm Keaveney asked the Minister for Health Dr. James Reilly in view of the commitments in the Health Service Executive National Service Plan 2013 to a number of objectives including the further developments of forensics and community mental health teams for adults, children, older persons and mental health intellectual disability and to the recruitment of 477 additional staff to implement these measures, if he will detail the number of these posts that have been filled in each of the HSE areas; when he expects to have the recruitment process complete; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail20130 42300083?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Mental Health Services Provision Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Health Dr. James Reilly in relation to the filling of the 414 posts for community mental health services committed to in the Health Service Executive National Service Plan 2012, the number of these positions that have been filled by existing HSE staff members; the action being taken regarding the back filling of the positions these staff members have vacated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail20130 42400088?opendocument

Joint Committee on Transport and Communications Debate 24/04/2013: Sponsorship of Major Sporting Events by Drinks Industry: Discussion (Resumed) http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/committeetake s/TRJ2013042400003?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 25/04/2013 Written Answers: Mental Health Services Provision Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health Dr. James Reilly if he will provide an update on the replacement of the Central Mental Hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail20130 42500066?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 25/04/2013 Written Answers: National Children's Hospital Status Deputy Nicky McFadden asked the Minister for Health Dr. James Reilly if he will provide an update on the development of the National Children's Hospital, Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail20130 42500066?opendocument

Child Benefit/Social Welfare/Poverty/Housing

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Child Benefit Payments Deputy Tom Barry asked the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton the steps being taken, and continue to be taken, to address concerns about large sums of money being paid in children's allowance to families who are not resident in the State. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300069?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Child Benefit Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton her plans for the future of child benefit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400072?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Domiciliary Care Allowance Application Numbers Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton the number of applications for domiciliary care allowance received in each of the past five years to date; the number approved, rejected or pending; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail20130 42400077?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Youth Guarantee Deputy Terence Flanagan asked the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton if her attention has been drawn to Focus Ireland's proposal to introduce a Youth Guarantee; if she will provide education, training and support for young persons experiencing homelessness; her views on whether it will save costs for the Exchequer; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400071?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 24/04/2013 Written Answers: Respite Care Grant Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Social Protection Joan Burton if she will reverse the 19% cut to the respite care grant and actively support the campaign by carers to give carer's a break. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042400072?opendocument

Justice Issues/ Human Rights/Equality

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Sex Offenders Notification Requirements Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter if he will set out the procedure to be followed on completion of sentence for the release of a child sex abuse prisoner in the community into a family including small children; if any particular resolutions are applicable; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300076?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Courts Service Issues Deputy Dan Neville asked the Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter if he plans to allow limited media reporting to family court hearings. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300076?opendocument

Dáil Éireann 23/04/2013 Written Answers: Garda Youth Diversion Projects Deputy Brian Stanley asked the Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter if he will outline, in tabular form, the budget for Garda youth diversionary funding for 2012 and 2013; and the way that funding will be dispersed to different projects. http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/Debates%20Authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2013 042300076?opendocument

Seanad Éireann Debate 24/04/2013: Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Order for Second Stage http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/seanad 2013042400023?opendocument ------The Oireachtas Monitor is produced by the Children’s Rights Alliance and is a compilation of links to Oireachtas Debates and Questions relating to children and families. The source is derived from content on the kildarestreet.com website. We acknowledge their assistance in the provision of this service. As the information is sourced from an external party, we do not accept responsibility for its content. If you wish to be removed from the list of recipients please email [email protected] with unsubscribe in the subject Field. The Childrens Rights Alliance is a coalition of over 100 organisations working to secure the rights of children in Ireland, by campaigning for the full implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. It aims to improve the lives of all children under 18, through securing the necessary changes in Irelands laws, policies and services. The information in this message and/or attachments is intended solely for the attention and use of the intended recipient and may be confidential. If you have received this in error, any use of it is prohibited and we ask that you please delete it and kindly notify the sender accordingly.