Monitor Published: 07 May 2013 Contents

1. This Week in the Houses of the Oireachtas 07 May - 10 May 2013 http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=23399&&CatID=60

2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate 29 April 03 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 Asylum/Immigration 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 (07 May - 10 May 2013) http://www.oireachtas.ie/viewdoc.asp?DocID=23399&&CatID=60 2. Oireachtas Questions and Debate (29 April -03 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 Social Protection: Child Care Services Provision (30 Apr 2013) Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, ) To ask the Minister for Social Protection the measures that will be put in place to assist lone parents that do not get one of the 6,000 childcare places made available; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.705

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Bullying in Schools (2 May 2013) Pádraig MacLochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein) To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if any secondary school here, funded by the Exchequer can refuse the placing of an information poster to support LGBT students from an organisation also funded by the Exchequer, in the notice board space of that school; and if he will advise of his Department's policy on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.236

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Expenditure (30 Apr 2013) (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael) To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will provide details of the total amount of funding paid directly to vocational education committees to cover the cost of administering local youth work funding including the total pay of VEC youth officers and the total non-pay element of direct assistance to VECs. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.1210

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Transport Provision (1 May 2013) James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael) To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his pland to review the secondary school bus routes in view of new regulations regarding school boundaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-01a.308

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (2 May 2013) Patrick Nulty (Dublin West, Labour) To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if there are any training or education opportunities available for young persons with hearing difficulties in the Dublin area; if he will outline details of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.227

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (1 May 2013) Peter Mathews (Dublin South, Fine Gael) 107. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to provide support services to children with Down Syndrome. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-01a.284

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: School Patronage (30 Apr 2013) Derek Nolan (Galway West, Labour) 216. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if, in view of the outcome of the recently completed surveys of primary school patronage, in which parents in 20 of the locations surveyed expressed a preference for the establishment of a primary school under the patronage ofEducate Together, he intends to carry out a similar survey for post primary schools, in order that the growing demand for post primary schools under the patronage of Educate Together can be assessed and provided for; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.365

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

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Work Projects Funding (2 May 2013) Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein) 217. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the reason she at a recent Irish Presidency Conference where the theme was Quality Youth Work and Social Inclusion gave a commitment to youth work at the European level, while at the same time she cut funding to Quality Youth Work projects at the national level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.619

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services (30 Apr 2013) Micheál Martin (Leader of the Opposition; Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) 505. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the funding allocations to all youth projects in Dublin funded by her Department and administered by the City of Dublin Youth Services Board for the current year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.1200

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Cafés (30 Apr 2013) Micheál Martin (Leader of the Opposition; Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of youth cafes that will be provided as a result of the one million euro capital funding being made available by her Department for this purpose; the location of these cafes; the criteria that will be used in selecting these locations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04- 30a.1177

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Voluntary Youth Work (30 Apr 2013) Kevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) 508. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if her attention has been drawn to any concerns that voluntary organisations within the youth sector which her Department oversees may no longer be considered as charitable bodies for tax purposes in view of the fact that they are now regulated and funded by her Department instead of the Department of Education and Skills; if she has discussed these concerns with the bodies involved; if she had discussed these concerns with the Department of Justice and Equality; the steps she proposes to take; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.1206

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (30 Apr 2013) Finian McGrath (Dublin North Central, Independent) To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason for not recognising Down Syndrome pupils for resource hours; and if he will end this discrimination such as in the Special Education Circular 02/05. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.368

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Services Provision (30 Apr 2013) (Meath East, Labour) 226. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 479 of 16 April 2013, if he has a timeline for when he will receive the report from the National Council for Special Education; if its recommendations will be implemented by the start of the academic year 2013/14; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.396

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Staffing (30 Apr 2013) Micheál Martin (Leader of the Opposition; Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of special needs assistants in Dublin schools for the academic years 2010/11, 2011/12 and 2012/13; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.414

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Issues (30 Apr 2013) Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source 240. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of Down syndrome children in mainstream primary education; the classification of these children in the intellectual disability spectrum; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.439

Written Answers — Department of Education and Skills: Special Educational Needs Issues (30 Apr 2013) Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his Department has done a study that tracks a student who needs the assistance of a SENO or resource teaching hours from primary school through to the completion of the leaving certificate and the number of those that go on to third level education; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.459

Asylum/Immigration

Tuesday, 30 April 2013 Written answers: Asylum Seeker Accommodation Deputy Dominic Hannigan (Meath East, Labour) asked the Minister, for Justice, Equality and Defence several questions on the Direct provision system. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013- 04-30a.969

Family: Including adoption

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Insolvency Payments Scheme Eligibility (2 May 2013) Luke Flanagan (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) 171. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the provision that has been made within the Insolvency Service of Ireland rules for the foster care allowance which is paid out by the Health Service Executive; if the fostering care allowance should be excluded as income by lending institutions when calculating mortgage repayments (details supplied) in County Roscommon; his views on whether including such an allowance in mortgage repayments calculations is to put the welfare of fostered children in jeopardy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.476

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (2 May 2013) Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | 216. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will outline the details of any bilateral agreements with Mexico for inter-country adoption; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.616

Topical Issue Debate: Inter-Country Adoptions (30 Apr 2013) http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2013-04-30a.362

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Services Provision (30 Apr 2013) Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael) 499. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the number of couples and individuals who have successfully completed the application process for the adoption of children, either in Ireland or from abroad, but who have yet to adopt a child;; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.1184

Child Abuse/Child Protection: including vetting, child abduction

Order of Business (1 May 2013) Patrick Nulty: When is it proposed to bring forward the necessary legislation to place the Children First guidelines on a statutory basis? http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2013-05- 01a.42#g92

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

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Commission Remit (2 May 2013) Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) To ask the Minister for Health the role of the Mental Health Commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.665

Written Answers — Department of Health: Maternity Services (2 May 2013) Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Independent) To ask the Minister for Health if he will provide information which is available on the incidence of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder per maternity hospital for each of the past five years and the actions being taken to reduce these figures. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05- 02a.694

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Funding (2 May 2013) (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) 220. To ask the Minister for Health the progress that has been made in respect of the 2012 allocation of €35 million which was ring fenced but not spent; the additional community facilities that have been put in place; if this commitment has now been met; when the 2013 commitment of a further €35 million will be allocated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.626

Written Answers — Department of Health: Mental Health Services Provision (2 May 2013) Dan Neville (Limerick, Fine Gael) To ask the Minister for Health in view of the fact that the new Health Service Executive access protocols should ensure that all 16 year olds are treated in a CAMHS facility from 1 January 2013 and all 17 year old from 1 January 2014, if the majority of the first tranche of an additional 150 child and adolescent community mental health team, posts have been put in place; if he will provide an update on same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.697

Child Benefit/Social Welfare/Poverty/Housing

Housing (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage (2 May 2013) . . .refer to homelessness. I have written to the Taoiseach's office in respect of the campaign by many housing non-governmental organisations for the right to a home, in an attempt to have this proposition added to the second phase of the Constitutional Convention. I hope it will be debated at the convention because it is an important issue. I also welcome the commitment by the Minister of State and the Government to end long-term homelessness by 2016. We should focus more on preventive measures in respect of homelessness. In particular, we need more housing units in our major cities and towns where this has been a very serious issue for some time. There was very little about young people in the policy document published by the Minister of State. I do not know if we have complete figures for those who are looking for housing because of youth homelessness. I hope the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald, will look at that issue in particular, as was mentioned by Government. . . . http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2013- 05-02a.230

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Benefits Waiting Times (2 May 2013) (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the current waiting times per social welfare payment for the processing of applications by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.343

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Social Welfare Appeals Waiting Times (2 May 2013)

Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) 126. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will provide in tabular form the current waiting times per social welfare payment for the processing of appeals by her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.346

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Disability Allowance Applications Waiting Times (2 May 2013) Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) 128. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if her Department is currently reviewing disability applications from July 2012; the reasons for the backlog; the attempts made by her Department to clear this backlog; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.352

Written Answers — Department of Social Protection: Family Income Supplement Eligibility (30 Apr 2013) Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) 285. To ask the Minister for Social Protection if she will outline the procedures for appeals made on decisions regarding family income supplement; if she will clarify the procedure if there is a decrease in a family's earnings following an initial decision on application or review; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.571

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Homeless Persons Numbers (30 Apr 2013) Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Fine Gael) 495. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the current estimate of the number of children, under the age of 18, who are homeless in Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.1171

Justice Issues/ Human Rights/Equality

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (1 May 2013 Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein) 193. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to introduce an amendment to Section 37 of the Employment Equality Act that is needed to enshrine in legislation the rights of lesbian, gay and bisexual teachers; and his plans to include provision that will also protect the rights of transgender teachers. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-01a.517

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legislative Programme (2 May 2013) Áine Collins (Cork North West, Fine Gael) 173. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when he expects the Courts Bill 2013 to be fully enacted; his view on whether the en-actment of this Bill will result in more staff being employed by the Court Services; and if extra staff are being recruited if it will be throughout the country. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.482

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Legal Aid Service Reform (2 May 2013) (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the proposals, if any, to update and streamline the administration of legal aid with particular reference to speeding up the process and increased accessibility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.557

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Proposed Legislation (30 Apr 2013) Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein) To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to ensure that women who have children by surrogacy are afforded maternity leave; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.1005

Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) (Amendment) Bill 2013: Second Stage [Private Members] (3 May 2013) http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2013-05-03a.5

Seanad: Charities Regulation: Motion (1 May 2013) http://www.kildarestreet.com/sendebates/?id=2013-05-01a.140

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Programme (30 Apr 2013) Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the legal challenge to the validity of outcome of the Children's Referendum has required delays in publishing legislation on the part of her Department; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-04-30a.1190

Written Answers — Department of Justice and Equality: Prison Visiting Committees Issues (2 May 2013) Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael) To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the position on the make-up of prison visiting committees; if he will provide a breakdown of the numbers of people on each committee of each prison; the number of vacancies on each committee at present; the procedure in place for vacancies to be filled; the remuneration for each committee member from 2007 to 2012; if he is considering the future of prison visiting committees; and if he will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-05-02a.510

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres (30 Apr 2013) (Clare, Fine Gael) 502. To ask the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if she will report on the progress made with regard to the provision of a new Children's Detention Centre at Oberstown, Lusk, County Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. http://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2013-

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