Written Answers Nos. 190-197
190. Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Defence if he will outline in tabular format the annual salary costs for private and constituency offices of Ministers in his Department in each of the years 2009 and 2010; the same figures for any Ministers of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39639/12]
View answerThe information requested by the Deputy, is set out in the following tables:
Minister for Defence, Mr. Willie O’Dea, T.D. 1 st January 2009 to 31 st December 2009.
|
Offices |
Salary Cost 2009 (inc ER PRSI) |
|
Special Advisors |
€219,487 |
|
Minister for Defence Private Office |
€207,218 |
|
Minister for Defence Constituency Office |
€296,895 |
Minister for Defence, Mr. Willie O’Dea, T.D., 1 st January to 18 February 2010
Minister for Defence, Mr. Tony Killeen, T.D., 23 rd March to 31 st December 2010
|
Offices |
Salary Cost 2010 (inc ER PRSI) |
|
Special Advisors |
€153,407 |
|
Minister for Defence Private Office |
€198,392 |
|
Minister for Defence Constituency Office |
€266,445 |
Minister of State, Mr. Pat Carey, T.D.
1 st January 2009 to 31 st December 2009.
|
Office |
Salary Cost 2009 (inc ER PRSI) |
|
Minister of State Private Office |
€106,714 |
Minister of State, Mr. Pat Carey, T.D., 1 st January 2010 to 22 nd March 2010
Minister of State, Mr. John Curran, T.D., 23 rd March 2010 to 31 st December 2010
|
Office |
Salary Cost 2010 (inc ER PRSI) |
|
Minister of State Private Office |
€72,386 |
The Minister of State at the Departments of the Taoiseach and Defence does not have a constituency office at the Department of Defence.
191. Deputy Billy Timmins asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine the position regarding the single farm payment in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kildare; the reason a portion has been withheld; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39534/12]
View answerOutstanding issues relating to the 2011 single payment application from the person concerned have recently been resolved, thereby allowing the remainder of the payment due to issue directly to the nominated bank account on 13th September 2012.
192. Deputy Ray Butler asked the Minister for Agriculture; Food and the Marine if he will outline in tabular form the annual salary costs for the private and constituency offices of Ministers in his Department in each of the years 2009 and 2010; the same figure for any Ministers of State in his Department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39636/12]
View answerIn response to the Deputy’s question, I have detailed in the tables the salary costs in relation to the Minister and Ministers of State in my Department for the years 2009 and 2010.
Minister Smith
|
Office |
2009 |
2010 |
|
Private |
€462,238.68 |
€460,171.37 |
|
Constituency |
€247,331.09 |
€241,314.28 |
Minister of State Sargent
|
Office |
2009 |
Salary up to 23/02/2010 |
|
Private |
€257,667.93 |
€50,390.37 |
|
Constituency |
€176,354.62 |
€22,541.35 |
Minister of State Killeen
|
Office |
2009 |
Salary up to 23/02/2010 |
|
Private |
€143,377.63 |
€31,751.80 |
|
Constituency |
€160,497.15 |
€35,493.24 |
Minister of State Connick
|
Office |
2009 |
Salary from 23/03/2010 to 31/12/2010 |
|
Private |
N/A |
€105,809.30 |
|
Constituency |
N/A |
€110,717.18 |
193. Deputy Anne Ferris asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs when he expects the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography to be ratified; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39555/12]
View answerIt is my stated intention to ratify the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography in due course following full consideration of the content of the Protocol with my colleague Minister for Justice and Equality, Alan Shatter. I recently discussed the issue of ratification of this Protocol in a meeting with UN Special Representative on Violence Against Children which took place in my Department on 11th June last, during the Special Representative's official visit to Ireland. We agreed that the matter would be prioritised following the Children's Referendum, submission of the State's next report to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and the setting up of the new Child and Family Support Agency. The latter will also facilitate ratification of the Protocol which, as you will be aware, can only take place when the Government is satisfied that it able to meet all its obligations under the Protocol.
Many of the criminal law provisions of the Optional Protocol to the Convention have already been implemented in existing domestic legislation. Legislative proposals that the Minister for Justice and Equality intends to bring to Government in the coming months will, I understand, facilitate compliance with the criminal law requirements of the Optional Protocol and other international related legal instruments. It is also proposed to put in place the necessary administrative procedures and arrangements to allow for accession and, subject to the advice of the Attorney General’s Office, it is proposed to ratify the Optional Protocol and related international legal instruments as soon as is practicable. It would be my intention in due course to bring a Joint memo to Government with Minister Shatter to enable Ireland to ratify the second Optional Protocol.
194. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs if the Health Service Executive children and adolescent mental health service is represented on the children services committees at a local authority level or on the national children's strategy implementation group at a national level; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39628/12]
View answerChildren’s Services Committees bring together a diverse group of agencies in local county areas to engage in joint planning of services for children. These include representatives from the HSE, local authorities, An Garda Síochána, VECs, National Association of Principals and Deputy Principals, Irish Primary Principals Network, NEWB, and other organisations who provide services to children and young people. There are a total of 16 such committees.
The membership of all Children Services Committees (CSCs) includes senior managers from the major statutory providers of services to children and families. The Chairperson of each CSC is either the HSE Local Health Area Manager or the Area Manager for Children and Family Services and it is their function to ensure that the Children’s Services Committees secures better developmental outcomes for children through more effective integration of existing services and interventions at local level. One of these outcomes is that all children should be “healthy, both physically and mentally”.
In addition, members of the National Children’s Strategy Implementation Group (NCSIG) are drawn from a number of Government Departments and agencies. The Department of Health is represented on this group at Assistant Secretary level, and the HSE is represented by the National Director for Children & Family Supports, the Assistant National Director for Children & Families, the National Specialist for Family Support, and by the Chairs of Limerick City and Dublin City CSC.
As you may be aware, I established a Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency (CFSA) in 2011 and it presented its findings to my Department in July of this year. One of the recommendations of the Task Force is that service delivery model should be focused on improving well-being and outcomes for children based on the five national outcomes which includes, as I mentioned earlier, that all children should be “healthy, both physically and mentally”.
I am satisfied that taking all of these actions into consideration that the delivery of child and family services can be carried out by blending mental health interventions, primary care, public health nursing, youth justice, domestic violence supports, community outreach, child protection and child welfare as well as numerous other functions into one efficient, coherent service. Where CSCs have established priority actions around child & adolescent mental health the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) practitioners are involved in the delivery of those priority areas. The forthcoming Children and Young People's Policy Framework will address the further development of these committees, and the role of the CAMHS will be considered in that context.
195. Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs her plans to proceed with the recommendation of the task force on the Child and Family Support Agency to include children and adolescent mental health service within the new agency; the way this will deliver better inter-agency co-operation between HSE, CAMHS and the child welfare and protection services; the way this might be addressed in the Child and Family Support Agency Bill; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39629/12]
View answerThe final report of the Task Force, which I established to advise on the necessary transition programme to establish a Child and Family Support Agency, made recommendations on a number of key issues. These include recommendations on a range of services, including Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services, which, in the opinion of the Task Force, should fall within the remit of the new Agency.
The Task Force recommendations are being given detailed consideration in preparing for the establishment of the new Agency, and I will bring proposals to Government in this regard. It is my intention that the Child and Family Support Agency will assume statutory responsibility for services for children and families in early 2013. The necessary legislation is being prepared by my Department as a priority. I share with the view of the Task Force that in order to achieve genuine improvements for children and families, the Agency must have a broader focus than child protection. Prevention, early intervention, family support, and therapeutic and care interventions are all key to the provision of integrated multi-disciplinary services for children and families based on identified need.
196. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an appeal for a medical card in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39502/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
197. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Health the position regarding an medical card review in respect of a person (details supplied) in County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39503/12]
View answerAs this is a service matter it has been referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.
