Bernard Durkan
Question:85. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality to award stamp 4 status to a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8771/16]
View answerResidency Permits
Questions (85)
Written answers
I have been informed by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that this person was granted Stamp 2A in line with their spouse who holds a Stamp 2: both permissions expire on 7 October 2017.
It should be noted that both applicants would be regarded as timed out students. In that regard I wish to draw your attention to the document 'Guidelines for non-EEA national students registered in Ireland before 1 January, 2011' which is available on the INIS website at www.inis.gov.ie. This notice clarifies the position in relation to a non-EEA student registered in Ireland. As well as the above document, a series of guideline notes outlining how the new immigration regime operates are also available on the INIS website, including information on maximum time limits for students who wish to study at Language Non-Degree Level and Degree Level. As such, Stamp 4 is not an option available to the couple in this case.
Queries in relation to the Status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to INIS by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of Parliamentary Question process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.
Coroners Service
Questions (86)
Michael Healy-Rae
Question:86. Deputy Michael Healy-Rae asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the recruitment process of county coroners and for deputy county coroners (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8779/16]
View answerWritten answers
The legislation governing Coroners is the Coroners Act, 1962, as amended. Section 8 of the Act provides that there shall be a Coroner for every Coroner's district who shall be appointed by the Local Authority in whose area the district is situated. The recruitment process is therefore a matter for each County's Local Authority. However, Section 32 of the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, 2011 provides for the amalgamation of Coronial districts within a Local Authority area by the Minister for Justice and Equality in consultation with the Local Authority concerned. In respect of the districts of Kerry North, Kerry West and Kerry South East these three districts stand to be amalgamated when the Coroner for Kerry South East retires.
Section 13(1) of the Act provides that each coroner shall appoint a Deputy Coroner. A Coroner may, if he or she so wishes, appoint a sitting Coroner in another district to deputise for him or her. I understand for instance that the Coroner for Kerry North-Kerry West and the Coroner for Kerry South East currently deputise for one another. Upon the amalgamation of the Kerry districts it will be a matter for the sitting Coroner to appoint a Deputy having obtained the prior approval of the Minister for Justice and Equality.
Early Childhood Care and Education
Questions (87)
Robert Troy
Question:87. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs the criteria he uses to assess the eligibility of qualifications for inclusion on his Department's early years recognised qualifications, the early years qualifications he recognises for the purposes of meeting the requirements of the regulations and his Department's child care programme contracts. [8641/16]
View answerWritten answers
The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme introduced the first-ever requirement for minimum qualifications for staff working in the childcare sector. Prior to the introduction of the programme there was no requirement for staff working directly with children in pre-school services to hold any educational qualification.
New qualification requirements for childcare workers are also being introduced as part of the Early Years Quality Agenda. All staff caring for children in an early years service will be subject to a minimum qualification requirement, from the end of this year, of FETAC Level 5 or equivalent under the new Child Care Regulations to be made shortly. Pre-school leaders delivering the ECCE programme will require a FETAC Level 6 qualification or equivalent under the ECCE contract from the end of this year.
It is the responsibility of childcare providers and their staff to ensure that they hold the required or equivalent qualification. A list of recognised qualifications for the purpose of meeting the contractual requirements of the ECCE programme and in the Regulations is published on the Department's website at www.dcya.gov.ie.
The DCYA Early Years Recognised Qualifications list identifies qualifications which are acceptable for the purposes of meeting the requirements of the forthcoming regulations and DCYA Childcare Programmes Contracts. This list has been derived from two sources: advice from the Higher Capitation Advisory Board in 2011, and ongoing reviews of qualifications submitted to the DCYA. Applications for recognition are reviewed by a board with expertise in qualifications, early childhood care and education and early years policy, in association with the Department of Education and Skills.
In preparing the list of DCYA Early Years Recognised Qualifications, all decisions on the acceptability of these qualifications have been reviewed against a set of criteria including core knowledge and skills identified as essential for practice in Early Years settings, being:
- Child Development 0-6;
- Early Childhood Education - Theory and Practice;
- Child Health and Welfare 0-6 years.
The Department of Education and Skills is carrying out a comprehensive review of the education and training qualifications in early childhood education and care during 2016 and 2017 in consultation with the DCYA, education partners and the wider sector. The findings of the review may inform future decisions in relation to determining whether qualifications are suitable for professional practice in the ECCE sector and the Department reserves the right to review the recognition of any qualification on the published list.
Where a qualification is not published on the list of National Framework of Qualifications on the DCYA website, but the holder considers it to be an appropriate major award or the equivalent, they should apply to this Department through the Qualification Recognition process. If it is approved for recognition the details of the qualification will be added to the list of qualifications on the Department's web page.
Early Childhood Care and Education
Questions (88)
Robert Troy
Question:88. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs why a person (details supplied) is not entitled to an additional free year of preschool under the early childhood care and education scheme; and if he will exercise discretion or allow an exemption for persons whose birthday falls close to the cut-off point for the additional year under the expanded scheme. [8669/16]
View answerWritten answers
In Budget 2016 it was announced that, from September 2016, children will be eligible to start free pre-school when they reach the age of 3, and can continue in free pre-school until they start primary school (once the child is not older than 5½ years at the end of the pre-school year i.e. end June). The age range for eligibility for children enrolling for the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme in September 2016 is 1 January 2012 to the 31 August 2013.
It is my understanding that the child in question will be eligible to apply for an ECCE place this coming September and can avail of 38 weeks of free pre-schooling under the ECCE programme up to the end of June 2017.
The eligibility criteria for national schemes must be strictly adhered to. Exceptions to these criteria can only currently be made in the event that a child has been diagnosed as having a special-additional need. Any request for an exemption from ECCE eligibility criteria must be supported by a medical assessment report from the HSE-medical specialist, specifying the child's special need and diagnosis. In such a case, an application should be made to the Early Years Policies and Programmes Unit of my Department, attaching a supporting medical report.
Maternity Services
Questions (89)
Willie O'Dea
Question:89. Deputy Willie O'Dea asked the Minister for Health when he will establish a baby loss unit for parents who suffer the loss of a child at the University Maternity Hospital in County Limerick; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8644/16]
View answerWritten answers
As this is a service matter, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.
Hospital Appointments Status
Questions (90)
Peter Burke
Question:90. Deputy Peter Burke asked the Minister for Health to expedite an appointment for a person (details supplied). [8645/16]
View answerWritten answers
Under the Health Act 2004, the Health Service Executive (HSE) is required to manage and deliver, or arrange to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. Section 6 of the HSE Governance Act 2013 bars the Minister for Health from directing the HSE to provide a treatment or a personal service to any individual or to confer eligibility on any individual.
The scheduling of appointments for patients is a matter for the hospital to which the patient has been referred. Should a patient's general practitioner consider that the patient's condition warrants an earlier appointment, he or she should take the matter up with the consultant and the hospital involved. In relation to the specific case raised, I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly. If you have not received a reply from the HSE within 15 working days please contact my Private Office and my officials will follow the matter up.