Results 15,221-15,240 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are no commercial semi State Agencies under the aegis of my Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Semi-State Bodies Remuneration (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO). With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Agencies Board Remuneration (18 Sep 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO). With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Senator van Turnhout asked about the regulation of childminders and whether the new standards will continue to apply to registered childminders. The regulations apply to registered children and a particular section of the regulations will apply to childminders. The Senator also raised the issue of au pairs. I met representatives from the Migrant Rights association and I discussed their...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: We have approval, in principle, for 67 new staff next year. An assumption was made by the board and everybody involved in the management of Oberstown that the new roster would provide the flexibility to open and use all of the beds there. There is much disappointment that it has not proved possible to do that. Sometimes there are historic practices in place in units which are very...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I was very conscious of that. It was not due to start until later, but the other Bill finished two hours earlier. The McElfatrick report is clearly a question of due process. That has just gone to the board. It involves staff, so there is a due process issue. I will take advice from the board on whether it should be made available for publication. There may be confidential material in...

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: We did.

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, I understand. I thank the Deputies and Senator for their comments and questions. Deputy Ó Caoláin and Senator van Turnhout asked about Oberstown. When I came into office Oberstown was quite under-utilised but had a lot of staff and the beds were not used fully. As the members will know, many children are now diverted from detention to community placement and supervision....

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children: Children and Youth Issues: Discussion with Minister for Children and Youth Affairs (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: To respond immediately to the question about Oberstown, I have received agreement from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for funding for a campus manager. The position will be advertised this month. Some legal advice had to be sought on the precise wording of the advertisement, as we will be introducing legislation during the year to provide for one campus. It is important...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 629 and 659 together. In 2002, the Health Service Executive (HSE) agreed to fund a Childminding Advisory Officer post or provide a staff member in each county, who would work with the 33 City and County Childcare Committees (CCCs) funded under the Childcare Programme, implemented by the then Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. The role included...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. In line with the Programme for Government, my Department has made a significant commitment to maintaining this universal programme. It is expected that the programme this year will...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Foreign Adoptions (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Work has been undertaken in terms of agreements on adoption from Ethiopia. Ethiopia is not a signatory of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. In these circumstances, future adoptions from Ethiopia would require a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Ethiopia. The negotiation of bilateral agreements on intercountry adoption...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Missing Children (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 116000 Missing Children Hotline is an EU-wide initiative designed to provide a single point of contact across the European Union for missing children and their families. The number is currently operational in 23 EU countries and the number has been allocated and is soon to be operational in a further four countries, including Croatia, the newest EU Member State. In Ireland the 116000...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: HSE Expenditure (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has sought the information requested by the Deputy from the HSE and I will provide the Deputy with the information as soon as it becomes available

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Information and Communications Technology Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: ICT services for the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and associated agencies; the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Office of the Ombudsman for Children and the Family Support Agency, are provided by the Department of Health on a shared-services basis. The approach of my Department has been to utilise appropriate technologies to provide modern and efficient support for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Youth Services Expenditure (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 635 and 636 together. The Youth Affairs Unit of my Department administers a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. Funding of €53.498m, which includes €1.75m capital funding, has been made available in 2013 to support the provision of youth services and programmes to young people throughout the country including...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: HSE Expenditure (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department has sought the information requested by the Deputy from the HSE and I will provide the Deputy with the information as soon as it becomes available

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Lottery Funding Disbursement (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: The information requested by the Deputy is set out below. 2012 (DCYA) National Lottery Funding Project Name Amount Adamstown Summer Camp (ASC), Lucan €3,000 19th/36th Scout Unit Dublin €2,000 3 Estates Youth Club, Templemore 3,000 34th Wexford Davidstown Scouts €10,000 5th Westmeath (Shamone) Scout Troop €2,000 Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland €5,000...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Health Services Staff Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: Thirty-three social workers have received training in conducting specialist child interviews from the Garda Crime and Operational Training faculty in Templemore as part of a joint protocol with the Gardaí. The protocol between An Garda Síochána and the HSE relates to the electronic recording of children being interviewed for suspected child abuse cases. The purpose of the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Health Services Staff Issues (18 Jul 2013)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 640 and 641 together. My Department has sought the information requested by the Deputy from the HSE. As the information is not readily available, the HSE will undertake an analysis of their data in order to compile the statistics requested. I will forward these to the Deputy when they become available.