Results 2,121-2,140 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Departmental Functions: Departmental Functions (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was established on the 2nd June 2011. A wide range of functions relating to the role of the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, including functions relating the development of youth services, have already been transferred to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs under a Transfer of Functions Order made under the Ministers and...

Written Answers — Ministerial Responsibilities: Ministerial Responsibilities (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are no Ministers of State assigned to the Department of Children and Youth Affairs.

Written Answers — Foster Care: Foster Care (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Guardian's Payment is paid to the guardian for the benefit of the child where either both parents are dead or where one of the parents is dead, unknown, has abandoned or has refused or failed to provide for the child and the other parent is unknown, or has abandoned or has refused or failed to provide for the child. The Guardian's payment is administered by the Department of Social...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The rates of motor mileage allowance payable to me in respect of car usage on official travel are set out in the table below. The rates of motor mileage allowance payable to me in respect of car usage on official travel are set out in the table below. Official Motor Travel in a calendar year Engine Capacity up to 1200 cc Engine Capacity 1201 cc to 1500 cc Engine Capacity 1501 cc to 2000 cc...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Legislation to provide for information and tracing is in preparation within my department and is a priority. This is a sensitive and complex area, and it will be necessary for the legislation to balance the constitutional rights of mothers whose children were adopted with those of adopted people seeking to trace their birth families.

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have responsibility for the implementation of the National Childcare Investment Programme (NCIP) which included a capital grant programme to develop childcare facilities. Under the NCIP capital funding was made available to community and commercial mainstream childcare providers for the development and refurbishment of childcare facilities. You will be aware that, due to the economic...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am pleased to inform the Deputy that €1.035m has been allocated in my Department's budget in 2011 to provide support to local voluntary youth groups under the Local Voluntary Youth Club Grant Scheme. This scheme is administered by the relevant Youth Officers in the Vocational Education Committees around the country. Letters will be issuing shortly to the Youth Officers notifying them of...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are four categories of fees payable to chairpersons and directors of Non-Commercial State Agencies. The applicable category is determined by the salary of the CEO of the body relative to certain Civil Service salary scales. In addition, the "one person one salary" principle provides that as a general rule public servants acting as chairpersons or directors of state-sponsored bodies do...

Written Answers — Civil Service Staff: Civil Service Staff (28 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: A list of health sector grades and the relevant salary scales is contained in the Health Sector Consolidated Salary Scales (January 2010). These Scales are available on the Department of Health website at http://www.dohc.ie/publications/?year=2010. Regarding the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB), the Family Support Agency, the Ombudsman for Children's Office (OCO), and the Adoption...

Written Answers — Constitutional Amendments: Constitutional Amendments (29 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Programme for Government 2011 states that the referendum on Children's Rights is a priority, and that wording will be along the lines of that proposed by the All Party Oireachtas Committee. On taking office, the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs commenced discussions with the Attorney General, with a view to preparing a draft wording which will more closely reflect the work of the...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (29 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Adoption Act, 2010 gives force of law to the Hague Convention on the Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Inter-Country Adoption. The new legislation, which incorporates the provisions of the Hague Convention, is designed to provide a framework to ensure that appropriate procedures have been followed and that all adoptions are effected in the best interests of the child....

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (29 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Following my appointment as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I received a large number of meeting requests from various individuals and organisations. Due to the volume of correspondence, it has taken some time to work through the requests. I have received the correspondence from the Irish Ethiopian Adoption Organisation and will address their request as soon as possible.

Written Answers — Departmental Bodies: Departmental Bodies (29 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: None of the posts in agencies under the aegis of my Department are affected by the new salary caps.

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (30 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I have responsibility for the implementation of the National Child Care Investment Programme (NCIP) under which capital funding was made available to community and commercial child care providers for the development and refurbishment of child care facilities. The person referred to by the Deputy was approved under the programme for capital funding amounting to €100,000 in 2006. In order...

Written Answers — Social Services Staff: Social Services Staff (30 Jun 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Social workers employed by the health service are deployed across a range of services, including hospitals, primary care, disability, mental health and the child welfare and protection service. The information which follows relates to the child welfare and protection service. The Implementation Plan which was prepared arising from the findings of the Report of the Commission to Inquire...

Written Answers — Child Poverty: Child Poverty (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Tackling child poverty is a priority for the Government and is a key goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007- 2016 which is co-ordinated by the Department of Social Protection. Children are more likely to be poor if they live in unemployed households or households where there is a low level of paid employment. The Departments of Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise, and...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The issue of local authority commercial rates comes within the remit of the Department of Finance, which has responsibility for fiscal policy, and the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government, which has responsibility for the local authorities. Local authorities are obliged to collect rates on any property that is entered on the valuation lists and which is used for...

Written Answers — Departmental Reports: Departmental Reports (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I understand that the Review referred to by the Deputy was commissioned following commitments made by both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties in their 2010 Election Manifestos to deal with the issue of commercialisation and sexualisation of childhood. This commitment was subsequently reflected in the Coalition Agreement. The resulting Report of the Review "Letting Children be...