Results 2,141-2,160 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Guardianship of Children: Guardianship of Children (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care Act 1991, Guardian ad litem provide a service to the Courts, where a judge may request that a Guardian ad litem is appointed to a child who is the subject of care proceedings. They are always appointed where a child is subject to Special Care proceedings. There is a commitment in the Ryan Report Implementation Plan, to engage with my colleagues to agree a future policy...

Written Answers — Ministerial Meetings: Ministerial Meetings (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was formally established on the 3rd of June and the Secretary General of the Department was announced last week. Until then, the only person at Management Advisory Committee level in the Department was the Deputy Secretary General, with whom I have had regular meetings since my appointment. I have also attended Department of Health Management...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was formally established on the 3rd of June. Staff are currently in the process of moving from their current location in Hawkins House, as part of the then Department of Health and Children, to new premises at 43 Mespil Road, Dublin 4. The lease for the Mespil Road offices is held by the OPW. The Adoption Authority of Ireland (formerly the...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (5 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The purpose of the 116000 phone number is to provide a contact number to families if children go missing. My Department is involved in ongoing discussions with other Government Departments in relation to the development of a hotline. The issue of missing children is a matter for the Garda Síochána.End of Take

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was formally established on the 3rd of June. The Secretary General for the Department was announced last week and he does not currently sit on State agency boards.

Written Answers — Departmental Programmes: Departmental Programmes (6 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The School Completion Programme which encompasses both primary and post-primary levels, entails targeting individual children and young people of school-going age, both in and out of school, and arranging supports to address inequalities in education access, participation and outcomes. It is based on the project model with an integrated approach involving primary and post primary schools,...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (7 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 2011 budget allocation for the Youth Affairs Unit of my Department is €60.154 million on current expenditure and €800,00 on capital expenditure. This funding supports the delivery of a range of youth work programmes and services for all young people, including those from disadvantaged communities, by the voluntary youth work sector. Some €656,000 has been allocated to youth...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (7 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The purpose of the 116000 phone number is to provide a contact number to families if children go missing. My Department is involved in ongoing discussions with other Government Departments in relation to the development of a hotline. The issue of missing children is a matter for the Garda Síochána.

Written Answers — Preschool Services: Preschool Services (7 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The principle vehicle for my Department, in developing and providing early childhood care and education, is the free Pre-School Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme. The pre-school year was introduced in January 2010 and provides early learning in a formal setting to children in the year before they commence primary school. In 2011, the ECCE programme is expected to...

Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (7 Jul 2011)

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

Child Protection (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: In line with the programme for Government, I am committed to the introduction of legislation to underpin Children First, the national guidance document on the reporting and management of child welfare and protection concerns. The need for such legislation was already highlighted in the implementation plan prepared following the publication in July 2009 of the report of the Commission to...

Child Protection (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: We also need to emphasise the importance of multidisciplinary and inter-agency co-operation in the management of such concerns if we are truly to protect children. Key to this is the sharing of information between agencies and disciplines in the best interests of children and the need for full co-operation to ensure the safeguarding of children. I am attaching particular importance to the...

Child Protection (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Ryan implementation report set a deadline of December 2010 for the previous Government to draft legislation putting Children First on a statutory footing. This was accepted by the Deputy's party when in government and it is regrettable it did not meet that deadline. I have, however, made much progress in drafting this legislation. Putting Children First on a statutory basis will...

Child Protection (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I will do what the former Government agreed to do, which is to put the Children First guidelines on a statutory basis, as recommended by the Ryan report. Part of this will be a reporting requirement. It will be a different concept, however, to that where the focus is on mandatory reporting alone which other countries such as Australia have introduced. It will not replicate such a system....

Proposed Legislation (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The programme for Government 2011 states the referendum on children's rights is a priority and that the wording will be along the lines of that proposed by the Joint Committee on the Constitution, of which Deputy Ó Caoláin was a member. On taking office I instructed the Department of Children and Youth Affairs to work with the Office of the Attorney General with a view to preparing a draft...

Proposed Legislation (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The previous Government did not come up with legislation based on the all-party committee's wording but with a different formula. Apparently, this was based on the concerns of the former Attorney General. That wording was not circulated formally but discussed informally with several non-governmental organisations, NGOs. The Government's priority and intention is to ensure the wording will...

Proposed Legislation (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: As already stated, I hope and expect to be in a position to submit the outcome of that work to the Government for its approval in the autumn. The Deputy will be aware that there will be some further work to be done at that point. Draft legislation will be required in respect of adoption proposals - this will have to be brought through the Dáil - and a referendum commission will have to be...

Missing Persons (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy O'Sullivan for tabling this question. The European Commission Decision of February 2007 harmonised numbers for services of social value on the 116 number range. ComReg is the competent national regulatory authority in Ireland responsible for assigning 116 numbers to prospective service providers. ComReg has informed me that the numbers 116111 and 116123 were assigned to...

Missing Persons (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I cannot provide the Deputy with a timeframe but I certainly want the hotline to be established. It has not been established up to now. Since taking office I have initiated discussions in respect of it. In that context, I have discussed the matter with one of the NGOs that might be interested in providing the service. It is estimated that it will take approximately €120,000 to set up...

Children in Care (12 Jul 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: One of the principal commitments in the implementation plan prepared following the publication of the report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse is the need to ensure that all children in care have an allocated social worker and a care plan. This initiative is designed to target resources at front line services in order to ensure that the HSE can fulfil its statutory obligations....