Results 2,321-2,340 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald
- Written Answers — Preschool Services: Preschool Services (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I have responsibility for implementing the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free preschool year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. It is a fundamental principle of the programme that the preschool year be provided free of charge to a parent whose child qualifies under the programme....
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 796 and 800 together. As the Department of Children and Youth Affairs only came into legal operation on 2nd June 2011, the information supplied in response to the Deputy's question relates to the period since the establishment of the Department. The amount spent by my Department to date on taxis is â¬708. This includes â¬458 for Departmental staff and...
- Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I acknowledge that the HSE's Child Welfare and Protection service is operating against a background of increasing service demand. This is reflected in a significant increase in the number of children in care. The HSE has statutory responsibility under the Child Care Act, 1991, for the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. I have had discussions recently...
- Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to thank the Deputy for bringing the matter to my attention. Under the Child Care Act 1991 the Health Service Executive (HSE) has a statutory responsibility to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. The Act requires the HSE to identify such children and to regard the welfare of the child as the first and paramount consideration. In the...
- Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: Under EU telecoms rules agreed in 2009 the 116000 number is reserved in all EU member states for a missing children hotline. I have expressed my commitment to establish this hotline in Ireland It should be noted that in June 2011, ComReg, who have responsibility for allocation of this number in Ireland sought expressions of interest to run the hotline and no substantive responses were...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy might wish to note there are no corporate credit cards for official business purposes currently in use in my Department which was only established last June.
- Written Answers — Ministerial Staff: Ministerial Staff (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 802 to 804, inclusive, together. As my Department only came into legal operation on 2 June 2011, the information supplied in response to the Deputy's question relates to 2011 only. The numbers employed and associated salary costs in each office are set out in the following tabular format My Private Office numbers include three Special Advisers, two of which...
- Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy might wish to note that my Department was formally established on 2 June, 2011. The funding provisions made available this year under Subhead A5 (Office Equipment and External IT Services) of the Vote to support the purchase of IT equipment, as contained in the Revised Estimates for Public Services 2011, amounts to â¬120,000. This includes a current provision of â¬92,000 and a...
- Written Answers — Expenditure Reviews: Expenditure Reviews (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: Departmental submissions on the Comprehensive Review of Expenditure are a central part of the overall pre-Budget deliberations of the Government. As such, release of these documents could not be considered in advance of Government decisions on the forthcoming Budget. However, I understand that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has already indicated that it is his intention to...
- Written Answers — Preschool Services: Preschool Services (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The free Preschool Year in Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 as a universal programme to provide children with a free preschool year, normally in the year before they commence primary school. There is no entitlement under the ECCE programme for a second year of free preschool provision. Where a child has special needs, his or her parents can...
- Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: I am aware of the difficulties around the operation of adoption information and tracing services at the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Bessborough. Negotiations have taken place between my Department, the Health Service Executive and the Order and this matter has been resolved. The HSE has agreed to take over the management of the adoption files of the Sacred Heart Adoption Society located...
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: My Office is advised by the HSE that a reply to Parliamentary Question No. 145 of 23 June 2011 was issued to the Deputy on July 19th 2011.
- Written Answers — Health Services: Health Services (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: My office has contacted the HSE on this matter to ask that a reply be provided as soon as possible. The HSE has stated that it is actively pursuing a response on this matter on the Deputy's behalf and that a reply will issue as soon as the information is available.End of Take Section WRRR follows.
- Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: My Office is advised by the HSE that a reply to Parliamentary Question No. 51 of 12 July 2011 was issued to the Deputy on July 15th 2011.
- Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: My office has contacted the HSE on this matter to ask that a reply be provided as soon as possible. The HSE has stated that it is actively pursuing a response on this matter on the Deputy's behalf and that a reply will issue as soon as the information is available.
- Written Answers — Constitutional Amendments: Constitutional Amendments (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Programme for Government 2011 states that the referendum on Children's Rights is a priority, and that the wording will be along the lines of that proposed by the All Party Oireachtas Committee. On taking office I instructed the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (DCYA) to work with the Office of the Attorney General, with a view to preparing a draft wording which will more closely...
- Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is attaching a high priority to the preparation of legislation to underpin Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. My Department is in the process of developing detailed legislative proposals in this regard which I will bring to Government for approval.
- Written Answers — Professional Fees: Professional Fees (14 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: My Department was formally established on 2nd June 2011 and to date it has incurred no expenditure on professional fees.
- Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (20 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The report 'Supporting Child Contact:the Need for Child Contact Centres in Ireland' prepared by One Family Organisation addressed the need for a service of this type to be established in the context of a wider discussion on social, health and justice related services in Ireland. My Department agreed to facilitate and coordinate the implementation of one of the reports key recommendations...
- Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (20 Sep 2011)
Frances Fitzgerald: The drafting of legislation with regard to Information and Tracing is a priority of mine and proposals such as those raised by the Adoption Alliance are being considered in the drafting process. The Heads of the Bill are currently being drafted, in consultation with the Adoption Authority. The aim is to provide for a structured and regulated way of providing access to information and...