Results 2,381-2,400 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Youth Services (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I can only agree with Deputy Stanton, it is a point well made. Access to facilities and resources is a huge issue. We have seen buildings that could be used by local youth clubs and organisations that are empty in the evenings, the very time when they could be available to such organisations. I will pursue that with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government to see if...

Cabinet Committees (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Some 113 reports.

Cabinet Committees (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy promised fundamental reform.

Written Answers — Literacy Levels: Literacy Levels (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Literacy and Numeracy Strategy was launched by my colleague, the Minister for Education and Skills, in July of this year. The Strategy's publication is a milestone in the development of the early years sector in Ireland, as it recognises the central role played by experiences in early childhood in the development of literacy and numeracy skills. Early intervention is crucial and the...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. These include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young Peoples Facilities and Services Fund and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, Youth Information Centres, European Youth in Action Programme (administered by Léargas –...

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Commission of Investigation has completed its work. Separately the HSE is finalising a national audit of child protection policies, procedures and practices in each Catholic diocese. I am advised that the report of this audit is at an advanced stage and that the HSE hopes to submit the report to me by the end of October. The need for follow up action will be informed by the findings of...

Written Answers — Proposed Legislation: Proposed Legislation (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government has committed, as a priority, to the introduction of legislation to underpin Children First. The objective will be to ensure the greater protection of children by raising societal awareness of child abuse and the need to better safeguard children. It is my intention that the legislation will reflect a broad based approach to compliance with obligations extending beyond...

Written Answers — Family Support Services: Family Support Services (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I recently established the Task Force on the Child and Family Support Agency under the chairmanship of Ms Maureen Lynott. The inaugural meeting took place on September 15th last, and the second meeting was held just last week. The Task Force will advise my Department in regard to the necessary transition programme to establish a Child and Family Support Agency, and will base its work on best...

Written Answers — Child Protection Services: Child Protection Services (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) has convened a Standards Advisory Group to advise on the development of National Standards for the Protection and Welfare of Children. The Advisory Group, which comprises a wide representation of people from the health and social care sector has met several times and will continue to advise HIQA on the draft standards, prior to a wider...

Written Answers — Homeless Persons: Homeless Persons (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 63 and 80 together. My Department, together with the Department of the Environment, Community and Local Government and service providers engaged in addressing the problem of youth homelessness met at the end of May, to assess and review the current demand for services, the progress made to date under the Youth Homelessness Strategy 2001 and the need to...

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The introduction of a missing children's hotline has been the subject of discussions between my Department, other Government Departments and prospective service providers including NGOs. The notification of a missing child is a matter for the Garda Síochána, and accordingly I am in contact with my colleague Mr Alan Shatter TD, Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence in seeking to...

Written Answers — Anti-Poverty Strategy: Anti-Poverty Strategy (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Tackling child poverty is a priority for Government and a key goal of the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007- 2016, coordinated by the Department of Social Protection. Children are more likely to be poor if they are living in lone parent households with low labour market participation and dependant on income support. The Government programme sets out a framework to achieve real...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 45 of the Childcare Act 1991 places a statutory duty on the HSE to form a view in relation to each person leaving care as to whether there is a "need for assistance" and if it forms such a view to provide services in accordance with the section and subject to resources and that all young people who have had a care history with the HSE, be it foster care, residential care or high...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The approved Employment Control Framework for the HSE exempts social worker posts from the current moratorium on recruitment and the filling of vacancies. An additional 60 social workers are due to be recruited by the HSE in 2011. In reviewing its overall appointment and recruitment the HSE, last week, prioritised some key development posts and decided to process the recruitment of these...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 71 together. My Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. These include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, Youth Information Centres, European...

Written Answers — Departmental Strategy Statements: Departmental Strategy Statements (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 69 and 78 together. My Department is developing a new strategy for children and young people. The strategy will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland's first children's strategy which was published in 2000 and it will cover the period from 2012 to 2017. The new strategy is being developed in a holistic way to comprehend the continuum of the life course...

Written Answers — Asylum Support Services: Asylum Support Services (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: Unaccompanied minors seeking asylum are in need of care and protection under the Child Care Act, 1991 and are entitled to the same treatment and rights as indigenous young people. The immediate and the ongoing needs of separated children seeking asylum (SCSA) relating to accommodation, medical and social needs as well as their application for refugee status are the responsibility of the...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: In 2011, the Health Service Executive (HSE) commissioned a review of the capacity for alternative care services, including Aftercare services. An audit was undertaken last March and the HSE has provided the following information based on this audit. A total of 1,051 young people were in receipt of aftercare nationally at March 2011. The breakdown between male and female was 46% and 54%...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department provides a range of funding schemes, programmes and supports to the youth sector. These include the Youth Service Grant Scheme, the Special Projects for Youth Scheme, the Young People's Facilities and Services Fund and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, Youth Information Centres, European Youth in Action Programme (administered by Léargas –...

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (27 Sep 2011)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government is committed to fundamental reform and transformation of the delivery of our children and family services. A number of significant structural and legislative changes are key to effecting such reform. This includes the establishment of a new agency with dedicated responsibility for the delivery of child welfare and protection services, separate from the HSE and reporting...