Results 3,081-3,100 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Ministerial Travel: Ministerial Travel (21 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The question is not applicable to my Department as it was only established on 2 June 2011

Written Answers — Foreign Adoptions: Foreign Adoptions (21 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Adoptions from Ethiopia, effected under the transitional arrangements provided for in the Adoption Act 2010, are ongoing and are currently being examined, and recognised, by the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI). These transitional arrangements may lead to adoptions from Ethiopia taking place up to the end of October 2013. Adoptions from Ethiopia which are not covered by the transitional...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (21 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The issue raised by the Deputy is a matter of concern and my Department has previously raised the matter with the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI). I can assure the Deputy that the issue is receiving priority attention and I expect to receive the report, which I understand is at a very advanced stage of preparation, very shortly. The delay in preparing the final Annual Report of the...

Children's Rights Referendum (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The referendum on children's rights is a programme for Government priority. The Government recently endorsed the holding of the referendum on a stand-alone basis during the course of 2012. Since taking office, both officials of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and I have had a considerable number of meetings and communications with the Attorney General and her officials to...

Children's Rights Referendum (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: This issue has been discussed for a long time. A referendum was first promised by a former Taoiseach on 3 November 2006 at the Fianna Fáil Ard-Fheis; therefore, there were five years during which Fianna Fáil could have brought it forward. The Government recently endorsed the holding of the referendum on a stand-alone basis during the course of 2012. The precise timing depends on a number...

Children's Rights Referendum (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for his comments on his approach to the holding of the referendum. I acknowledge the work done by Mary O'Rourke as Chairman of the committee during the 64 meetings it held on the issue. There is a huge body of work in which we all took part. We are trying to draft a wording which will be as close as possible to the committee's wording. As Deputy Ó Caoláin was also a...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE compiles a monthly census of employment in the public health and social care sector. The latest data available is in respect of January 2012. This shows that the total number of social workers employed in the HSE and in directly funded agencies was 2,435 whole time equivalents, WTEs. The impact of recent retirements will be more fully reflected in future monthly employment returns....

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Yes, 31 had retired by the end of February. I will clarify it for the Deputy. The figures are for the period up to the end of January. Of the 31, some might well have retired before February. Those figures are still being compiled. The Deputy should accept that there is a fair amount of movement at present. I will come back to him as soon as I have the full figures. The figure is 31 at...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I wish to make a number of points. A total of 262 extra social workers were recruited last year and the year before. It is, effectively, a 25% increase in the number of social workers dealing with child care, protection and welfare. If 25% more social workers were recruited in the child protection area prior to the retirements, it is important to acknowledge that. One can make the...

Health Service Staff (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The number of social workers has increased in each of the years 2009 to 2010, inclusive. The other point is that while obviously numbers are important, how one organises the services is equally important. There is a reform programme under way. I can give an example. Some of the social workers who previously worked in adoption, an area where there is a changing scenario, will be...

Adoption Legislation (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy refers to issues relating to records created prior to, and post, the introduction of the statutory regime for adoption in Ireland in the Adoption Act 1952. Therefore, for clarity and to provide the Deputy with as much information as I can, I will deal with both questions separately. Prior to 1952, there was no statutory regime for adoption as we now understand it. Children were...

Adoption Legislation (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy quoted a figure of thousands pre-1952, but we must be careful of the numbers involved. The Adoption Board had 99 people coming forward who believed they were adopted, yet records could not be found. While that is the number of people who have come forward, I take the point that there may well be others who have not made themselves known to the Adoption Authority. Some 50% of...

Adoption Legislation (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I agree with the Deputy abut the importance of this issue. I completely share her views on the question of access to identity and having as much information as possible. We must have the strongest possible legislation to deal with this issue, although there are some constitutional challenges surrounding that. I want to make it clear, however, that if there are bodies out there holding...

Child Protection Audit (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE, which has statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, is in the process of finalising a national audit of child protection policies, procedures and practices in each Catholic diocese. There are essentially two elements to the audit: first, a retrospective aspect which examines how each diocese responded to allegations of child sexual abuse in the past and, second, a...

Child Protection Audit (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The delay is a reflection of the amount of work being done by the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church and the HSE. The volume of material from the dioceses is as I have outlined. There has been a very good response, which I welcome, and a lot of new material has been presented. It was presented in January and February in response to further work the HSE was...

Child Protection Audit (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: One of the reasons I am willing to respond to what the HSE asked me to do and, by implication, the church because it has presented the new material is that I want to receive as up-to-date a report as I can possibly get. It is reasonable to say there is new material that needs to be incorporated. I have received an assurance from Mr. Gordon Jeyes regarding the June date.

Child Protection Audit (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is clear that more information is being supplied to the HSE for the audit, which is important, and it needs to be assessed and published. It is being examined and incorporated into the report. There are also legal implications. When one rewrites a report, natural justice demands that one go back to the people who gave the information. That is also part of what has to happen and it is...

Child Welfare Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I have statutory responsibility for the child welfare and protection services. My colleague, the Minister for Health, in conjunction with the Minister for State with responsibility for disability, equality and mental health services and older people, has responsibility for mental health and disability services. I work closely with both, as I do...

Child Welfare Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: When we talk about Children First, it is important to be aware that a cross-departmental group is working on the issue. The Deputy is right when he says ensuring the safety of children involves cross-departmental work. We have a cross-departmental group working with the Garda and others are represented in the group which is looking at implementation of Children First. We must go right down...

Child Welfare Services (22 Mar 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I accept Deputy Boyd Barrett's point on working with other Departments. I assure him that I am doing that. I am taking an overview. The policy overview on these issues is extremely important. That is why we are having the interdepartmental meetings on mental health as well as on how Children First, for example, is being implemented. Deputy Boyd Barrett asked me also about child protection...