Results 3,141-3,160 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Funding (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the importance of the services delivered by Darndale Belcamp Integrated Childcare Service Ltd. to some 260 children across the areas of Darndale, Belcamp and Moatview. In 2013 the Centre incurred expenditure of €2.022 million and received funding amounting to €1.960 million resulting in a deficit of €62,000. The Centre employs...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Data (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Adoption Authority of Ireland has advised that in 2012 there were no domestic infant adoptions in Ireland and in 2013 there were 3. For the purposes of this question the Authority has defined infants as children under 2 years of age. These relatively low figures for domestic adoption of Irish children reflect the development of social attitudes which have seen historically high rates...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Young People’s Facilities and Services Fund was set up in 1998 to assist in the development of preventative strategies in a targeted manner through the development of youth facilities, including sports and recreational facilities, and services in disadvantaged areas where a significant drug problem exists or has the potential to develop. The role of the National Assessment...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Under the Adoption Act, 2010, adoptions may take place with countries who are party to the Hague Convention or following the negotiation of a bilateral agreement with non-Hague countries. Efforts are ongoing in my Department in relation to a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption between Ireland and the Russian Federation. A delegation of Russian officials travelled to Ireland in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Direct Provision System (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy is aware, direct provision centres and the Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) are under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for Justice and Equality. His Department has responsibility for the welfare of children in those centres but I would like to assure the Deputy that I have had ongoing contact with my colleague on this topic and that senior officials within my...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 116 and 124 together. I understand that the Deputies are referring to particular cases where children and their families find themselves without a home. In cases where families with children find themselves without a home, the primary need is for accommodation and responsibility for this lies with local authorities and the Department of the Environment,...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Beauty Pageants (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I share the deep distaste of colleagues for events such as child beauty pageants which are not at all appropriate for children. I have asked my Department to examine options which can be taken. The answer, however, is not always legislative. I note that legislative proposals in France on banning pageants ran into difficulties in light of criticisms...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: In order to resolve the difficulties that Irish families who were in the process of adopting from Russia experienced due to changes in Russian adoption legislation that took place in July 2013, the Government introduced, and the Oireachtas approved, the Adoption (Amendment) Act 2013. The Adoption (Amendment) Act 2013 extends the period of declarations of eligibility and suitability which...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Immigration Policy (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Correspondence from the Department of Justice and Equality regarding the Immigration, Residence and Protection Bill was recently received by my Department and officials are currently considering the submission. I understand that work is ongoing between the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and officials in the Department of Justice and Equality in relation to the Bill and that it will...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Detention Centres Provision (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: There is a commitment in the Programme for Government to end the practice of detaining children in adult prison facilities, which under the Children Act 2001 means all young people up to the age of 18 years. I wish to assure the House that this will be at the top of my agenda, as it was for my predecessor. The transfer of responsibility for 16 year old boys has already taken place and this...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy Publication (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Early Years Strategy is one of a number of detailed strategies being developed under the National Children and Young People’s Policy Framework 2014-2018. This Framework, which was published recently, sets out the overall principles, vision and outcomes for children and young people and will guide actions across Government over the period 2014 to 2018. I expect that the Early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Establishment (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Child and Family Agency was established on 1 January, 2014. It has involved the bringing together of almost 3,800 staff from three organisations, the HSE, the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board. The establishment of the new Agency with a budget of over €600m represents one of the most ambitious and far reaching public sector reforms undertaken by the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Mental Health Services Provision (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: A key policy objective of the Child and Family Agency is to ensure that the fundamental principles of co-operation and co-ordination in the development and delivery of services are in place. This objective is reflected and underpinned through formal agreements between the Child and Family Agency and the Health Service Executive, most notably by way of a Joint Protocol for Inter-Agency...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: A number of childcare support programmes are implemented by my Department to support parents with the cost of childcare. These include the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme, the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme and the new After-school Childcare programme. These programmes represent an annual...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Proceedings (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I have asked the Child and Family Agency to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the court proceedings in question. As the Deputy is aware, matters in relation to the Legal Aid Board are the responsibility of my colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality. I understand that any parent whose child is the subject of care proceedings by the Child and Family Agency may apply to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Efforts are ongoing in my Department in relation to a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption between Ireland and the Russian Federation. A delegation of Russian officials travelled to Ireland in October 2013 for further discussions on a bilateral agreement on intercountry adoption between Ireland and the Russian Federation. The meeting was very positive and detailed discussions took...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme provides one free pre-school year to qualifying children before they commence primary school. The ECCE programme is a free and universal programme to which all children have access and there is no provision in the programme contract for the exclusion of any child. To make the ECCE programme more accessible to children with special...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Child and Family Agency compiles monthly performance reports which include statistics in relation to children in care. These reports are published on the Agency's website. The latest report published in February 2014 shows that the majority of the 6,489 children in care had an allocated social worker (92.2%) and an up to date written care plan (87.5%). Of the children in care, 505...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Regulation (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The enactment through the Child and Family Agency Act 2013 of amendments to the Child Care Act 1991 underpins a number of key reforms being introduced as part of the Pre-School Quality Agenda. The amended legislation strengthens the current inspection regime, provides a statutory basis for the registration of early years services, and also provides for the setting of minimum qualification...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children First Guidelines (13 May 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Services for families who are made homeless are under the remit of my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, and the Local Authorities. These statutory bodies have responsibility for child protection in their own sectors. The Deputy may wish to note that in the Children First Bill 2014, which is currently progressing through the Oireachtas, persons...