Results 3,281-3,300 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Child Abuse (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy for raising this question. I have said all along that reporting is just one aspect of this area. The Children First guidelines, which have been in place for ten years, and the proposed legislation are about working effectively with other agencies, having good quality interagency work and sharing information. That is the kind of culture to which we need to move to provide...

Child Abuse (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: We want to prevent children coming into care. That is the key approach.

Child Abuse (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank Deputy Ó Caoláin for his comments on this legislation at committee recently. I can assure Deputy McConalogue there is no charade going on. It is far from that. There is actually action for a change on this issue. Cross-departmental discussions are taking place on additional funding for training. It is one of the issues that will be addressed. Quite a bit of money has been put...

Child Abuse (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I agree completely with the Deputy.

Departmental Programmes (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is developing a new children and young people's policy framework to cover the period from 2012 to 2017. It will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland's first children's strategy, which was published in 2000. This high-level policy framework will also facilitate the preparation of a number of more detailed strategies, including Ireland's first ever national early years...

Departmental Programmes (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Of course, it makes absolute sense if we are forming a new strategy to review the old one, examine what has been implemented and consider outstanding issues. The new strategy will be more comprehensive, illustrated by the fact that there was not a focus on the early years which I am now establishing with the policy group; we will have a detailed strategy on those early years. We will...

Departmental Programmes (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I was pleased the Government could give extra resources to my Department last year for child protection and to maintain the early years universal free pre-school year. An extra €19 million was provided so those services could be available to young children. That is a protective action for young people and we will continue it so that early years services can be protected.

Written Answers — Preschool Curriculum: Preschool Curriculum (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 97 and 110 together. Implementation of Aistear, the Early Childhood Curriculum Framework is being led by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA). The NCCA have set in place a range of activities to disseminate the materials and resources of Aistear to all those working with children in the 0-6 age range. For example, the online Aistear...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: In accordance with the Adoption Act, 2010, which came into effect on 1 November 2010, intercountry adoptions can be effected with other countries which have ratified the Hague Convention or with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement. Ireland currently has no bilateral agreements in respect of intercountry adoption. The Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI) has responsibility for making...

Written Answers — Foster Care Services: Foster Care Services (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care Act, 1991(as amended) the Health Service Executive (HSE) has a statutory duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care and protection. If a child is in need of care and protection and is unlikely to receive it at home, the HSE has a duty to ensure they receive appropriate care. The majority of children in care are in foster care. Prospective...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (15 May 2012)

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 (Rounds 1 and 2) and certain other provisions including the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme, Youth Information Centres, European Youth in Action Programme (administered...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 101 and 120 together. Under the Child Care Act 1991 children should, in the first instance, be supported to remain with their families. Children should only be taken into care where the HSE has identified abuse or the risk of abuse, including neglect that cannot be prevented or resolved without the child being received into care. The various factors which can...

Written Answers — Children's Rights Referendum: Children's Rights Referendum (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 102 and 130 together. The Referendum on Children's Rights is a Programme for Government priority. The Government is satisfied that the nature of this referendum is such that it will be conducted on a stand alone basis to support fullest debate and engagement by the public on the issue in the bests interests of children. A draft wording of the proposed...

Written Answers — Youth Services: Youth Services (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy is aware two policy developments the Youth Work Act, 2001 and the National Youth Work Development Plan 2003-2007 have provided the impetus for much of the development in the youth work sector in recent years. The Youth Work Act was introduced in 2001 and outlines a number of structural arrangements for the organisation and administration of youth work policy and provision....

Written Answers — Children's Residential Centres Inspections: Children's Residential Centres Inspections (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: All children's residential centres are inspected to ensure that the children living in the centre are receiving the care and protection that they require. The HSE registers and inspects non-statutory voluntary and private children's residential centres. Inspections are undertaken against the National Standards for Children's Residential Centres, which are available on my Department's...

Written Answers — Child and Family Support Agency: Child and Family Support Agency (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The commitment to establish a new Child and Family Support Agency is at the heart of the Government's reform of child and family services. The establishment of a single agency, underpinned by legislation and incorporating key children and family services, will provide a focus for the major reforms already underway. This reform programme contains a number of critical elements: · The...

Written Answers — Children and Young People's Policy Framework: Children and Young People's Policy Framework (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be aware that my Department is developing a new Children and Young Peoples Policy Framework. It will build on Our Children - Their Lives, Ireland's first children's strategy which was published in 2000 and will cover the period from 2012 to 2017. The new Policy Framework is being developed in a holistic way to comprehend the continuum of the lifecourse from infancy, through...

Written Answers — Adoption Legislation: Adoption Legislation (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I, and officials of my Department, are continuing a substantial engagement with the Attorney General and her officials to progress the Government's commitment to a referendum to amend the Constitution to ensure that children's rights are strenghtened along the lines recommended by the Joint Committee on Children and the Constitution (JCCAC). The immediate focus of this engagement is the...

Written Answers — Review Group on Child Deaths: Review Group on Child Deaths (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 108 and 123 together. The final report of the Independent Review Group on Child Deaths was sent to my Department in March, 2012. In line with my long-stated intention to publish the report, it was referred to the Office of the Attorney General for advice with regard to publication, bearing in mind the very sensitive matters being addressed in the report, and...

Written Answers — Missing Children's Hotline: Missing Children's Hotline (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under EU telecoms rules agreed in 2009, the 116000 number is reserved in all EU member states for a missing children hotline. My Department established and is leading a cross-sectoral Project Team, including representatives of my own Department, the Department of Justice and Equality, ComReg and An Garda Síochána to advance this matter. The position is that Comreg, who have responsibility...