Results 3,281-3,300 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (18 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: There are three agencies which are currently funded by the Exchequer through my Department's vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland, the Child and Family Agency and the Ombudsman for Children's Office. Up to 31stDecember 2013 my Department also funded the Family Support Agency and the National Educational Welfare Board. With the establishment of the Child and Family Agency on...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Industrial Disputes (19 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I am informed by the Child and Family Agency that, despite detailed management proposals to move towards compliance with the European Working Time Directive having been provided by management, significant differences between management and unions remain. The matter has now been referred to the Labour Court.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Remuneration (19 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Government pay policy is clear that remuneration rates for civil and public servants must be appropriately approved and sanctioned in advance of payment. Pay policy is underpinned by administrative and legislative requirements. I can confirm to the Deputy that staff employed in my Department and in public service agencies under the aegis of my Department are paid in line with approved...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Commissions of Investigation (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 695 and 696 together. The Government has undertaken to establish a Commission of Investigation into the issues relating to the recent revelations and public controversy on conditions in Mother and Baby Homes. I have also confirmed that the intended scope of this investigation will go beyond the home operated by the Sisters of Bon Secours in Tuam, Co. Galway...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Social Workers Register (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The HSE HR Circular 008/2013 sets out the policy on Annual Certification of Registration of Social Workers with the Social Workers Registration Board at CORU. This policy places a requirement on each staff member who is employed to work as a social worker by the Child & Family Agency (TUSLA) to certify annually the following:- - That they are appropriately registered on the register...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: National Children's Strategy (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Better Outcomes: Brighter Futures: the National Policy Framework for Children and Young People 2014 - 2020 builds on Our Children — Their Lives, the first National Children's Strategy (2000). It is a whole-of-Government approach to policies for children and young people. The development of a new policy framework meets one of the key recommendations of the implementation plan for the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Provision (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: A number of support programmes are implemented by my Department to assist parents in accessing pre-school and after- school services. For example 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. To...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Young people who leave State care are entitled to advice, guidance and practical support. This is delivered in partnership with the young person, his or her family, foster carers, social workers, key residential social care workers and other statutory, community and voluntary agencies. Approximately 450 children leave care annually. Aftercare is the planning and support put in place to...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: My Department has asked the Child and Family Agency for the information requested. I will revert to the Deputy as soon as possible on this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I have been advised by the Agency that at the end of December 2013 there were 6,462 children in care. A breakdown of the care orders which underpinned the first placement of these children is currently been collated. I will revert to the Deputy when this information becomes available.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I apologise for the delay in providing this information. The Agency has advised that retainer fees are not paid to secure a placement for a child in private residential centres. I am advised by the Agency that the cost of placing children in private child care residential centres in the years 2012 - 2013 is as follows: Private Residential Care Expenditure Child & Family Agency ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by my Department. However, Pobal administers the Childcare Capital Programmes and the Community Childcare Subvention Programme on behalf of the Department that requires them to collect certain financial data from participating service providers. This data does not relate to all childcare service providers. According to the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 705 and 706 together. As part of the Child and Family Agency's commitment to develop a comprehensive continuum of care services to meet the divergent and complex needs of all children in care, Crannóg Nua High Support Unit is to be redesignated to function as a Special Care Unit. An upgrade of current buildings, with an additional new build residential...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Early Childhood Care and Education programme was introduced in January 2010, and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children before commencing primary school. Approximately 68,000 children are availing of the provision in the current pre-school year. The programme is expected to cost about €175m in the current year, including the cost of administration. A table...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Completion Programme (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I thank Senator Moran for raising this important issue, with particular reference to her area of Dundalk. I acknowledge the points she made about the importance of the scheme to children in her area. The school completion programme aims to retain young people in the formal education system to completion of senior cycle and to generally improve the school attendance, participation and...

Seanad: Adjournment Matters: School Completion Programme (24 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I accept the Senator's point about putting the child first. I also accept her point that investment in after-school projects such as this are, in effect, a long-term investment for the future. I advise her that the Child and Family Agency will continue to work closely with local management committees in County Louth, with schools and with the local school completion programme co-ordinators...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (25 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year for each eligible child before commencing primary school. Approximately 68,000 children availed of the free pre-school year in the 2012/2013 academic year and €175 million funding was made available to support the provision. It is expected that similar numbers...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Family Support Services (25 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Child and Family Agency has advised that since November 2012, the former Family Support Agency (now part of the Child and Family Agency), has been working with the Voluntary Board of Directors of the Family Resource Centre in question to address some concerns identified in relation to corporate governance practices. As these concerns remained outstanding in 2014, the Child and Family...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (25 Jun 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. To make the ECCE programme more accessible to children with special needs a number of additional provisions are in place. These include an exemption...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Data Protection (25 Jun 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Child and Family Agency has responsibilities under the Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 and the Freedom of Information Acts 1997 and 2003. The Agency is a registered body with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner and its details have been entered in the Public Register. The Agency's responsibilities under Data Protection legislation are independent of the Health Service...