Results 3,301-3,320 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Report of the Special Rapporteur on Child Protection was received by my Department on the 7th of February this year. The report has been distributed to relevant Ministerial colleagues for observations on the range of issues highlighted by the report. Once this consultation process has been completed my Department will make the necessary arrangements to have the report laid before both...

Written Answers — Child Abuse Prevention Training: Child Abuse Prevention Training (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am aware of the Committee recommendation referred to by the Deputy. The revised Children First National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children, published in 2011, provides greater clarity and guidance for individuals and organisations in identifying and responding appropriately to child abuse and neglect. It also sets out what organisations which care for or work with children...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 113 and 126 together. The Youth Affairs Unit of 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...

Written Answers — Services for Children with Disabilities: Services for Children with Disabilities (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: While my Department has a role in working to harmonise a range of policies that impact on the lives of children, it does not have a function in relation to the provision of services or supports for children with intellectual or physical disabilities. At Government level, responsibility for such supports lies with my colleague the Minister for Health, and, in relation to education supports,...

Written Answers — Garda Vetting of Personnel: Garda Vetting of Personnel (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Garda Vetting Liaison Office was established in the HSE in late 2007. Since that time, all employees recruited through the HSE National Recruitment Service are Garda vetted. The issue of retrospective vetting of employees will be addressed in the context of the forthcoming National Vetting Bureau legislation, currently being prepared by the colleague the Minister for Justice and Equality.

Written Answers — Social Work Staff: Social Work Staff (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The latest information available from the HSE indicates that 45 HSE employees that are classified within the social work grades across all care groups have retired since the 1st January 2012. It should be noted that these figures cover HSE statutory employees only and do not include staff who may have retired from voluntary or nominated organisations. The HSE has informed me that it has...

Written Answers — Child Poverty: Child Poverty (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Tackling child poverty is a priority for Government and a 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 departments of Social Protection, Jobs, Enterprise and...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 119 and 125 together. The Adoption Act, 2010, which was commenced on 1st November 2010, coincided with Ireland's formal ratification of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. The purpose of the Adoption Act, 2010, is to improve standards in both domestic and intercountry adoption. The Adoption...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government currently supports the provision of early childhood care and education through three support programmes - the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, the Community Childcare Subvention (CCS) programme and the Childcare Education and Training Support (CETS) programme. These programmes are administered by my Department. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE)...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Co-operation in the area of child welfare and protection services has been a feature of North/South engagement over the past number of years, and is reported on by respective Ministers to the regular North/South Ministerial Council Plenary and Sectoral meetings. To date work in this area has been concentrated on five areas: (i) the establishment of the North South Child Protection Hub, a...

Written Answers — Juvenile Offenders: Juvenile Offenders (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 124 and 136 together. The Programme for Government includes a commitment to end the practice of sending children to St Patrick's Institution. This is the central principle of current policy in the area of juvenile detention and facilities. By agreement with the Minister for Justice and Equality, I assumed legal responsibility for the children detention...

Written Answers — Social Work Staff: Social Work Staff (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The latest information from the HSE indicates that 31 social work staff in the children and families care group availed of the early retirement scheme. The HSE is actively reviewing the impact of recent retirements at national and regional level. The National Director of Children and Families Services, Gordon Jeyes, will apply his discretion over the course of the year to the filling of...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department is developing a new strategy for children and young people. It 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 children and young people's policy framework is being developed in a holistic way to comprehend the continuum of the lifecourse from infancy, through early...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: The Hague Convention is a co-operative agreement drawn up to allow countries to mutually support one another in protecting the best interests of children in the intercountry adoption process. It sets out minimum standards regarding intercountry adoption and covers issues such as subsidiarity, consent and financial considerations. It is designed in such a way as to allow for mirrored...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Considerable progress has been made in drafting the Heads of Bill for the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill 2012. The proposed legislation has been included in the legislative programme for my Department for 2012 and it is one of a number of Bills which I intend to introduce in the Oireachtas during the course of this year. It is not possible to give a publication date at this stage.

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

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 132 and 133 together. It is not clear from the questions what supports are being referred to and responsibility for dealing with supports for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender young people is likely to fall to a number of Departments. Within my Department, the Youth Affairs Unit of my Department funds BeLonGTo, a voluntary organisation working with...

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

Frances Fitzgerald: Approval was granted by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for the recruitment of a number of key posts to make up the management team for the new Agency. A recruitment process is underway for the following posts; Chief Operations Officer, Head of Corporate and Human Resources, Head of Finance, Head of Policy and Planning, Head of Quality Assurance.

Written Answers — Legislative Programme: Legislative Programme (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I meet my Government colleagues regularly, both collectively and also bilaterally on specific shared issues. I met with Minister Burton only last week to discuss a number of issues relating to the impact on children and families of the changes made in the Budget. In addition in view of the strong links between the work of our two Departments there is ongoing liaison at official level,...

Written Answers — Ombudsman for Children: Ombudsman for Children (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 defines a "child" as a person under the age of 18 years. The remit of the Ombudsman for Children is defined accordingly. I am aware that the Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People also defines a child or young person as a person under the age of 18 but extends that definition to include a person under the age of 21 with a disability...

Written Answers — Social Work Staff: Social Work Staff (15 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government has made additional budgeting provision of €19m for child welfare and protection services compared to the funding made available last year. This compares to a reduction of €14m which was made in the HSE's 2011 National Service Plan which was approved in December 2010. The additional funding made available for 2012 provides further impetus to the comprehensive reform of...