Results 3,361-3,380 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Missing Persons: Missing Persons (22 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...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before commencing primary school. The programme includes a number of provisions to enable children with special needs to benefit fully from the programme. These include an option for children with special needs to apply to have the...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (22 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. While the drafting of the Heads of Bill is still under way in...

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (22 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. While the drafting of the Heads of Bill is still under way in...

Written Answers — Child Protection: Child Protection (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE has piloted and is currently evaluating two out-of-hours pilot projects, one in Donegal and the other in Cork. The Donegal pilot project commenced in mid 2011 and the Cork project in the third quarter of last year. Both projects are still running and involve the provision by local HSE staff of social work support out-of-hours where deemed necessary by Gardai. HSE social workers...

Written Answers — Departmental Staff: Departmental Staff (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Department of Children and Youth Affairs was established on the 2nd June 2011. I can confirm that no retired public servant was re-hired by my Department in the period up to April 2012.

Written Answers — Adoption Services: Adoption Services (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: At the outset it must be understood that the Adoption Authority of Ireland, and its predecessor The Adoption Board, has no statutory responsibility in respect of the matter raised but has endeavoured to assist persons affected, to the extent open to it. In that regard, I would refer to the fact that the Guidelines on Information and Tracing services first issued by the Adoption Board in 2004...

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The latest information from the HSE indicates that 57 social worker posts have been submitted to the National Recruitment Service since the beginning of 2012 and in the following care areas: 48 Children and Families 6 Mental Health 1 Acute Services 2 Not stated These posts are at various stages of recruitment. It will be seen from the figures that the vast majority of the replacement posts...

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The latest available information from the HSE is in respect of February 2012. This indicates that 89.3% of the total of 6,168 children in care nationally across all care types had a written care plan as defined by Child Care Regulations 1995. The figures for March are currently being finalised and as soon as this information becomes available it will be forwarded to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Children in Care: Children in Care (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The latest available information from the HSE is in respect of February 2012. This indicates that 91.9% of the 6,168 children in care nationally across all care types have an allocated social worker. The figures for March are currently being finalised and as soon as this information becomes available it will be forwarded to the Deputy.

Written Answers — Health Service Staff: Health Service Staff (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Government has decided that health service employment numbers must be reduced to approximately 102,000 by the end of this year, in line with its commitment to reduce public expenditure. The employment control framework for the health sector, including children and family services, is expected to be finalised shortly. It is not anticipated that any particular grade will be exempted from...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The establishment for the first time of a dedicated budget for children and families in 2012 is an important part of the ongoing 'change agenda', which is aimed at strengthening organisation capacity, business processes and systems, and will pave the way for the transition to the new Child and Family Support Agency in 2013. The Government has made additional budgeting provision of €19m for...

Written Answers — Ministerial Transport: Ministerial Transport (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: In line with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform guidelines on ministerial appointments, I employ two civilian drivers on a week on/week off basis to drive my private car on official business. Each driver receives €631.75 per week in respect of these duties and are not entitled to claim overtime. However, they are entitled to claim subsistence payments in respect of certified...

Written Answers — Child Care Services: Child Care Services (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which provides one free pre-school year to each eligible child, is implemented by my Department. The ECCE programme was introduced in January 2010, and a number of transitional measures were included to make it more acceptable to the childcare sector. One of these measures related to the number of weeks over which the free pre-school...

Written Answers — Departmental Funding: Departmental Funding (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Scouting Ireland, which is a voluntary, uniformed, non-formal educational movement for young people, receives grant-aid funding under my Department's Youth Service Grant Scheme. In addition, a large number of local scout units receive one-off annual grants from my Department under the Local Youth Club Grant Scheme to assist with group activity and/or running costs. Officials of my...

Written Answers — Departmental Expenditure: Departmental Expenditure (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department was formally established on 2nd June, 2011. From 2nd June to December 2011 the sum of €264,486.52 was spent on external support and consultancy by my Department. My Department has a particular remit in relation to children's participation and research. Many of the projects undertaken relate to these important initiatives. Name of Company Expenditure 2011 Trinity College...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (22 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 590 and 591 together. With effect from 1 November 2010, intercountry adoptions can be effected with other countries which have ratified the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption (the Hague Adoption Convention) or with countries with which Ireland has a bilateral agreement. Kazakhstan has ratified the...

Written Answers — Inter-Country Adoptions: Inter-Country Adoptions (23 May 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 2012. The Adoption Act 2010 also contains provision for a one year...

Written Answers — Departmental Agencies: Departmental Agencies (24 May 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Family Support Agency (FSA) was established by way of primary legislation in 2001. The FSA became an agency of my Department in 2011. In the last three yeas, the approved level of funding for the FSA was as follows:- 2011 - €28.455m 2010 - €30.949m 2009 - €35.981 At present, the Agency consists of a total of 13 staff. This includes 1 Acting CEO, 2 Assistant Principals, 3 Higher...

Written Answers — Child Abuse: Child Abuse (6 Jun 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE, which has statutory responsibility for child welfare and protection, has been conducting a national audit of all Catholic dioceses and Religious Orders. I have indicated previously that I am awaiting receipt of the HSE's diocesan report before responding to any calls for the establishment of further State or other inquiries into any dioceses. The HSE expects to be in a position...