Results 3,361-3,380 of 21,096 for speaker:Charles Flanagan

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I propose to take Questions Nos. 626, 647 and 658 to 660, inclusive, together. Special Care involves the detention of a child for his or her own welfare and protection in a Special Care Unit on order of the High Court. Special Care Units differ from ordinary residential care in that the Units offer higher staff ratios, on-site education as well as specialised input such as psychology and...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Irish Youth Justice Service (IYJS), which is based in my Department, continues to work to progress its goal to strengthen and develop its evidence base in order to support more effective policies and services for children in conflict with the law, which is one of the goals of the current Youth Justice Action Plan for the period 2014-2018. The IYJS continues to collect and develop...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Adoption Act 1952 provided a legal basis for adoption in Ireland and for the establishment of the Adoption Board. This brought order to what had been the system of ad-hoc arrangements in lieu of formal adoption procedures up to this point. All adoptions, which the Irish state has been involved in since 1952 have been carried out in line with this and subsequent adoption legislation....

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: International evidence indicates that raising the qualification levels of staff working with children is key to improving the quality of services. As part of the ongoing progression of the Early Years Quality Agenda, it was announced last year that by September 2015 all staff working directly with children in the 0-6 years age category in early years services would have to have a minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Preschool Services (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Early Childhood Care and Education programme was introduced in January 2010 and provides a free preschool year to all eligible children before commencing primary school. Approximately 68,000 children are availing of the provision in the current academic year. The programme is designed to be delivered for three hours per day, five days per week, over 38 weeks (183 days per year), and is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services Data (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I have requested the information from the Child and Family Agency and I will revert to the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Psychological Assessments (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I have requested the information from the Child and Family Agency and I will revert to the Deputy when this information is to hand.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Guardian Ad Litem Service (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: In 2013 the final cost of guardian ad litem services (GALs), which were paid by the HSE, was as follows GAL legal fees € 4,859,064 GAL Direct payments € 7,178,045 Full GAL costs€12,037,109 In 2014 the cost of GAL services paid to date by Tusla* (the Child and Family Agency) are as follows:- GAL legal fees € 3,145,572 GAL Direct payments € 2,473,137 Full GAL...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Proposed Legislation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: As I stated previously in reply to earlier P.Q.s I am committed to reforming the established, largely ad hoc, basis of the existing arrangements in relation to guardians ad litem. The position is that in care proceedings under the Child Care Act 1991, a guardian ad litem may be appointed by a Court. In accordance with the Act, guardians ad litem are appointed where the Court considers...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Missing Children (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Child and Family Agency to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Missing Children (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: As this is an operational matter, I have asked the Child and Family Agency to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Years Strategy Implementation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The National Early Years Access Initiative (NEYAI) is a collaborative partnership between The Atlantic Philanthropies, Mount Street Club Trust, the Department of Children and Youth Affairs, the Early Years Education Policy Unit (DES) and Pobal, who provide from a Governance, management and administration role to the initiative. The NEYAI aims to improve quality and practice within early...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: My Department is continuing work on the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill and I hope to be in a position to seek Government approval to publish the Heads of the Bill as soon as possible. While I am anxious to improve the legal basis for access to adoption records, proposals to Government have to reflect the constraints on the Legislature in providing such access if they are not to fall...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Expenditure (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: Responsibility for the funding of the Rape Crisis Centres and Refuges previously funded by the HSE became the responsibility of the new Child and Family Agency upon its establishment on 1 January, 2014. In 2013 the HSE spent over €17 million on the provision of domestic and sexual violence services. This included the funding of 60 services throughout the country comprising:- -...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: The Adoption Authority has accredited Helping Hands Adoption Mediation Agency to facilitate intercountry adoptions from India. The Authority has informed the Indian Central Authority, CARA, of the Authority's decision and sought a favourable and speedy decision on approval from the Indian authorities. Helping Hands Mediation Agency has lodged an application for accreditation with CARA in the...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Qualifications (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: International evidence indicates that raising the qualification levels of staff working with children is key to improving the quality of services. As part of the ongoing progression of the Early Years Quality Agenda, it was announced last year that by September 2015 all staff working directly with children in the 0-6 years age category in early years services would have to have a minimum...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Special Educational Needs Service Provision (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I am aware that the Health Service Executive does, where possible, provide additional supports to children with special needs to enable them to avail of preschool services in mainstream preschool settings. My Department has been working with the Department of Health in the context of building better supports to facilitate the inclusion of special needs children in mainstream preschool...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Child Care Education (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: As stated in my response to the previous Parliamentary Question the information requested by the Deputy is not routinely collected by my Department. I am including a table below based on the information collected by Pobal showing the reasons, where provided, for the closures of the 165 child care facilities. I wish to point out again that this data does not relate to all child care...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child and Family Agency Staff (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: I am advised by the Child and Family Agency that the recruitment process with respect to the position of Area Manager for the Mayo area is well advanced. Interviews for the position have been concluded and it is anticipated that the successful candidate will be appointed within the next few weeks.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Legislative Measures (1 Jul 2014)

Charles Flanagan: As the Deputy is aware, a number of sections, mainly in Part 2 and Part 3, of the Child Care (Amendment) Act 2011 remain to be commenced. A substantial element of the uncommenced sections relate to provisions for special care. Given the legislative framework utilised to manage the interaction between the Child Care Act 1991 and the Health Act 2007, in relation to special care provisions,...