Results 3,701-3,720 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children's Rights Referendum (25 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 18 September, the Taoiseach announced to the Dáil that the Government has finalised the wording of a constitutional amendment on the protection of children and has decided to hold a referendum on Saturday, 10 November next.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (25 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: 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 and its enactment coincided with the establishment of the Adoption...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Adoption Legislation (25 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: It is intended that the Adoption (Information and Tracing) Bill will provide for the safeguarding and maintenance of all adoption records in the State with the Adoption Authority having responsibility for ensuring that adopted persons and birth parents have access to their records in accordance with the proposed Bill. However, because all persons have a constitutional right to privacy it is...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Staff Numbers (25 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: My Department continues to consider requests for special leave without pay in accordance with the relevant Circulars governing such leave and taking account of the operating requirements of the Department.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Ministerial Meetings (25 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: On 19th September, the Government published the Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012 which sets out the wording for the proposed Children’s Referendum which has been announced for Saturday 10th of November. Since taking office as Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, I have engaged extensively with non-governmental organisations and other interested...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (25 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy is advised that in cases where there is concern for the welfare and protection of a child, a report should be made at the earliest opportunity to the HSE and/or An Garda Síochána as set out in Children First: National Guidance for the Protection and Welfare of Children. It is in the best interests of the child, his or her family and the person reporting the concern that...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Protection (25 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The 2011 Report of the Special Rapporteur for Child Protection, Dr. Geoffrey Shannon, was published on the 24th July 2012. The report is available on the websites of the Oireachtas (www.oireachtas.ie) and of the Department of Children and Youth Affairs (www.dcya.ie). The report is a wide ranging report and makes a series of recommendations in relation to child protection and the criminal...

An Bille um an Aonú Leasú is Tríocha ar an mBunreacht (Leanaí) 2012: An Dara Céim (Atógáil) - Thirty-First Amendment of the Constitution (Children) Bill 2012: Second Stage (Resumed) (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: He meant in regard to the changes in fostering.

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Support Agency Establishment (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I am firmly committed to the transformation of Ireland's child protection and welfare services and to the establishment of a new child and family support agency. The necessary legislation is being prepared by my Department as a priority. It is anticipated the Bill will be published and enacted in the course of this session. It is my intention that the child and family support agency will...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Support Agency Establishment (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As I said, the new agency will have approximately 4,000 staff. We have established a shadow agency - an agency within an agency, in effect - within the HSE. Mr. Jeyes has been managing that process over the last year. We have reduced the number of managers from 34 to 16. We have provided for more direct accountability to Mr. Jeyes as manager. Those on the front line are now in much...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child and Family Support Agency Establishment (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: There will certainly be political accountability. The Government has yet to make a decision on the exact model of governance for the agency. Obviously, that will form part of the legislation, which will be brought to the Dáil before December. The Deputy will be aware that the task force which examined the various forms of governance in operation among international child protection...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Children in Care (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Section 45 of the Child Care Act 1991 places a statutory duty on the HSE to form a view on whether each person leaving care has a need for assistance. If it forms such a view, it is required to provide services in accordance with the legislation and subject to resources. Under the 1995 child care regulations , the HSE is required to consider a child's need for assistance, in accordance with...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Children in Care (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I appreciate the Deputy's interest in this issue and the reason for it. I share his view of the vulnerability of young people leaving care. We had the figure in 2010 of 2,000 young people leaving care. There is no question that there have been developments since, although I am not complacent about the matter. I will have to come back to the Deputy on the number of aftercare staff who have...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Children in Care (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The Deputy will be interested to know that, for example, there are 614 young people between the ages of 18 and 21 years in receipt of aftercare and involved in education and training courses. There has clearly been a change in terms of the awareness of the needs of this group. Of course, it is important to point out that not every young person leaving care will be in need of aftercare....

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2013 (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is engaged in consideration of budget 2013 and it would be inappropriate for me to comment in detail on budgetary discussions. My Department works in close partnership with other Departments on a range of cross-cutting issues in regard to both policy and provision as they relate to children and young people. I also point to the fact that my...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2013 (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I thank the Deputy, who makes a reasonable point with regard to the cross-departmental nature of many of the services that affect children. Another way of looking at that is to ask how we should organise our services so that we get the best delivery for children. If the Deputy has not read the task force report on child and family services and how they should operate under the new agency, I...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Budget 2013 (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The new agency must be established by legislation, which will be before the House. The governance of the new agency will form part of that legislation when it is presented for debate before December. The Government has yet to take some decisions regarding the new agency. In response to the question of accountability that the Deputy raises, it will be far easier to achieve accountability...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Care Costs (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As Minister for Children and Youth Affairs I have prioritised early years care and education. International evidence shows that early intervention can improve outcomes for children and families, particularly with regard to emotional, cognitive and social development. However, child care takes many forms, consisting not only of early years interventions but also of services such as...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Care Costs (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I share Deputy Troy's view on the provision of child care facilities. I have worked over many years to ensure that parents have proper child care available to them. What has happened in this country in the past ten years is that instead of delivering a universal free service the money was put into, for example, the child care supplement, which was then withdrawn. A total of €1.2...

Ceisteanna - Questions - Priority Questions: Child Care Costs (26 Sep 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The first thing I have done, which is important given the budgetary situation I inherited, is to ensure I got the extra budget I needed to keep the ECCE scheme available as a universal service for all three to four year olds. I also ensured that we can continue to provide the community childcare subvention programme and the CETS programme which assist parents in education and training. As...