Results 3,941-3,960 of 20,459 for speaker:Frances Fitzgerald

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Education (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 578 together. Nearly all pre-school services in the State are now participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. The ECCE programme requires that staff members acting as pre-school year leaders hold a childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The expiration of declarations is covered under Section 41 (1) of the Adoption Act, 2010. The section provides that a declaration of eligibility and suitability expires after 24 months from the date of issuance of the declaration or after a further period of not more than 12 months that the Adoption Authority may specify. The Adoption Act, 2010, does not make provision for any further...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Gaisce Awards (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The President's Award - Gaisce is the National Challenge Award from the President of Ireland to the young people of Ireland (15 to 25 years of age). Gaisce is a member of the International Award Association which comprises 121 countries world wide. The purpose of the Award is to encourage young people to set and achieve a demanding challenge for themselves in a non-competitive environment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are three designated special care units in the country where children are detained on order of the high court for their own safety. There is a unit in Ballydowd in Dublin, which has a capacity of 10 beds, another in Gleann Álainn in Cork with a capacity of 4 beds and Coovagh House in Limerick with a capacity of 3 beds. There are two National High Support Units in Ireland, Rath...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care Act, 1991, the Health Service Executive has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. The policy of the HSE is to place children in care settings, preferably in foster care, as close as possible to their home and community. There were 6,258 children in the care of the state in July 2012, the vast majority of whom were in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Ethiopia is not a signatory of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. In these circumstances, future adoptions from Ethiopia would require a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Ethiopia. The negotiation of bilateral agreements on intercountry adoption with states who have not ratified the Hague Convention is governed by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Early Childhood Education (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 578 together. Nearly all pre-school services in the State are now participating in the Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) programme, which provides a free pre-school year to all eligible children in the year before they commence primary school. The ECCE programme requires that staff members acting as pre-school year leaders hold a childcare...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Appointments to State Boards (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: I would like to inform the Deputy there are four agencies which are funded by the Exchequer through my Department's Vote. These are the Adoption Authority of Ireland (AAI); the Family Support Agency (FSA); the National Educational Welfare Board (NEWB) and the Ombudsman for Children. With effect from 1 January 2012, I have taken responsibility for the Children Detention Schools as provided...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The expiration of declarations is covered under Section 41 (1) of the Adoption Act, 2010. The section provides that a declaration of eligibility and suitability expires after 24 months from the date of issuance of the declaration or after a further period of not more than 12 months that the Adoption Authority may specify. The Adoption Act, 2010, does not make provision for any further...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Gaisce Awards (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The President's Award - Gaisce is the National Challenge Award from the President of Ireland to the young people of Ireland (15 to 25 years of age). Gaisce is a member of the International Award Association which comprises 121 countries world wide. The purpose of the Award is to encourage young people to set and achieve a demanding challenge for themselves in a non-competitive environment. ...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Detention Centres (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: There are three designated special care units in the country where children are detained on order of the high court for their own safety. There is a unit in Ballydowd in Dublin, which has a capacity of 10 beds, another in Gleann Álainn in Cork with a capacity of 4 beds and Coovagh House in Limerick with a capacity of 3 beds. There are two National High Support Units in Ireland, Rath...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: As this is a service matter, I have asked the Health Service Executive to respond directly to the Deputy with the most up-to-date information.

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Children in Care (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Under the Child Care Act, 1991, the Health Service Executive has a duty to promote the welfare of children who are not receiving adequate care or protection. The policy of the HSE is to place children in care settings, preferably in foster care, as close as possible to their home and community. There were 6,258 children in the care of the state in July 2012, the vast majority of whom were in...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Inter-Country Adoptions (23 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: Ethiopia is not a signatory of the Hague Convention on Protection of Children and Co-operation in Respect of Intercountry Adoption. In these circumstances, future adoptions from Ethiopia would require a bilateral agreement between Ireland and Ethiopia. The negotiation of bilateral agreements on intercountry adoption with states who have not ratified the Hague Convention is governed by...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Departmental Bodies (24 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: While there is no dedicated North South Co-operation Unit in my Department, officials engage with their counter-parts in Northern Ireland on issues of mutual concern and importance. For example, there is a very positive engagement, both at Ministerial and at official level, in developing co-operation in the area of child welfare and protection services.Work in this area to-date has...

Written Answers — Department of Children and Youth Affairs: Child Care Services (24 Oct 2012)

Frances Fitzgerald: The HSE provides a wide range of services to children and families in the context of the Child Care Act, 1991 and other child care and related legislation. Services are planned and delivered in the context of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and national child care policy which provides, inter alia, that services and staff will be: Child Centred: the best interests of the child...